Norwich bulletin., 1914-02-23
MATTERS INTERESTING WESTERLY The Post Office Opening and Employees Banquet-Goven-
 ment to Take Charge of Mail Transfer-Former West
 erly Pastor Invited Return Bristol M E. Church

The finishing touches are being ap-
 piled to the interior of the new post office building in Westerly xnd next
 Sunday the effects belonging to the
 federal government, together with the
 mail Ulatter then on hand will be
 moved from the temporary quarters which have been occupied for two years, less one month, to the new,
 permanent quarters, and the post of
 flee business will be commenced in
 the new building next Monday morn
 ing.
 Next Saturday evening, from seven
 to nine. the building will be open for
 public inspection. Postmaster Butler,
 Assistant Postmaster Lenihan and
 other employees of the office will be
 there to act as guides and to gives
 to the people all possible information
 minute post office.
 Following this public inspection,
 there will be a public reception to Congressmen Gerry and O'Shaugh-
 messy of Rhode Island. and to Con-
 gressnan Mahan of Connecticut. This
 reception is open to the public and
 the members of the Westerly town
 council, the delegation to tho Rhode
 Island general assembly from Wes-
 terIy, the selectmen atnd the members
 in the Connecticut legislature from the town of Stonington and all holding
 public positions In Westerly.
 The same night in the new post of flee building the attaches of the local office will tender @ banquet to the em- ployes of the post offices at Norwich, New London, Stoninston Mystic and Noank. An orchestra will furnish
 music and besides the speeches there
 will be some fine solo singing by visit Ing mail men, The committee in charge is planning far the biggest event of the kind ever held under post { aeank speeches are expected from Con gressmen Gerry, O'Shanghnessy and 1 Mahan and the postnasters. The eeh- mittee has received w6Fd that all the employees of the Norwich and New { London offices are sure to be present, except those required to work at night -----
 1 After all the measurements and re- measurements that have been taken to decide the transfer of mails between the railway station and the new post office, it has been finally concluded ! that it Is up to the federal government
 to render the service. For many years Z the service has been done by the New 1 York, New Haven and Hartford Rail road company. the post office being i within the railroad company delivery limitation The latest measurements ! taken, by a representative of the post 1 office department and representative of l lue IdliIOdu tOIIlP SnOH6Q llldl IHt distance from the front door of the 1 baggage room to the front door of the post office was just four inches within ! the railroad limit for transfer. AS 1t was not practical to receive and de- ] liver mail pouches through the front revolving door it was necessary to have i the transfers by the back door route, which relieved the railroad company from the transfer service.
 l Postmaster Butler has received of fcial notification that the government l will assume the transfer of the mails and the postmaster has been ordered [ to secure bids for that special mes ! senger service. The bids require fif- ] teen round trips daily between the post l office and the New York, New Haven i and Hartford railroad station, or as l many trips as the postmaster may re- quire. These bids will be opened next i Monday. This change in service will 1 be for the public benefit as the post master will be in direct charge. Here l tofore the railroad company arranged 1 with a local liveryman to transfer the i mails in connection with a regular 1 baggage express business and in con i sequence there were occasional delays 1 in the effort to do double service with l the same team
 i In return for this service the rail- road company gave to the iveryrnan i the exclusive privileges at the railway l station, and none others were permit l ted to solicit business at the station ] although they were permitted to drive on railroad property to deliver pas
 sengers and baggage. Therefore this ] change will be appreciated by the other i liYerymen of Westerly.
 The Rhode Island State Association of Post Office Empoyes held meet l ing and banquet in Pawtucket Sat | urday night. Postmaster Charles J | Butler. Winslow N. York, superinten-
 dent of the Watch Hill post office sta ton, and Richard Butler, clerk in the | Westerly office and second vice pres.
 ident of the state association were 1T
 attendance. Among the speakers were | Andrew W. Mckee, president of the i National Civil Service Employees aSso
 ciation and the presidents of the Ma.
 tionaI Postal Clerks and Letter Car.