Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-02
Postal Employees From Neighboring Communities
 Join In extending Congratulations
ENTERTAINED BY THE WESTERLY BOYS IN GRAY
Large Representation From Norwich and New London Mystic and Stonngton Also Represented-Inspecsor Pendleton Says That Narrow-Rindedness of New Lon don Merchants Has Handicapped Mail Service.

known. but it was fact, just the same, that Westerly was ahead of New London in the matter of letter carriers. He said that this was because the merchants of New London were nar- row minded and thought that free de- livery would injure their business, as with free delivery the people would not go to the postoffice and be conVen- tent to their stores. Mir. Pendieton said that with the modern appliances furnished by the government 1t be- hooved the poStofice. employees to ill their positions with even more efficien- cy. and this would be done, as all re- aized the importance of being efficient, The postoffice receipts of Providence, he said, were greater than the receipts of New Hampshire and Vermont com- bined and that there was more mon ev in the banks of Rhode Island than in any like territory outside of New York city.
 Westerly was incorporated as a town in 1869, and then there was 76 post offices in the country. He then reclt- ed the poem of the ancient Fbenezer Gray and declared he was looking for his duplicate, Letter Carrier Murtha assured the speaker that there was no such man in Norwich.
 At this point Thomas V. Clancy sang a fine bass solo.
 
 Toastmaster Butler regretted that Postmaster Carr thers of Norwich was unable to be pr sent, and he took the liberty of caIir 2 on Arthur L. Peale among the very best of assistant post masters, but now out of the service. MT. ,Peale expressed appreciation of the intent of the introduction, but said that he came to Westerly as Q guest and not as a speaker. Although out %T, F., IT. jr,tr f4o service and felt that he and all the postoffice employees present were friends. He extended congratulations to Westerly on the magnificent and nodernly fitted prstofice. New Lon don some years ago started in and got a pestoffice building. That perhaps made Norwich a trif1e jealous. and a better building than that at New Lon don was erected in Norwich. He re- peated that the postofice department and the citizens of Westerly were to be gongfa tulated in the possession of the fine building, whose proper con- Struction was due to the careful h. spection of Leslie McQuilton. He said that Postmaster Butler had tried to make Westerly the most progressive of towns and in that he has succeeded in his line. Mir Peale said, if permit ted, he would extend the thanks of the Norwich postoffice employees to their
 
 ception of the evening and also for the many pleasures that have been enjoy ed as guests of the Westerly mail men on other occasions.
 At the conclusion of MT. PeaIe's talk Martin H. Speilman was hear in an excellent tenor solo.
 l Courtland c. Potter. pos master at Mystic, when called upon sad hat he 1 supposed that by the cloc'- ce should l have been home and asleep, but that ! the festivities were so interesting that i he could not resist the temptation l in consequence he would not go home 1 until morning. He congratulated the l department and Westerly on the new l postoff1ce and declared 1t was the bes l building for the purpose he ever visit l ed. He was impressed that the ser l vice contained the flowers of the lan( 1 and that if the postmaster genera 1 were present he would surely be prout 1 of having such men as are here a.sSen- 1 bled in the postal service. He wa: l once resident of Potter Hill and re. l melnbered distinctly or walking U 1 Westerly just to get a look at 8 uni l formed letter cerrier-the first he ha6 ! ever seen In behalf of the Mystic post