Imperial Valley press., 1920-03-25
IMPERIAL RANCHER GROWS WRATHY
AT WHAT He TERMS, BAD P.0. SERVICE
w. e. Conp6eH Takes Several Shots at Mail
Alleges 1t Exists in frDeriaI Several Alleged
Carelessness Cited To Support His Contenon Asked Post
Mistress to Resign; Demands Better Service.

mail, but it never got through, and
| afterwards duplicated it in person.
Last spring my neighbor was badly
put out about not getting his pay
check of about $1,000 or over from Los
Angeles, but he finally received it just
one month after it was mailed at Los
Angeles. Another was two weeks on
the road another time.
A short time after the armistice of
the great war was signed when every
body was waiting, listening ard watch
| ing with great anxiety to hear from
/ their near and dear ones who were in
the war not knowing whether they
were dead crippled or alive. In those
tunes great excitement prevailed.
| Mrs. Sarah Campbell was going to
the postoffice most every day to see
and try to get word from her son, Ed
ward, who was in the war and close
to where the greatest battle was rag
ing when last heard from After so
long and many fruitless trips while
about in despair and discouraged of
ever hearing from Ed. But about this
time Bob. Honacor met her on the
street and said, "Mrs. Campbell, there
is a letter in the office for you from
Ed" Mrs. Campbell said, "No, l have
just been there and there is no letter
for me-" Bob said, eyes, l had it in
my hands. ! found it in another mans
mail box and gave it back to them to
put in your box" And she went back
and the letter was there. 1t was
PASSED off as just little mistake
Now, there is no telling how long
that letter was laying around in some
cne's box. srtl
Some time back Jim Mccarthy was
expecting a very important letter on
business. He was at the Imperial
office every day for several days to
try to get it on first arrival so he
could transact the business, but he
couldn't get it. After several days
loss OF time, patience and worry he
happened to be in Varney's one day
and the priced letter was. handed to
! him by one of the clerks saying it was
found on the street west of the post
office near Edgar Bros place of bust
ness. Now can you bcat that?
Alleges More Delay.
Here is another that is hard to rub
out. Just short time after George
Heber retired from the secretaryship
Of Water Company No. l, he mailed
to me a monthly statement Of my
monthly water run on the 9th of the
month and my box did not catch it
until the goth. 1t played hide-and-
seek there for 20 days in the postof-
flee. That trick caused me to go de-
llnquent, with my water shut off, and
an extra trip to town to pay my water
bill when otherwise l could have had
1t paid. and also | can remember back
in some months | did not receive my
notice at all from the water company
but | thought it was their overlook
or mistake; but not so, for on talking
with Mr.. Carberry, the superintendent,
ne tells me that there is no possible
chance or way for them to make a
mistake. But, oh. boy! isn't it too
bad that the postoffice hasn't got that
!. system too?
He said the statements and bills
were sent out every month to each
and every water user. The accounting
and directing had to go through toe
many accurate hands for anyone to be
overlooked or missed. Water Com
pany No. l has peculiar system OF
collecting their water bills. They
don't want the money until after they
have sent the notices all out; ther
they want it and will shut off the
water if they don't get it at cer.
tain time.
Now here arises another thought
in my mind. In February, 1919
Water Company No. at their annual
meeting passed ruling that the non.
residents should be notified by mai
OF their Indebtedness or their indebt
edness, ETC., and they should have
only certain length of time to pay
up in or their water would be stopped
and a portion of their stock sold fol
the amount Of their delinquency. Their
and there the wheels of industr,
would stop if the postoffice fails tc
do its duty which it so often does.
Wants Matter Taken Up.
Now, 1t seems to me that right there
is good subject for our county su.
pervisors to look into and discuss anc
see If some of this trouble couldn't
De adjusted for it is satisfaction that
counts more than so much costly ad.
vertising to bring people into the val.
! ley.
Sometime ago l was in the office
; to get my mail and as l drew it out
another stray, as usual was in my
box. | turned and handed it to the
} postmistress. She was standing in
the door of her private office.
, started in to have a talk with her or
this stray letter habit. 1 tried to tell
her that this was getting often anC
| old, that was as far as l got. She
slammed the door in my face in a con-
vincing way as to tell me to go or
: and attend to my own business and
} she had been stung before and no good
advice was wanted. Now, | did want
to talk to her about the stray letter
business. Of course, they are all sup
posed to be returned to the office, but
!, they are not. Human nature will tell
us that some will have a curious eve
for prying into other peoples busi-
\ ness, and will break any letter open
lust because they have the chance
Then, of course, destroy it to keep
from being caught with it. Others
would carelessly carry it around with
the intention of returning it but many
times other things happen and it does
not get to the owner. We have had
Il them fO lia ar0upd in cur bopoac for