The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-01-14
ORDER CLOSING
POSTOFFICE HAS
DISAPPROVAL OF
LOCAL PUBLIC
Patrons Would Be Barred From
Lobby After Six O'clock in the
Evening = Chamber of Com
merce Has Hope of Modification
Of Order Through Congressman
Drane.

of the Lakeland postofIice be closed
to the public at night, has met with
such strong protest here in business
end civic circles, it is likely that the
order may be modified in some way
insofar as it applies to the Lakeland
postofIice.
Secretary Holworthy, of the Cham
Der of Commerce, has wired and also
wlMten Congressman Drane at Wash
ingtCn. and Postmaster Cresap also
is writing him. The letters and mes
sages have gone forward. and it is
expected that Mr.. Drane will bring
about some modification of this order
Il was much surprised to receive
such an order said Postmaster Cres
ap, this morning. 1T will mean that
the front doors of the postoffice must
be closed at six clock each evening
! Heretofore they have been remaining
oren to the public all night. II the
order is carried out in Lakeland, il
I
convenience on the public. The post
office employees in the mail department,
remain on duty until midnight. 1t
is one of the very busiest periods o.
the day or night. Six mail trains come
| in between six o'clock and midnight
and the cancelling machine is kept
busy continuously until midnight.
The order says that the front doors
II ust be closed each evening with the
departure of tile custodian of the
building. / am custodian, and go OIL
duty at six O'Clock. The order cau
be modified as it relates to towns
like Lakeland, or arrangements coufd
be made for a ustodian-employe to
have charge of the lobby. For the
present the lobby will remain oper
ali. night as usual"
Secretary Holworthy is confident
that Congressman Drane will be able
to bring about some arrangement with
tie postoflice department that viii
satisfy the Lakeland public
The letter received by the postmas-
ter is as follows:
Departments Order
To Custodians of Public Buildings
Under Control of the Treasury De-
partment: =
Gentlemen:
With view to more adequately
safeguarding Federal buildings under
the control'of this department, it is
hereby orde& that all buildings
where the custodian personnel is not
sufficient to keep a watchman in the
corridor during the night be closed
when the last employe leaves. Where
a watchman can be assigned for duty
during the night, only one entrance
should remain open and the watch
man stationed at that point where he
can guard the entrance and lobby
All ether entrances should 'be kept
locked.
Only those portions of Federal
building should be open to the pub
lie which it must have access for the
transaction of business. In case that
the official duties of a government
omploye necessitate his remaining
after the usual hours in ia Federal
building closed in accordance with
tie above order, custodian employe
should be detailed to remain until
such official leaves for the night. The
custodian employe should be fur
nished with key for the front en-
trance door and instructed to assure
himself that the entrances are all
securely locked when he leaves the
building and ell lights eXtinguished,
with the exception of one or two
lights in the lobby, and those in
charge of the ryaults on the first floor
should arrange to see that a light is
left burning in front of these vaults.
The responsibility for vault lights is
not to be placed on the custodian
force, although no objection will be
iLterposed to any arrangements made
blythe postal or other authorities to
have the custodian employe last leav-
ing the building perform this duty.
Keys to front entrance doors are not
to be supplied to officials occupying
quarters in the building.
If adequate mailing facilities are
not available for the accommodation
OF patrons of the postoffice desiring
to mail letters during the hours that
the building is closed, requisition for