THE NEW POST-OFFICE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1685, 15 July 1879, Page 3

THE NEW POST-OFFICE.

The new Post-Office in the Government Buildings, Cathedral square, was opened yesterday, the department being entirely removed from the old building which has done duty as a Post-Office for so long a time. The main entrance to the now offices is on that side of the buildings facing the Godley statue, and the other principal entrance, namely, that leading to the private letter boxes, is on the same side slightly to the right, through a wooden doorway at the end of the building and up a single flight of stone steps. Passing through the main entrance, the visitor enters that portion of the building the public most frequent. On the right is the compartment devoted to the reception of “letters to be called for,” the pigeon-holes being arranged in a convenient semi circular form. This arrangement, with the open counter especially, has its advantages, not the least of which is that the anxious enquirer is enabled to see that the official in charge is attending to his wants, in which respect it is an improvement on the old system of transacting the business through a small window. On the same side, a little further on is the registration and stamp office, also with an open counter. On ■the left are the money order and savings honk departments, also the manager’s office, and at the rear of this there is the safe or strong-room. At the back, facing the main porch, is a door leading to the chief clerk’s office, to the right of which is the mail-room, a lofty, spacious compartment, ■well provided with light, and containing all the necessary fittings and appliances calculated to secure economy of labor with business despatch. As this room is considerably above the level of the street, the receiving -compartment is cut out of the floor, so to apeak, and reached by means of stops. Here a very ingenious contrivance has been introduced, by means of which the letters placed in the receiver from outside either fall into the large boxes made for their reception, or lost on the top of it, where they are more convenient to the hand. The latter arrangement is intended for office hours, after which the letters are allowed to enter the receiving boxes, and they are then taken out in the morning to be sorted. It may be mentioned here that the following notice appears on a plate outside the receiving boxes : —“ Letters containing coin or other enclosures of value should be registered at the post office ; letters containing coin posted unregistered will bo registered and charged double fee.” Loading out of the mail room is the messengers’ room, also a large compartment, fitted up with desk enclosures —one for each messenger, and the mails are taken in out of this room, which leads to the yard. In addition to the rooms already described, there are others, such as the store room, where the stationery, &0., is kept. As previously stated, the private boxes are reached from the front of the building up some stone steps, and turning to the left. The boxes are ranged in a circular form, a passage running round them, the which arrangement has given a good deal more space to command, and there are 100 boxes additional to those at the old Post Office. The postmaster, Hr Lick, and the officials under him, have been exceedingly active in consequence of the change, and notwithstanding the necessarily limited time at his disposal, the manager has been most courteous _ and painstaking in meeting the wishes of business men and others in reference to the selection of private boxes and other matters involved in the changed circumstances of the department. The Telegraph Offices are not yet quite finished, and a proper description of them could not therefore bo given at this time.