CLAREVILLE POST OFFICE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1093, 7 June 1882, Page 2

CLAREVILLE POST OFFICE.

About 35 of the residents of Olareville assembled in the.sohoolroom on Tuesday evening for the purpose of disoussing the advisability of removing the Post Office from its present place or otherwise. The meeting had been convened by Messrs J. Smith, J. Vile, and 0. Dakin, and the second named was voted to the ohah\ After referring to the oiroulars calling the meeting, he hoped each would freely express his opinion and that all would have a lair and impartial hearing They would remember that some eighteen months ago when the atore was olose.l they had some difficulty in getting anyone to take the Post Office for the small remuneration offered—£lo per year. Mr Smith after some persuasion consented to stand. Another meeting was called and he was appointed to the post and acted well all through, Living opposite his house he was constantly under his eye. ' He had never seen him miss a mail, and had al.waya found him- courteous and. attentive to his duties. Mr Vile' then .referred, to a conversation he had-had'with-Mr Biitt'i, the Postmaster-General, 'on'the subject while in town, subsequently to the notice of removal being given, to Mr Smith'. Mr 0. Dakin did not consider it just that the post should be removed from Mr Smtth if he were willing to keep it, and there was no fault to find with him. As a matter of advisability and justice he should vote for the office remaining'where it was. . ■ .

Mr Roberts said that letters' posted at the office had not reached their destination, and complaints had been made to the Postmaster-General. MrMeenkin was m favor of the office remaining whore it was but that it should be attended to by Mr.Sraith, and not the boys. If he remembered correctly when Fiskshutup.it was resolved that the Post Office should be held temporarily by Smith for a twelve-month, and it should be removed back if the store were reopened. For himself he' thought it was preferable-to have the office at a private house than a store. They could get their letters from Mr Smith's at any time, at a store not after 5 o'clook. If public convenience were consulted he thought the office should remain where it was. Mr Smith, postmaster, said no one ever dosed or opened the bags but himself No man would take it, (Mr Feist or anyone else), if they had to go to and fro with the bags themselves.. On Friday last, for.instance, he had owing to his boys being detained in school to go himself for the bags and was kept there an hour and a quarter owing to the late arrival of the train,

Mr Goodin thought the better way to deal with the matter would be to set up a petition, as he thought many did not know of the meeting, x He had nothing to say against either Mr Feist or Mr Smith, but he had often heard it asked whv was it not at the store, and he believed the public generally wished it to be there. He would also ask if they had any power in the matter. The Postmaster had come up and he supposed- saw good [grounds to remove the office.. He had officially authorised Mr Feist to take it over.; He had gone and asked Mr Smith ,to deliver it up, and he had refused to do so, Was Smith's the most convenient place 1 They were no doubt glad to gethim at the time} and the store, being openeff wasthat not'moVe bonyehienl? He thought, however, they had' very little power to deal with the matter.

Mr Smith (postmaster) having read the letters from Mr Butts appointing Mr Feist postmaster- and the ireasons'for Withdrawal From himsrlf, stated hoWit was that he had come to take it, and said ■. if.it was now to bo Amoved Feist it would seem that they had oiily been making a him- as Jong as they could get: no one else! 'He had never offered to resign, but finding that Mr Fisk got Jls he applied for the same amount, and when he could get only £lO hetookit. Mr Liddle thought 100 much of the personal,element had been introduced into the matter. They had come there to dißousa a matter of public convenience, not Mr Feist or Mr Smith. If the post-office were to be removed two or three miles there might be something in it, bnt when it was only a few yards he could not see how the removal could be attributed to a consideration'for the' convenience of the public He would therefore move—'• That Mr H. F. Smith having condnoted the business of theOlarevillo post-office for the past two years to the entire satisfaction of the public (at whoße urgent request he was induced to undertake it), this meeting is of opinion that the action of the Postmaster General in proposing to remove the post-office to an adjacent place is arbitrary and totally uncalled for by pubic convenience." '

The motion was seconded by Mr!J. Smith, and carried by a good majority";' and a vote of thanks to the ohairman brought the business of the evening to a I dose. i I