NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 169, 14 February 1868, Page 2

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

In giving publicity to any communication having reference to a matter of public interest, we do not necessarily endorse the opinions contained therein. All letters must be accompanied by the writer's name and address as 'a guarantee of their authenticity, and to ensure their in<■ sertion, must be sent in two days prior to publication.

(To the Editor of the Westport Times and Charleston Argus.) Sir, —Will you permit me to ask, through the medium of your paper, whether a postmaster is to attend during the hours of the published times of delivery of letters, &c. to his private affairs, or to attend to the public at large who may have occasion to apply for letters, &c, during the hours prescribed, and no notice being at the wicket to inform you that mails have jnst arrived and being sorted, &c. Now, Sir, to-day I had occasion to apply at the Charleston post-oflice for letters, with an order for same, the wicket being closed as is always the case at this office. I knocked once, twice, thrice, and then the wicket was flung open, and the postmaster indignantly wanted to know what I meant by knocking and interrupting him when he was engaged on private affairs. On my telling him that public duty was to be attended to before private he threatened to have me removed from the window, saying I was an insolent fellow. Now, Mr Editor, I am not an insolent fellow, but an honest hard-working miner of many years standing—a man well known and respected in Charleston as well as elsewhere. That is not my only grievance. These said letters that I applied for, were, according to the postmarks, lying in the Charleston post-office at the very time of my application for the same and told ihere was none. These said letters were belonging to a friend of mine, and were advertised in the Westport papers. Written for and no answer being returned, I took the trouble to go to Westport to enquire about them at the post-office there ; was shown the list where the name had been erased, and letters forwarded to Charleston where they had lain ever since, and denied as being in that office, (as I suppose Mr Alexander, our obliging postmaster, had private business to attend, and not time to attend to public duties). One word more concerning the despatch and delivery of letters , one of these letters had been sent by my friend in April, 1867, to her husband, then in the Buller district; now here is the letter returned after lying in the Westport office, according to postmark bearing date August, 1867. Now this letter was of the utmost consequence to the party addressed, and was the means of his losing £ls by the delay of that letter. I hope, Mr Editor, you will pardon my engrossing so much of your valuable time, but I consider it a duty to tho public as well as myself to ask the questions regarding the duties of public servants.

I remain, Sir, Your obdt. servant,, Joseph Co-wen. Charleston, Feb. 11, 1868.