The following appeared in the Rock County Star Herald on July 1, 1965.
No Outgoing Mail After 6 P.M.
Service on Night Mail Cut Tuesday
Beginning Tuesday night, there was no outgoing mail service for any mail dropped in the outside collection box at the postoffice after 6 p.m.
The announcement was made by Assistant Postmaster Arlo Bier-Bierkamp after receipt of a letter from the chief of the organization of Service Branches for this region. The Minneapolis headquarters ordered the postal officials here to send them the Metro lock and bar from the outside collection box.
The box will, for the time being, be left out in front of the postoffice.
The announcement of the policy of the postal department was a blow to business firms of Luverne. Many of them are not able to make the 6 p.m. deadline on outgoing mail from the postoffice.
Will Still Stop Here
The mail truck driver, of the Star route going east, will still come to the Luverne Post Office at 11:20 p.m. He will not, however, pick up the first class mail from the outside collection box. The postal department’s attitude has been that the service creates extra expense, that Luverne is one of the small number of offices that have this service.
Even tho the star route driver doesn’t have to go out of his way one bit, a service vital to Luverne has been killed. There was an average of 200 first class letters going out every night.
What this means is that any letter mailed in Luverne after 6 p.m. doesn’t leave Luverne until noon of the next day. Luverne has enjoyed good service in the past. Letters mailed up until 11:20 p.m. were received in Minneapolis the next day.
C of C Appeals
A telegram was sent to Congressman Ancher Nelsen yesterday by Les Murphy, president of the Luverne Chamber of Commerce. In his telegram Murphy asked for Nelsen’s help in trying to get the postal authorities to continue the mail service as in the past.
Murphy said that the curtailment of the mail service, in such an arbitrary manner, was a real blow to businessmen, himself included.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
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