Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-04-11
MORNING LEADER
MONDAY MORNING, APR n, Tss4-
The Box and Carrier system.


The law providing for the free delivery
OF letters by carriers ct the houses or pla-
: oes Of busines Of the persons addressed
contemplstes 3 curtailment Of the deliver.
les from private boxes This latter mode
is popular, especially with merchants and
I other business men, and may not be sud.
denly changed. They regard it as q nec.
essary sppeodsge to every large post-ofice,
! and, in the estimation Of many, the with.
I, drawsl Of boxes Would be tsntsmount to
stopping the mails. This feeling has nat
q urslly grown out Of long habit. Instead
Of waiting hour after hour for post-ofloe
carrier and then paying him certain fee
on each letter and paper, as under the old
laws or, still worse, instead Of minRling
with the crowd, and taxing turns at the
general delivery window, 1t was conven-
lent and comfortable for q merchant to
/ send 9 messenger, who could, By tapping
at special window, command the stten-
ton Of the box.clerk, and Immediately OBJ
tain his employers mail. This operation
could be repeated on the arrival Of every
mail, and man would only have to ask
for what he might see in the box.
sueh is the main argument in favor of
Nte boxes. The holders can 20 or send
as IrS osten - they please, and get whatever
80 o-roo- - the boxes, without unneces-
sa-y dsiav Ano 'her arrangement how
ever is that the seen, sly Of letters is thus
promoted. A merchant lD 'onsIsntly ex-
pecting mouey letters, and he Nesl'Stes 10
trust them to the care Of common ~TEleIs'
He wants them by the hands of his tri-'S
clerk or errsnd boy, or pOrter-persons i
known and responsible to him, and |
In whom he has confidence. Again: the |
letters and papers being set apart so con-
veniently and exclusively, tie box-holder |
feels assured thst none have been over |
looked, but that his full number is there |
without mistake. Such reasons may have |
had force in old times when there were |
but few carriers and few private box-hold- |
ers, compared with the present number. |
But let us look ct facts IS they now exist |
under the new laws, and the vastly in
creased number of boxes.
First, the force of carriers is such, that |
letters are delivered regularly four times
each day from the larger ofices-in New |
York five times-and at least three deliv-
cries being within the usual business hours. |
Thus person may be sure Of receiving |
letters without the trouble Of sending for |
them
But it is claimed that there is a lack Of |
security about these common carriers. A 1
merchant has not the same assurance Of |
receiving his valuable letters as if he |
sends his own messenger for them. This
is fsvorite idea, but it is utterly falls-
cious. What are the facts The records
of the Post Office show more robberies by
these special messengert than by letter
carriers or clerks Moreover, it must be
remembered that letter carrier being a
sworn officer, under the Post Office laws,
if,,he steals, is guilty Of felony, and is sent
to the Penitentisry. Private messengers
have frequently been detected in stealing !
and employers in this city can testify 70
the fact, and to the further fact, that they
have not been punished.
The other reason in favor Of private
boxes, that the assortment of letters into
them prevents mistakes, is founded
on the ignorance Of the inside working Of
q large Post Office; few figures will
show how difficult it Is land ind--l -
to an impossibility) tf avoid mistakes IN
bcxing letters.
In the New York office there are IN use
nearly 5000 privste boxes, and proper
tionste number in other large otices. Nov,
what with the several names making up
firm, the names OF employees or even indi-
7idusI members Of mans family, the
whole list Of names connected with these
boxes in the New York office, is sWelled
nearly 10000. It is not reasonable to as
sert that human memory will grasp these
10000 names go that each particular letter
shall certainly find its appropriate place.
The assortment is hurried; the mails are
often behind time; applicants wait out
eide, there is no time TO examine lists Of
names. The clerk relies on his memory, /
and the only wonder is that 80 few mis-
takes occur. After years Of learning
man masters this work in 3 wonderful /
degree, and it is done perhaps as per-
fectly IS possible. Sometimes they are |
discovered when handing out the letters. |
Letters for A, are found in BIS box. The
mistakes are then corrected, but if A has |
happened to call before B, his misplaced
letters are delayed, and he is none the
wiser on calling the second time But it
may happen that letter is handed to the
wrong party, and then the temptation to
the messenger to steal is grent. A dis
honest person, under such circumstances,
will be quick to seize his opportunity, there
being hardly q possibility Of suspicion,
much less Of detection in the case.
It thus seems evident that the public
can be really better accommodated with
out these private boxes than with them,
and it is the settled policy Of the Depart
ment by all means to discourage their use.
Letters being directed to particular
street and number, and the city divided IS
il is into carriers districts, the work Of
asserting is simplihed, and deliveries will
be made with regularity, safety, and dis
patch, free of charge for carrying, at the
houses Of the owners.-U. s. Nail.