The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-24
THE DELIVERY OF LETTERS.
Defects of the Box System.

The United States Mail Of this month prints
the following in reference 10 the delivery OF let
ters by carriers:-
We are very glad to see il (unofcially) an
nOunced that Postmaster General Creswell, in his
forthcoming report, will take ground against the
system Of delivery of mail matter through boxes,
and in favor of the adoption of the carrier system
at all offices where IL can properly be introduced
which includes, of course all the larger offices.
There can he no doubt in the mind OF any one
at all familiar, by experience, with the subject,
that the 'boX system as conducted at the post
offices in 0ur great cities, is one Of the main OBJ
stacles to the satisfactory performance OF the
functions OF the department. 1t Is easy enough
to set forth in editorial columns the 'gttering
gencralitics' that "every merchant has right to
have his letters delivered in that manner which
best suits his convenience" and that ''the box
system has been in use for years. and II those
now In authority are not equal TO the task OF con-
Quoting it properly, they should give place to
those who can," &c; but to those whsse eyes
and ears are officially and practically made IA
miliar with the veXations, complaints anu bewil-
dering complications engendered by it, such su-
perflcial arguments in favor OF the box system
can have no more effect than so many assertions
that four and five make eleven or that two paral-
lei lines, II only carried far enough, will eyentu-
ally intersect each other
II is q task Of no difficulty for an expert to de-
tect the flaws In the reas0nings OF the theoretica
uph0lders OF the box system. One OF the princi-
pal Is tlluL Iuey are DdSeu upon Tic dSSulnpIlUu
that the boX-hoders are the ''public," whereas,
although numerous, they form really but small
portion OF the public-and any claim on their be-
half to peculiar and exclusive rights s untenable
and absurd. But admitting for the sake or argu-
ment, that they have right to be specially and
primarily considered by the postoffice In the de-
livery OF their letters let US give few facts
which cannot be Ontradicted-illustrating the
evils which result from the system to the box
holders themselves. The statements here made
are the result Of experience at one OF the largest
postOllices In the Union-say at New Amsterdam.
There is scarcely one bOX-hodef who Is In the
receipt Of many letters, who does not almost
daily receive through his box letters addressed to
other box-hOders, which have been placed therein
by mistake. or course his own letters run the
same risk OF miSdeyery.
There Is not newspaper of extended circula-
tlon the publisher OF which does not find, nearly
every day, among the letters delivered to him
through his box, from one to six letters address
cd to the publishers OF other rnewspapers-someO OF
his own letters being in the same way delivered
to them.
There are no two bOx-holding individuals or
firms in the city OF anything like similar name,
whose letters arc not being perpetually 'miXed
upn by the delivery Of Hobbs letters to DObbs, OF
Barker's letter to Parker, OF Henrickson's to Hen
derson, OF ]. 7. Brown & Sons to T. J. Brown Il
Co., &c.
It Is no unusal occurrence for q messenger, on
presenting ticket for the letters In one box, TO
be handed the entire contents OF another, which
lie may with impunlty appropriate and open II so
dispOsed-aS he occasionally Is.
Scarcely Il week passes without the detection
Of 4 bOX.holder's messenger, in purloining the
letters OF his employer-who, with the touching
confidence in juvenile human nature characters
tic of his class, has generally expressed his VIII
lingncss to s.trust that boy with uncounted gold,
sirn and profanely condemned the posto1ice as
the cause OF his repeated losses. There is hardly
apubllshing house Of Importance In the city re-
ferred to which has not suffered In this wny-the
Io of N pNtnnt Of thousands OF dol
lars through the dishonesty of three of its mes
snnnnra detected In NhrcpSSiOn.