The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-26

The Postmaster Generals scheme
Save Trips to the POstOf11ce.

MAIL YOUR LETTERS AT HOME.
The Postmaster Generals scheme TO
Save Trips to the P0stoface.
The order which Postmaster General
Wanamaker has Just issued deputizing the
postmassers in free delivery cities, towns
and country communities to put up house
letter boxes for the collection as we'll as
the delivery Of mail, whenever two-thirds
OF the householders on given route sg-
Nifty their desire to have this new double
service, affects nearly 100000 residences,
including the whole of this city. The let
ter boxes tested in st. Louis and Washing
ton City were selected after two years OF
examination among Some 1000 models;
and in st. Louis especially, where the
practical test of the collection and delivery
box was tried under the most unfavorable
conditions possible in that or any other
free delivery place, have the results been
especially gratifying to Postmaster Harlow
and TO the department. The test shows
that collections as we'll as deliveries are
possible without any loss of time on the
average. and that where circumstances are
favorable, as on compactiy settled routes,
time is actually saved, which may be de-
voted, of course, to putting on extra de-
markable thing to have discovered that
this new double service, that of delivery
without delay to safe reoeptacles at every
bodv's door, and of collections without
delay from safe places and upon all the
regular deliveries, at houses where the
little disk indicates that mail is to be col
lected. are now possible. All this is with
out any appreeiable change of the carrier
md 70 ho
department, except, of course. as time
enough is saved to permit the putting on
of more deliveries and the employment of
more carriers with the money saved.
The department has not watched the
simple delivery to house letter boxes with
much interest, as it has always been
known that persons could put into their
doors simple slots for the reception of
mail; and. as they have never done this,
it has been assumed that it was con-
venience not generally cared for, if it in
volved any cost at ali. A simple delivery
box was tried in st. Louis and a saving
Of time on a whole route was one hour
and twenty-five minutes day. OF course
the chief reason why the new double ser
vice will be successful is that the house
holder has the advantage. as never be-
fore, of dropping mail at his door. 1t is
question, as formerly. whether persons
would put in the simple delivery box, and
it is a question, even more than formerly,
because the simple delivery box
which has been tested and which 1t was
proposed to sell for 25 cents is expected
now to cost 81. Inasmuch as the inside
delivery and collection box is to cost only
81 flor the most durable kind, of course,
4, Al L.
mented to cost sums much larger than
that, these boxes would probably have the
call for the further reason that the other
collection and delivery box tested is to be
put upon the outside of the doors or door
posts, and in order to drop mail into them
one must go out of doors, which means
that the householder is really not to have
the advantage of the chief benefit of the
system.
There are important incidental advan-
tages in the house-to-house collection sys-
tnm. The chief one is, perhaps, that the
safety of the mail would be much greater
The chance of securing booty enough to
pay for the risk would be too small for a
mail robber, with practically all the mail
dropped at house doors, and detection
would be practically sure. Street letter
the same. but in degree 100 times smaller,
perhaps, and the same reasons would pre-
vail why it would not he safe for robbers
to break them open. Another incidental
advantage is that the revenues of the de-
partment would be, in the aggregate, very
much increased, as the test in St. Louis I'M
doubtedly shows; and there would be no
letters kept in coat pockets for weeks any
II ID ;s a.
householder would be able through the
medium Of the carrier directly to purchase
stamps.
The postmaster general proposes to sup
plement his first order to the pOstmasters
in free delivery places with more detailed
directions for placing the boxes as soon as
the boxes are ready to be placed, and that
will be very soon. An important adjunct
to the success of the matter will be the
enthusiasm of postmastcrs to make this
great departure in the free delivery service
Q success, and also the efforts of the car
riers, whose work will be so much facili-
tated.
The departure is also OF the greatest sig
nificance to country districts. 1t is we'll
known that the country free delivery ex-
pertinent tried in fortv-six communities
for the past year has been complete sue
cess and that it is now continued for
another year. The Postal Improvement
Company. the owners of the st. Louis or
inside collection and delivery box. have
already proposed to equip one or more of
these country free delivery routes. free of
cost to the department and to the people
served, so that it might appear. from ac-
tual experience. just what the increase of
revenue and the increase of circulation Of
newspapers would be.
Fell Into the Tide Flats While Drunk.
Patrick Hickey. iaborer. fell into the