St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-18
TWO IMPROVEMENTS.

Under any administration 1t is fortu-
nate that the management of the post
office does not lose sight of the fact that
the public is most concerned in its bust
ness features. and expects it to take on
Improvements as they are devised. Mr..
WANASfAKER has been a successful
merchant, and is quick to catch on to de-
vices that look to greater convenience
to the public. Among number Of eX
periments and recommendation look
Ing to the extension of the service, two
are very hopeful in promise. The first
of theSe-the house collection OF mail
matter-is necessarily confined to the
range of free delivery, but if that is ex-
tended into the country this will
naturally go with it. The first
experiment with this is now in progress
IN St. Louis. Six boxes out of some
1850 that have been devised the past
year Or two are selected for the test.
With the consent of the householder. a
box is placed on the door, into which
the letters are placed. An automatic
device raises disk as, the letters are
dropped in that may be seenby the letter
This obYlateS any useless trouble in
going to doors that have no mail to be
taken. A few routes in st. Louis are
being used for the test, the inventors
putting up the boxes without charge
TO the department.. The boxes, if
they are adopted, will cost from
Is cents to 81. They will afford
receptacle also for the mail to be deliv-
cred. This will be a saving of time to the
carrier, as he will not have to wait for the
appearance of some one to receive the
mail. 1t is not so stated, but it is prob
able that an electric button will be at
tached to the box that the carrier will
touch, and which will be recognized in
the house as the mail notice, and not
the ordinary call of a visitor. This will
promote domestic amiability, as it is an
aggravation at times for the good lady
of the house to respond to door call at
once. So far as there are reports of
the trial at st. Louis they are in favor
Of the system. Nor does any objection
to 1t seem probable. No additional ex-
pense is entailed upon the service, and
but little more time taken by the car
rler. He collects and delivers the let
tiers without annoyance to the recip-
Tents. Mai. HARLOW, of the depart
ment, under whose supervision the ex-
periments are being made, expresses
confidence that ''houss to house eoIIec-
ton, as we'll as delivery. has come TO
stay" 1t is to be tested at Washington
soon, and there seems no reason to
doubt that it will, i'll good time, come in
use in all the cities.
The other extension of most notable
Interest is the delivery in the country
districts. The experiments in this
direction have been in progress for
some time, and the Indications are that
the chief objection urged to it, that it
will involve large expense, is subStan-
TALLY met by the increase of business.
Still, if it does add to the cost some
what for time, it but follows the pree-
edent in about all the great changes in
the service that have added to its value.
1t may be predicted that the time is not
remote when the farmer III the not too
sparsely settled regions will have his
mail brought to his house daily and his
letters taken back. Provision Will be
made also for procuring postage stamps
through the carriers. This daily mail
at the homes will save much time
now taken up in going to the
postoffice, and will put the rural and
isolated in constant touch with the
world. The newspaper will be as much
necessity each day in the country as
city home, and the educational value of
the measure will be immense. The sight
of the mail carrier would stimulate
those who have not taken newspapers,
end they would not be willing to be
aSsed by as not III the swim. All rea-