Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-05


| SStllk Of dwellings and other
! INV buildings, being Of the
mr. patterns selected by the
Post Office Department from 1000 models Of
fered. To produce these models cost the in
ventors Of this country not less than ease, 600.
The company controlling the patents which
were successful in the competition will have
practically monopoly Of the business, be-
cause people will prefer to buy the boxes ap-
| proved by the government. Half dozen
styles were picked out as best by Mr. Wanna
maker, and the inventor Of one Of them has
bought out the others, SO that all the rights are
| now vested In one concern, which calls itself
the Postal improvement Company. The
| contriVances are to be introduced to all
places where there is free delivery. According
to the newest census there are 2.61s, 267 resi-
dences IN all the towns OF the United States
which have more than 10000 inhabitants The
Tree delivery system extends to all communities
| having over 600 individuals Thus it will ap-
pear that the company has prospect Of selling
Its devices to vast number of purchasers with
profits correspondingly large.
| TO USE THE BOXES
| Now, the problem is to persuade the people
to use the boxes, and to accomplish this end,
the Post Office Department will lend its power
full aid. 1t was recognized from the beginning
that Ill order to get householders to employ
such contrivances some better inducement
must be offered them than the privilege Of
having their mail dropped in receptacle at
their doors. Citizens generally will not even
| take the trouble to have Sits in their front
doors through which letters may be put. They
DO not feel interested in saving the postal serv-
| Ice time. But the inducement required ia sup
piled in these devices by the introduction of an
arrangement which enables every person having
| private box to mail his own letters, news
| papers and packages without going out of his
dwelling. At the same time he can purchase
stamps and stamped envelopes in any quanti-
ties he desires without leaving his house.
HOW 1T WILL WORK.
Let it be supposed that Mr. A, who owns q
box. has written a letter at his home. Having
no stamp he drops it with cents into the col
lection compartment of the box on the inside
of his front door. The act of lifting the lid Of
this compartment to put in the missive auto
matically raises into view a target on the out
side of the door which bears the word mail
In big letters. Presently the postman comes
along, sees the target displayed, unlocks the
compartment from the outside and takes out
the letter and the money. Very likely he has
letters to deliver, in which case he nnlocks a
lower compartment, intended for the reception
Of mail, and drops them in. Nothing appears
on the outside of the door but slot and two
keyholes. The occupant of the dwelling has
| from within. If he wants to procure stamps
| or stamped envelopes he incloses the money
| for them in an envelope with an order indicat-
| ing the number and denominations required
| He drops this envelope into the collection COM
| partment addressed to the carrier who takes
1t to the post office, where the order is filed
| On his next trip he delivers the stamps, two
2-cent stamps being retained and cancelled for
the service. This system is profitable to the
Post Office Department as well to citizens.
A II onk lii
trip to the nearest stamp agency or corner box,
whether the cause be Indictment weather or a
too comfortable dinner, rob the government of
| an enormous revenue annually which might
be gained if a complete post Office were at
! every mans door.
WHAT HAS BEEN PROVED.
Recent trials of these house boxes in cities
having proved greatly successful in the saving
Of time, similar experiments are to be made at
once on two rural rontes selected for test pur-
poses-one village route and the other farming
district ten miles square-with mounted post
men. This is in line with Mr.. Wanamaker's
plans for extending the free delivery system
Two years ago Congress gave to the Post
master General $4,000 which was expended
in trying the merits of free delivery in forty
| six villages of fewer than 500 inhabitants; some
of them were as low as 300 Carriers were put ON
in those communities and the result was that in
one year 50. 600 was earned by the venture over
and above all expenses. If the appropriation
made by Congress for the purpose had been
81 600 600 Mr.. Wanamaker believes that Uncle
Sam would have made $3.50, 600 bv the specula-
ton. Incidentally, owing to the increased sale
Of stamps in those forty villages. the aggre-
gate salaries of their postmasters, which are
paid by percentage on the sale OF STAN d.
were increased 81 800. Wherever the delivery
system is introduced it is found profitable for
the government and the Postmaster General is
convinced that the revenues of his department
would be largely augmented by extending it to
the farming districts
VALUABLE TIME LOST NOW.
Mr.. Wanamaker has figured it out that one
fourth Of the time of the 1000 carriers
employed in the postal service is lost by
waiting at doors. They must wait for each
bell to be answered. and female servants COM
monty delight in OBTAINING such nice shocking
fellows In uniform as most of them are for
an average pay Of $500 per annum, SO that
the estimate quoted signifies loss Of
nearly 90, 600 a year 1t has been sup
posed that the Post Office Department would
take advantage Of the letter-box system to cut
down its force of posimen. but nothing
Of the kind is contemplated. On the contrary
the money and time saved will be expended in
extending the delivery system and in multiply
ing deliveries. Where at present q route has
three deliveries day four can be made il letter
UOAcb urc cWpIOyeu. a DOX COSTS ONLY FL. Tho
price of superior style will be %, but even
the cheapest ones will be complete in all the
essential features for delivery and collection.
Fancy boxes will go up as high as els, but the
expense will be In the handsome door plate and
trimmings.
COST OF BOXES.
1t remains to be seen whether people win be
disposed to pay SO much as 81 or % for the
privilege Of having small post Offices in their
own dwellings in perpetuity. The boxes will
last indefinitely, and inasmuch as they cannot
get out of order owing to the simplicity of their
construction, they will need no repairs. Think
what . luxury such contrivance will be! No
more going out in the rain with letters, no
more trouble to get stamps, and last but not
least, no more intrusting of precious missives
to the Enthusiastically pocket Of the man Of the
house. To have the boxes put in two-thirds Of
the househoiders on q route must agree to buy
them, selecting their own patterns. The Postal
Improvement Company will employ agents IN
| every big city, who will send descriptive
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