Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-24
What Superintendent Bell Says Of a
Letter Box Scheme.
MAIL SERVICE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY
Misleading Circular Sent to Many
Residents of Washington.
OPERATIONS OF AGEN

"A cOHC1Tu Calling ltSelI the Mall service
Improvement Society. which gives its To-
cation at 112 St. Paul street, Baltimore,
ground floor. is engaged in working in va
rious large cities q scheme, which post Of
flee authorities here characterize as
fraud on the public. During the past few
days circulars have been sent to large
numbers of residents in Washington, es-
pecially to those living in sections where
the humber portions of the community
live. The circular is printed in blue ink
and reads as follows:
SPECIAL IMPORTANT NOTICE.
Concerning the New
POSTAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS
Washington, D. C.-The Postmaster Cen
eral has affirmed the order directing post
masters, postal clerks and carriers 10
recommend and urge upon householders
the use of mail repositories.
The Postmaster Generals public request
In postal laws and regulations is as fol-
lows:
Citizens supplied by carrier should be
requested to provide receiving boxes 1T
their houses and places of business
CT1tle 4, section 625o
In cities where letter carriers are en-
pioyed, letter boxes should be provided at
places OF business and private residences,
thereby saving much delay in the delivery
OF mail matter" postal laws and regula-
tions, article 3, page 26)
Postmasters will observe the following
rules:
1. The householder must, for his own
convenience and advantage, and at his own
expense, provide a suitable box
= Postmasters are instructed to give in
formation about the boxes and encourage
householders to put them up. Inasmuch DIS
the general use of boxes will increase the
safety and speed of the mail all clerks a.,d
carriers are ordered to recommend and
1acllitate their adoption" Order of the
Postmaster General, 80; U. S. Official Postal
Guide p. S94)
Notice-Every householder will now be
provided with a mail receiving box, which
will be leased by the Mail Service Improve
ment Society at the nominal rate of cents
per year 1t Is not rented for one year only
for cents, but is put UP for a term of five
years for % cents. II will be your own
property during that time. and you may
take 1t with you upon removal.
BY having a letter-box placed at your
front or side entrance you will not only as
slst In the more rapid working Of the de-
partment, but will also enable every one to
secure their mail promptly, save yourself
the great annoyance of having to attend
the door bell at every ring and insure the
safe delivery of letters when temporarily
absent. Mail should never be put under
doors.
Only by the universal adoption of these
letter boxes can the carrier system reach
that high state Of perfection which the
public and the post office officials desire.
Inc boxes are Of solid iron. attractive in
nnlsn ana neat In design; especially adapt
ed to nice private residences
Tomorrow authorized parties will call
upon you, SO please be prepared to avail
yourself of this, which will be much appre-
ciated by the Post Office Department. Bal
timore. Md, offices, 112 st. Paul street.
ground floor"
In red letters stamped on the lower mar
gin OF the circular are the words Wash
One of the circulars was handed TO a Sta-
reporter this morning, and it was taken at
once to Capt. James Z. Bell, the superin
tendent OF delivery at the Washington CITY
post office.
Supt. BELL Calls 1t Fraud.
The post office has been very much an
noyed since these circulars have been sent
out. said Cape. Bell, with Inquiries as to
whether they We're really authorized bv the
post office authorities, as the circular SEEM
ed to Indicate
Inc terms at which the boxes were
onered probably raised the question of their
renapliity Our reply has invariably bean
that we know nothing of the concern. and
as one OF the boxes has been shown to
me, l feel perfectly justified in pronounc-
Ing it a fraud
The commission. of which T u.s
ber, he continued, which was annointed
py postmaster General Wanamaker for the
purpose of selecting desirable house-to-
mousse delivery and collection box. had
every S conceivable style of box submitted
10 II, but boxes such as are referred to in
the circular never received the slightest
consideration, because they afforded no
protection whatever to the mail
Representations of Agents.
The information brought to this Office
by the letter carriers" continued Captain
Bell. indicated that the agents for this
box have been representing that mail
would not be delivered to houses unless
they were provided with this box, and in a
number of cases lady members of families
through fear were led to pay the 25 cents
to the agent. A colored woman reported
to carrier that an agent had declared to
her that the policeman on the beat would
call and demand the money for the box the
next day IL 1t was not paid to him then
THE agents for this concern in no in
stance presented sample box when go
ing around, but solicited orders. promising
to deliver the boxes In a few days. One
of the carriers informed me that Thursday
afternoon when the agents were delivering
the boxes on his route the people were so
indignant when they saw the boxes at the
evident swindle practiced upon them that
crowd was soon attracted of such pro-
portions that it had to be dispersed by DO
licemen."
Description of the Boxes.
Inc star reporter was shown two OF the
boxes offered by the Mail Service Improve
ment Company at 80 and 25 cents each.
The Jlc. affair was q sheet iron box, var
nished black, about eight inches long and
one and one-half inches deep. with a
slightly beveled top, containing a slot. The
25c. box was merely shell Of sheet iron
that is made to attach to a door jamb.
1t Is known as door-jamb box, closed by
the action of the house door, and gives no
security whatever to the mail. The box
Is too small to accommodate any but ordi-
nary sized letters. being only about six
and half inches deep. One of the agents
delivering these boxes stated that they
cost about cents apiece.
The matter has been called to the atten-
ton Of District Attorney Davis. Postmas-
ter Willett has a number of communica-
tons on file which indicate that a number
of people have been misied, and the proba-
bility Ia that the Post Once Department
will take hand in the matter IL arrests
are made.
Naval Orders.