The record-union., 1897-03-29
POSTOFFICE AT HOME.
A Box at the DOor-Letters Nav be
Posted and Stamps Ordered.

House-to-house collection of the mails
is one of the probabilities of the near
future in New York City Postmaster
Dayton said to-day that he was heart
lily IN favor of the idea, and intended
sooner or later to recommend to the
Postoffice Department that it be ex-
tended to the metropolis. He added
that his wish was first to give it a
test within limited district to see if
it were suited to, metropolitan condi-
tlons. The district he had in mind was
that served by Station w. 1t lies west
of Columbus avenue and between Six
tieth and Ninety-sixth streets. Its
private residences, business blocks and
observation-disclosures We're such, the Post
master thought, that a fair trial could
be given to the Improvement.
My observations said Mr. Dayton,
have led me to believe that house-to-
house collection should a success in
this city. The experience of other cities
where it has been tentatively installed
has been, l understand, uniformly en-
cOuraging. l believe in every well con-
sidered step for improving the eff
cheney of the mails, and such a step
seems to be house-to-h house collection.
But there is no occasion for precipita-
ton. If generally introduced at once
the new system might confuse the ma
chinery of this office and burden the
carriers with unnecessary responsible
ties. While | believe that it is a good
thing, ] am not convinced that the saw
ing of time it effects in delivering the
mails Will counterbalance the extra
work entailed in collecting from every
house. We should need more carriers
and clerks l believe, and the office ex-
penses would probably be greater"
The general scheme of house-to- house
collection, as it has been introduced by
the national authorities, has been called
the greatest advance in the postal sys-
TEN since Postmaster General Blair in
augurated free delivery in 1868. 1t
had its origin in an order promulgated
by PostmaSter-Gener Wilson just a
year ago, in which he announced the
intention of installing it lin all cities
and towns having free delivery" Ger
tain patented devices We're mentioned
in this order Another order was is
sued by him December IA, 1896 In
the two orders a most radical improve
ment is outlined 1t amounts in the
tranSference in a measure of the func-
tions of a general postOffice to the front
door of a private house Not only will
it be unnecessary for the citizen to go
outside of his home to post his mail,
but he will be able even to purchase
his stamps without recourse to the drug
store or corner grocery.
This is accomplished through the fol-
lowing mechanism: a box with two
commandments is fastened on the i'm
side of each street door. 1t communi-
Gates with the outside by means of
plate not unlike a door-plate, to which
the carrier has the key. On this plate
is a signal like the hand on a dial.
When there is mail in the posting COM
partment, the signal is turned by an
automatic arrangement The advant-
age in time saving is obvious. The car
rier need only stop at those houses
where the signal indicates mail for
him, instead of unlocking every box to
find out.
Furthermore. q valuable saving of
time is effected by the second compart-
ment of the box. which is designed for
delivered mail. The nuisance of ringing
a bell that is perhaps out of order
and of waiting till the housekeeper has
come to the door from the back of the
house, and then waiting until she has
found a letter that she wanted him to