The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-08-23
LETTERS At.
YOUR DOOR
Mail Carriers in
Line for the
Delivery.
,From Thursdays daily)

begin the making OF his daily !
- round this morning. After a week |
of preparation, in the way of securing
the names of those on the various
routes who wish to be served through
the carriers, the men will have enough
mail to carry them through one trip
over their routes with some mail to be
| delivered by each. The total number
of letters which are to be taken out
this morning will be only light load,
a couple of hundred at the least for
each of the nine carriers but the men
expect that they will be able to do
more work than the mere carrying of
their mail, as there are very few of the
people of the city who have returned
their address slips.
The results of the census taking by
the carriers has not been SO satisfac
tory as the officials In charge of the
work had expected it would be. The
number of persons who so far have sig
nifed their wish to be served with their
mail by carrier is a little less than 5000.
Approximately 1000 have said that they
prefer to get their mail through the
boxes and less than 200 persons prefer
10 tIlt S6lltIdl utllNtlS WIN
dows. SO far there has been no giving
up of the boxes, but it is expected that
there will be surrenders as soon as the
service is under way and the people find
that they can receive their mail at their
homes. This means that less than 300
, people have responded to the Depart
ment's request out of population Of
$4,000 in the free delivery limits.
The 1000 persons who have sent in
their names in response to the requests
of the postoffice authorities, with an in
, dication as to their preference in the
matter of the mail delivery, have been
listed in an office directory. This is for
the present use of the carriers, who so
far have found 1t of much service. They
have taken ii into account already In
, the sorting out of the mail in the gem
eral delivery boxes, where they have
found about a thousand letters which
they will be able to deliver this morn
!, ing. Some of these letters have been in
!, the office for several days and their de-
livery will mean lifting of the load
>. which rests upon that branch of the
= service The mails which come in are
= found to be in such an illy-addressed
= condition that it has been necessary tc
= handle the letters frequently while tn,
- addresses are being discovered
. The setting of the posts which vii
-, bear the letter boxes is going on bu
80 the contractor who is doing the worl
- does not expect that he will conclud
- it before next week. The boxes are no
=, being placed on the posts now bu
=, these will be set in a short time afte
= a eta a n -
as all the posts are set the boxes viii
;. be sent out. They are held upon tn
posts by two bolts, which enter tn
boxes and are fastened inside. As sool
= as they are fixed the locks will be pu
on and the boxes will be ready for III
receipt of mail. The collections vii
:, start at once, the man who will maxi
:, them being for the present mounted oil
C a bicycle. The carriers will not be Civ
. en- wagons at present, as the cost o
a this branch of the service will be g
!, great that Mr.. Erwin thought it bes
10 to refer the contract to Washington
=, There will be several of the men wh'
a will use bicycles and the others will g.
- in the cars for the present
That the service is one which vii
y, grow is shown by the fact that the PEG
=, Pile who have been seen VIII not CIV
~ their names without explanation. Som
>, men have been found who say that the
- do not want to be forced to have til
. mail delivered and who object to wha
, they call the attempt. There is gen
:, eral feeling of not being concerned wit
l., the matter, and this is taken to accour
~ for the small number of replies to tn
-, request of the Department. Despii
=, the small proportion of the people VIII
have signified any desire as to the dis
: position, it is the intention of the d.
. partment to give to the city the sci
- vice and what it will be in the futul
will depend upon the use which
proves to be to the people.