Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-13

The Postmaster General order in regard
to Rural Free Delivery letter boxes, as
published in the press is as follows:
That William Z. Amin, special agent in
charge Of the Western Division, Rural Free
Delivery Service; w. B. Gaitree, Supervisor
District No. 8: Charles Lynn, District No
a. A. w Wills, postmaster, Nashville,
Tenn, and w. II. Marigold, postmaster,
Bridgap port, Conn, be and the same hereby
are appointeda committee TO meet in Wash
ington, D. c., on April /, 1902, to consider
the question Of the supply of letter boxes
TO be used on Rural Free Delivery routes,
and TO submit to ne such recommendations
as they may have to offer; more particu-
larly in reference to the following points:
First Should the department continue 10
designate boxes and require that only such
boxes shall be used on rural delivery
routes2
Second Should the deDartment prescribe
a standard of size and shape, durability and
material of construction, and permit the
erection by patrons of any box which con-
forms to the conditions laid down?
Third. Should the department permit the
erection by patrons of any box they may
select without any limitation or restriction2
The GLOBE is very much in favor of this
investigation and we desire to make but one
pertinent suggestion That the committee
enlarge its scope of inquiry and ascertain
the number Of rural boxes sold to the
farmers by the Adrian Steel Post Manu-
featuring Co. p of Adrian, Mich; the names
of the firm, OF company, engaged in the
manufacture Of Uncle Sans Favorite'
rural box at that place.
This manufacturing plant, it will be re-
menbered by our readers, secured the four
years contract from July /, 1901, to June 80
1905, for supplying steel boxes to the free
delivery cities of the United States and our
outlying possessions The committee might
also ascertain for the benefit and enlighten-
ment Of the Postmaster General and the
President whether the Superintendent Of
Free Delivery in the Post-office Department
or any of his nearest relatives have a pc
cuniary interest in the manufacture and sale
of letter boxes ia the free delivery service
of the Government and to the farmers re-
siding on rural delivery routesp We await
the report of the Postmaster Generals Rural
Letter Box Committee with great interest.
Passing from Rural Free Delivery boxes
to letter carriers uniforms the GLOBE felici-
tates itself and the letter carriers on the
substantial victory won through Postmaster
Merntt's kindly interference and efforts in
'enlarging the scope" of rival bidders with
the result that the boys" will secure their
summer uniforms at SIT.7o per suit Thus
a saving of over SIS per suit has been effected
by the GLOBES agitation Of the matter
which totalized makes, indeed, very sEug
sum or rake of, " the boys secure them
selves instead of somebody else.
The contract for the summer uniforms has
been awarded to Siegel & Co., of Cincinnati,
at the price per suit named and the cloth is
to be Waterloo cadet grey, known as sixteen
ounce cloth No. 10. The firm of NJ. c.
Litty & Co., of Columbus. were just 65
cents per suit higher than the Cincinnati
firm, but it is probematical whether the
Columbus firm could have secured the con-
tract even il il was the lowest aud best bid
der. This IS due to the fact that the Colum-
bus firm do not use the union label This
however, IS not because of any hostility of
the firm to organized labor, as many
of its employees are pronounced union men,
and some Of them leaders in labor organi-
cations. The firm has never had any
strikes or trouble with its employees and no
prohibition is placed upon them joining
labor organization. Still it is not a union
shop in the sense Of officially recognizing
union labor, and the letter carriers having
strong organization of their own would not
likely stand for non union shop to manu-.
facture their uniforms.
The saving Of over three dollars per suit
and 10 receive as good value as heretofore.
must appeal to the letter carriers very for
chilly as to the benefit Of printers ink and
intelligent agitation If there are any other
old abuses lying around loose in this or any
other department trot them out to the
GLOBE hopper and watch the machine grind