The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-03
RURAL DELIVERY BOXES.

RURAL DELIVERY BOXES.
The action of the p~ostofice depart
ment in passing upon and approving
some fourteen different makes of rural
free delivery boxes is causing no in
considerable amount of criticism and
dissatisfaction among patrons of the
rural system and as the rural free de-
livery is extended, dissatisfaction is
becoming more pronounced. 1T seems
that complaint has reached Washing
ton and efforts are now being made by
the postal officials to adjust the diff
culties that have arisen in connection
with the mail boxes decided upon by
the postmaster general.
Chairman Loud OF the house COM
mittee on postof6ces recommends that
the department rent boxes to rural
patrons in accordance with the box
rental system utilized in p~ostoffices.
The objection raised against this idea
is that there would be difficulty in
collecting rentals and that the labor
involved would be too much to exact
of the carrier, in addition to his regu-
lar duties. 1t is also suggested that the
department select a serviceable box for
use of the routes and present them to
rural patrons. This is advanced by
Representative Hepburn of Iowa, who
says this plan would solve the problem
that officials are now facing. Depart
ment officials express the belief that
the present practice is the most feas-
ible, and while they do not advocate a
change, they admit that something
must be done to meet the wishes of
those who are served by rural delivery.
This is the most important matter
now being considered in connection
with rural free delivery, the recent
classification and other forms placing
the service on an excellent basis. The
question al to what shall be done to
provide q box system that shall be sat
isfactory to all concerned is to be re-
ferred to congress.
Under the present arrangement there
is no uniformity in the boxes pre-
scribed for use. No two of the four,
teen bear any resemblance in style or
appearance to each other, and this
fact alone is not creditable-.t to the pos
tai department. Again, the rural pat
ron is either obliged to subscribe fol
some paper whose representative visits
him and offers a box free in oonnec'
tion with his paper, or pay three times
| what the box is actually worth. II
matters not how much superior a box
may be to any one of the fourteen ap'
proved by the postmaster general, the
patron is prohibited from accepting il
| for use. He must use some n OF
those approved, and some of them
are truly a "cheap John" proposition,
with nothing on earth to commend
them except the stamp of approved
placed thereon by the department.
1t is well that congress proposes tt
take this matter in hand. 1t would
seem that some tasty design should b.
selected for rural free delivery use
that the government should have alb
solute control over the manufacture
of same and if sold, that b e-.purchsse
should be able to secure the box a
about the net cost. The Free Press
however, believes that it would b
preferable for the government ito owI
its W boxes as it does street lette
boxes in cities. Make a penalty, i
need be, for the DETACHMENT or destruc
ton of a box by requiring the part,
who SO defaces or destroys it to replac
same at his own expense. Such a pre-
vision will insure care of the property
A small fee of 90 cents per year, pay
able semi-annually in advance, coul
easily be exacted and would no doub
! be readily complied with by patrons
This fee could be easily collected b
the rural carriers and with very littl
extra trouble, as it would come bu
twice a year. A notice of "box rem
due could be put into the box thre
or four days in advance, which motto
would remind the party Of his indebt
edness, and if need be these notice
could be made out by the postmaster
properly addressed, and deposited b
the carrier as other mail. The post
master could also make out all receipt
for box rent, in a book made for tina
purpose, to be torn out by the carrie
and delivered to the patron. By thi
means the carrier would have no cleri
cal work to perform and little time I
give aside from his regular duties.
1t is hoped, at all events, that cor
gress will take this..matter up in cor
n~ection with its other reforms in th
rural free delivery system and thu
do away with the present unsatisfa'
tory box business.
The ST. Cloud Times is trying har