Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-03-24
Duty Of Rural Delivery Patrons

On drop letters deposited in ruraI
mail boxes or a United States collec.
tion box TO be collected by rural car
Eier for dispatch, or for delivery
farther along on his route, or from the
poSt0ffice from which the route starts,
or on letters mailed in the postoiict
to be delivered to a rural patron By
the rural carrier, postage must be
prepaid at the letter rate OF two cent:
for each ounce or fraction thereof. A
rural carrier is not permitted to col,
lect or deliver any written matter,
whether in a sealed or unsealed envel.
ope, upon which n full rate, or two
cents in postage, has not been paid.
Having succeeded in getting rural
free delivery service established in a
community, the residents thereof who
wish to have the benefit of the free
delivery service, must conform to the
following requirements Of the Post
Office Department, as set forth in the
Postmaster Generals Order No. 739:
Each person desiring rural free de.
livery service must erect, at his own
cost, and 10 the manner prescribed by
the regulations of the Department, a
box which has been approved by the
Postmaster General, which box must
be erected by the roadside so that
carrier can easily obtain access to il
without dismounting from bis vehicle.
Persons n%eglecting or refusing to com.
ply with these conditions will be re-
garded as not desiring rural service,
and the rural carrier will be directed
not to serve them. Under a recent
ruling of the Department 1t is per
Missile for two or more families to
use the same mail box, II mutually
desired, provided a notification be
filed with the postmaster at the Office
from which the route starts, giving
the names OF all parties who wish to
receive mail in the same box.
Rural carriers are not permitted to
deliver mail to houses except in the
case Of registered matter, special de-
livery and pension letters; neither are
they permitted to deyiate from the
line Of route as specially laid down by
the Department, to deliver mail to
any box located back from the main
road, or which is not erected in ac-
cordance with the requirements Of
Postmaster Generals Order above re-
ferred to.
Patrons are expected to cooperate
with the Department in the interest
Of obtaining efficient service TO the
extent OF properly locating and erect
ing their boxes and keeping the roads
in paSSable condition. Failure on the
part OF road commissioners or super
yis0rs to keep the roads In good repair
or failure on the part of patrons to
keep the approach to their own boxes
passable, so that carrier can easily
gain access thereto without dismount-
ing from his sesilcle, will be regarded
as an indication that rural free de-
livery service is not appreciated, and
Idy result In the withdrawal of the
service from the individual or the COM
munity, as the cas- may be. A rural
carrier is not expected seriously to
imperIl the life of himself or his ami
mai, nor TO jeopardize the safety Of
the United STAGES mail or his equip
ment, 10 an attempt to deliver his
route under extraordinary conditions
Of the weather, or to reach a patrons
box the approach to which is impass-
able by reason Of snowdrifts, bitches,
or other obstacles which the owners of
the boxes neglect or refuse to remove.
z. A. CoNRARD.