The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-06-03

Trouble Over Rural Mail Boxes-Some
Rules That Are Misunderstood.-Ale letter
| from Washington says the POstOfflce Depart
ment has recently been receiving complaints
from patrons of its rural free delivery routes all
over the country protesting against the refusal
of the carriers to deposit or to collect mail from
boxes which the farmers have made themselves
The complaint is general that the Government
is attempting to compel the farmers to buy ex-
pensive boxes made by favored contractors.
Some of those who complain have not hesitated
to intimate their suspicion of a graft of some
kind involved in the sale OF these letter boxes.
AS matter of fact, the Government is utterly
Indifferent as to the style or the maker of the
box used by the patrons of the rural routes,
but it insists on certain specifications. The
box must not be less than 1916 inches, If it is
rectangular, and if cylindrical not less than Is
inches long and inches in diameter, and it
must be made of standard.guage sheetiron or
sheet steel. Every box must be provided with
an adjustable, durable metallic signal, which
will indicate whether Or not there is mail in
the box. These requirements are insisted upon
by the Government simply because it holds it
self responsible for the mail when deposited in
the box by the carrier or when awaiting its
collection by him.
It-was stated at the department that every
farmer is at entire liberty to manufacture his
own box provided he makes it along the lines
of the specifications, and after making it sends
it to the Postoffice Department for approval.
Indeed, to facilitate the manufacture of home
made boxes the department will permt farmers
in states at great distance from Washington to
send their boxes to the nearest division inspec-
tor, so that the cost of freight or express may
be reduced to minimum. 1t has been figured
out that no box made by an individual farmer
or by local tinsmith will cost less than 81 or
$1.5O by the time it has been sent on to the
proper authority for approval. At the same
time, the farmer is enabled to buy box at any
figure that his purse will warrant. The Gov
eminent will furnish any patron or prospective
patron of rural route list of $50 boxes. to-
gether with the names of the maker, the place
of manufacture and the cost, and. as the cost
of these boxes ranges from 90 cents up to $3.50,
it is assumed by the Government that every
farmer will find it cheaper to buy such box
than go to the trouble and expense of making
one himself. But, as stated, there is no OBJ
lection to home made box if it comes fully
nlent to insure the safety of the mail.
The attention of the Postoffice Department
has been called to practice, which is being in
dulged in to considerable extent, through which
agents of circulation departments of some
newspapers and periodicals appeal to prospec-
tive patrons of rural free delivery routes for
subscriptions, and in connection with their
solicitation not only make promises to furnish
rural mail boxes gratis, but in many cases rep
resent that rural mail boxes can only be OBJ
tanned through subscriptions to their publ
cations.
Departmental officials say that the represen-
tations referred to are, at least, misleading, in
asmuch as there are upwards of 100 rural mail
boxes on the market which have received the
official Endorsement and approval of the De-
partment. POstmasters, however, are not per-
mitted to act as agents for any particular box,
or receive compensation for ordering boxes.
AHov- fNo ARo ~ No L De-