The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-06-10
specifications of Rural Man Boxes.

The Washington cores ponaent OF the Bal
timcre American says:
The Postoffce Department 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 com
plant is general that the government Is at
tempting 10 compel the farmers to buy ex-
pensiye boxes made by favored contractors.
Some Of those who complain have not hesi-
tated to intimate their saspicion of graft
Of some kind involved in the sale of these
letter boxes. As matter Of fact, the gov
eminent is utterly Indifferent as to the style or
the maker Of the box used by the patrons Of
the rural routes, but il insists certain speci-
fications The box must not be less than Is
xe inches, if il is rectangular and If eylindri-
cal not les than Is inches long aud 6 inches in
diameter, ani It must be made Of standard
guage sheet iron or Of sheet steel Every box
must be provided with an adjustable, durable
metallic signal, which viii indicate whether
or not there is mail in the box These re-
quirements are insisted upon by the govern
ment simply because i holds itself responsi
bic for the mail when deposited in the box by
the carrier or when awaiting lis collection by
him.
It was stated st the department that every
farmer is at entire liberty 60 manufacture bis
own box, provided he makes il along the lines
OF the specifications and after making II sends
Il 10 the Posiofhce Department for approval.
Indeed to facilitate The manufacture of home.
made boxes the department will permit farm.
ers in states at great distances from Washing
ton to send their boxes TO the nearest division
inspector, so that the cost of freight or express
may be reduced TO a minimum. Il has been
figured out that no box made by an individual
farmer or by local tinsmith will cost less
81 or $l.50 by the time il 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
government will furnish any patron or pros.
peetive patron of q rural route list Of $50
boxes, together with the names of the maker,
the place Of manufacture and the cost, and,
as the cost Of these boxes ranges from So cents
up 10 50. so, il is assured by the government
that every farmer viii find il cheaper 10 buy
such box than go to the trouble aud expense
Of making one himself But, as stated, there
Is no objection to a home. made box If il comes
fully up to the requirements made by the gov
eminent to insure the safety of the mail.
The attention of the Postofhce Department;
has been called to a practice, which IS being
INDUCED in TO considerable extent, through
which agents Of circulation departments of
soma newspapers and periodicals appeal to
prospective 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 represent that rural mail boxes can only
be obtained through subscriptions TO their
publications
Departmental officials say that the repre-
sensations referred to are, at least, misead-
ing, inasmueh as there are upwards of $50
rural mail boxes on the market which have
received the official Endorsement and approval
of the Department Postmasiers, however,
are not permitted to act as agents for any
particular box, or receive compensation for
ordering boxes.