The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-06-15
MUST USE APPROVED
BOXES"
Why They are Required on
Rural Free D livery
Routes.

dated June 7th, says: Fourth As
sistan Postmaster General d g
Graw today gave out a statement
respecting rural free delivery
boxes, 10 response to an article
from a Maryland correspondent
of the Sun and an editorial pub
lished some time ago. The AS
sistant Postmaster General says:
"Thele has recently been con-
siderable discussion on the sub
ject of the requirements of the
Postoffice Department affecting
rural mail boxes, such discussion
including suggestions that pa
irons of the service be permitted
to make their own boxes and that
the boxes may be either of metal
or wood-no restrictions as to
size, material and manner of con-
structlon to be imposed. Most
of the arguments advsn e d
against the practice of the de
partment have been to the effect
that as any kind of mail box may
be used in the star route mail
service, patro' of rural delivery
should be accorded the same
privilege, and that they should
not he required to buy "a pat.
ented box at an exorbitant price,
1T is learned upon inquiry at
the Postotfice Department that in
return for the vast sums of money
expended in maintaining rural
delivery and the inestimable ben
etits derived through it, patrons
OF the service are asked to do but
two things-namely to provide
themselves with and properly
erect suitable boxes, which are
waterproof and fit receptacles for
mail, not necessarily boxes that
are patented. and to maintain
through roads over which rural
routes are laid out in condition
to he travelled with facility and
safety at all seasons of the year.
cit is true that patrons of the
star-route mail service are pei.
mitted TO erect aud receive their
mail in any sort of receptacle
that they may see fit to erect,
while patrons of rural delivery
are required to provide them
selves with approved boxes; but
the purposes and requirements of
the two services are essentially
different. In the star-route mail
service the primary object is to
furnish postotfices with a supply
and dispatch of mail, which ser
vcie is rendered by a contractor,
nd incidentally to deliver to and
collect mail from the boxes of
patrons along the lines of these
routes wholly at the risk of the
patrons; but this latter service is
not general.
sin the rural delivery service
the delivery of mail to and the
collection of mail from patrons
is the principal object, the sup
plying of intermediate postoffices
being purely incidental to the
service where rendered necessary
owing to the discoutinuance of
snch supply by star route carriers.
But besides this, rural delivery
affords to its patrons all the
postal facilities to be had at the
postotfice-the sale of stamps,
stamped envelopes, st ampe d
paper and postal cards, the reg
istry of mail and the issuance of
money orders. Rural carriers are
appointed on certification from
the Civil Service Commission,
and from the nature of the service
that they are required to perform
they must possess higher quail
ticstiOns than those necessary or
demanded in the star-route SER
vice.
"When rural delivery was first
introduced as an experiment and
up to August l, 1901. there was
no requirement as TO the kind of
boxes to be used for the reception
of mail on rural routes, but pa
irons could and did erect any
sort of receptacle for the purpose
that suited their fancies, and
these included every conceivable
sort-cigar and cracker boxes
oil and powder cans, old bootlegs.
thing, rabbit gums and shingles
nailed together, affording no pro,
lection from the weather, and
were as unsightly as they were in.
appropriate.
"As a result of this condition
the departn ent was constantly
IN receipt of complaints of losses
of or damages to mail, necessitat.
ing Investigations, involving both
time and expense, and also of
complaints from the owners of
property in front of whose prem.
lses such receptacles had been
erected by others that they were
disgrace to the community and
to the service, accompanied by
demands for their removal.