Evening journal., 1908-12-04
Friday, December 4, 1908
GATHERING LETTERS BY TRoLLE

He authorization given by First Assistant
General c. p. Grandield TO the postmas-
ter of this city to introduce what is known as the
'McAllster street railway mail catcher service"
description of which has been given is an inter
estng official act.
The idea of adapting each passing electric car
to an instantaneous reception of drop-letters in
such a manner as not to cause interference with
rapid transit it would appear for the last two or
three years has been thoroughly investigated in
the Postoffice Department by its experts, and has
been found worth the experiment. The mechani-
cal apparatus for making il effective has it would
seem, been given repeated official tests which
were all successful. The inertia, however, which
is always inherent in large undertakings such as
the final application of an idea of this kind to
some 100000 street cars would involve, has
doubtless arrested the development of the pro-
iect This condition would have continued but
for the present concurrent action in the matter
by the postmaster of Wilmington and the first as
sstant postnaster-gencral.
It may be taken for granted that suitable me-
chanica means having been shown to be avail
able to utilize the widely permeating electric and
cable car lines for a swfter transit of local let
tiers. more or less general use of these cars by
the postal department would be a great stride i'm
mail service And once the postoffice, with view
TO accelerating mail movement enters on use
OF the electric railroads similar to that 10 which
the steam roads arc now put official ingenuity
and enterprise may be depended upon to realize
possibilities OF service in the new field of postal
exploitation as yet entirely unforeseen.
There is no reason why, according TO the plans
now suggested. the present special delivery SER
vice should not be made a convenience pract-
cally at the very doorway OF the citizen equal to
that of the messenger call box, now employed by
only limited number of people The mail recep
tacles TO be brought into play by the postal
service might well be used also not merely for
the dispatch of letters inwardly to the postofce,
but also for quick. continuous transmission of
the letters outwardly TO the carriers or TO local
carrier stations, and mail deliveries in many
tons would be thereby largely increased. An
almost certain result of the new service will be
that 1t will be used to supplement the rural free
delivery system by an efficient method of mail
collection in rural sections now sorely needed,
where the trolley lines practically parallel the
rural free delivery routes.
It would seem, indeed, that the new postal sys-
tenn will affect mail operations broadly and in
something more than the local sense, inasnuch
as the trend Of industrial and social activities
within the past half century has been towards
urban areas, with the result that the bulk of the
mail handled to-day is, after all really local in
either its origin destination. At all events,
the proposition of establishing the present new
postal system has not only passed the more crit-
cal initial stage of its official mechanical trial. but
is indorsed, it seems, as new method of trans
portation by practical railroad men, it is clearly
entitled TO the final test it must undergo, OF its
Use by the public, and commentator is there
fore due 10 the first assistant postmaster-general
and Wimington's postmaster for acting accord
ingly-