The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20
Edisons and the c. P. o.

From London Answers.
The recent suffragette outrages on
pillar boxes have caused many budding
Edisons to turn their minds towards
the introduction of a method which
will prevent the raids. or. at least, min
imize the damage.
During the past few weeks, In fact,
the authorities at the general post
office have been overwhelmed with sug-
gestions. each guaranteed to render
further depredations impossible.
Some of the ideas put forward have
been weired to the extreme. Many sug-
gested the possibility of having man
removable top; whilst one ambitious
gentleman sent a working model of a
posting-box with two powerful steel
catch the sufragette whilst she was
placing destructive materials in the slot.
Unfortunately the inventor forgot to
explain how his machine would discrim-
mate between the agitator and the in
nocent poster
Every day the officials in the secre-
tary's office deal with post of some
two thousand letters. These are chiefly
grumbles and complaints against the
postal SYSTEM inquiries concerning
missing letters, damaged parcels, tele-
graphic errors, telephone complaints,
or application for increased facilities
In various neighborhoods
The daily post, however, generally
contains some offers of inventions,
which, IL the hopes of their originators
were realized, would certainly produce
astonishing results.
One gentleman offered a luminous
paint with which to coat telegraph
poles, thus rendering them visible at
might time. Another--a doctor-stated
that he had manufactured a compound
which would remove all obliterating
marks from stamps His offer to sell
the formula was declined.
Many inventions are received for the
prevention of theft from letter boxes,
but it is seldom that the schemes sug-
gested are any improvement on the
method In vogue.
A clock-like mechanism was offered
for automatically changing pillar box
time tables. but on a trial was proved
to be failure.
One lady suggested that penny stamps
should be perforated so as to enable
correspondents to detach one for use as
a halfpenny stamp, whilst an enter
prising firm offered a large sum to be
allowed to place an advertisement on
the back Of stamps.
some people probably having in mind
the extensive damage done to parcels,
have suggested that light, steel trellis
work, placed inside the canvas bags
would save the parcels from being
crushed. Consideration of space, how
ever, have prevented the adoption of
this idea.
A peeress considered that pillar boxes
should have an opening facing the road
way, so that she could post her COR
respondence without alighting from her
carriage. The authorities informed her,
with official regret, that her idea was
impracticable.
one particular suggestion that re-
ceived considerable attention was that
cables should be carried in sewers, but
the matter was at length allowed to
drop for technical reasons
An idea that was adopted was that
schools should be supplied with tele-
graph and saving bank forms, so that
the scholars could be shown the correct
way to enter the necessary particulars.
Suggestions and inventions from the
staff are encouraged by means of the
awards committee, an official body,
having at its disposal fund from
which to reward any officer making a
suggestion which If adopted. would re-
suit in increased efficiency in the postal
service.
Already the committee has awarded
several hundred of pounds, and some
of the inventions submitted show re-
markable ingenuity. A neat combined
string holder, cutter and parcel-bag
opener won an award, whilst many i'm
movements for telegraphic Instruments
have been erected in the same way.
Every three months the committee
issues leaflet showing the various
awards. and giving short description
of the invention. A perusal of this LIST
will show conclusively that the Post
Ofice official is not the lackadaisical
Individual the civil servant is supposed
to be.
Ii may be mentioned, in conclusion
that the Postmaster General claims the
right to purchase at any cost any in
vention made by one of his officers. but
he does not interfere with the profits
an officer may gather in should he
choose to trade with outsiders.