The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-10
?. 0. CARRIERS
MAKE REPORT
CITY CARRIERS CONTRIBUTE IN
TEREsTlNG DATA REGARDING
BUILDING CONDITIONS IN CITY
MANY NEW PRIVATE MAIL
BOXES NEEDED FOR HOMES.

The city carriers Of the postofTice In
this city have just made an annual re.
port to the postmaster which contains
some interesting facts.
They report the number Of new
homes constructed during the year as
118. In this connection 1t is interest
ing to note that the city engineers Of
fee only reports "a permits issued
during the year for Jew homes, but
| quite a large number OF permits were
issued late in the fall Of 1912, and this
probably accounts for the discrepancy
between the figures Of the city and the
postoffice.
The number Of families served by
the fourteen carriers of the city in
creased 222 during the year. which
would indicate a gain of that portion
Of the city served by the carriers of
about 1.100 in population.
The lineal feet Of new sidewalks
constructed during 1913 Is reported by
the carriers as practically TO- 900 feet.
These are new walks where no i'm
provements Of this kind had hereto
fore existed. The city engineers office
reports $4,000 lineal feet Of walk built
during the year., but a portion Of this
was replacing old wooden walks, and
az . ~ SOAAl1I ALI Lllo DIdC
teal correctness Of the figures of the
postoffice department.
The regular carriers handlea an aver
age OF 112 packages of parcel post per
day, which is about rs per cent Of the
incoming parcels, as far as numbers
are concerned. while the special parcel
post carrier handle the balance of the
incoming parcels.
The number Of private mail recep-
\ flrlpC in ISSo an thu fn1YrfAo- ~o,&a. -
the city is only 796, and ITO of these
were added during the past year. This
number should be at least $500, and
this shows that 400 more private
mail receptacles should be put up in
this city.
Many Of those now in use are not
what they should be, as in some in
stances they merely consist Of a sheet
Of tin, or ar old cigar box nailed to
the wall. A good, mail box can be Sc
cured al the hardware stores for about
Is cents, having at least two keys, and
being SO that the individuals mail Is
properly protected from being modest
ed by those who have no business to
examine 1t.
Almost weekly complaints are made
to the poStoffice Of someone tampering
with mail intended for other parties,
and If Fargo should start a campaign
to have individual mail boxes used ex-
tensively as they should be. it would
give great additional protection to the
mail and decidedly improve the serv-
ice.
There are very few cities of the size
of Fargo in the country, where the
mail receptacles are not several times
more numerous than here. This is a
matter which should appeal to every
e~nterprfsing citizen, because of the
protection of his own mail, as we'll as
the efficiency of the service.
The carriers average from 10 to Is
miles per day travelling in the regular
discharge of their duties, and this is
somewhat remarkable, when one con-
siders the heavy loads with which
they start out. Fargo is an enterpris-
ing city, and. her citizens receive large
numbers of magazines and daily pa
pers, in addition to the letter mail,
In most of the postofices, in the
country Of the size of Fargo, the regu-
lar carriers handle rs per CEN of the
parcel post business, but here they
carry only IS per cent Of these pack
ages, n it would be impossible for
them to handle more, owing to the
large amount Of other mail they are
compelled to, carry. Fargo is especial =
ly favored with having a most intelli-
gent and faithful city carrier force
most Of whom have served the public
for many years.