Evening star., 1922-12-07
$5,@,oDD SAVED
BY LETTER BOXES
Postmaster General Tells
Congress of Success and
Cites Authority of Law.

An annual saving of s5355.000 in
the time Of letter carriers will be
effected by the enforcement of the or
der compelling householders here and
throughout the United States to in
stall door slots or receptacles at their
homes. according to "A joint letter
sent by Postmaster General Work
today to the chairmen of the Senate
and House committees on post offices
and post roads.
The letter, in the form of a legal
brief citing the federal statutes under
which the Postmaster General has au-
thority to enforce the placing OF the
boxes by March l next. points out
that already more than 20 per cent
of all city and town dwellings are
equipped with boxes. DR.. Work says,
In part:
In the delivery of mail. The number
OF trips range from two TO six. the
average being about three. The av-
erage number of delivery stops on
a residential route is approximately
goo 1t is reasonable to assume that
each carrier will deliver mail to an
average of 200 stops daily and that
the use of mail receptacle will save
him quarter of a minute at each
stop. On this basis. the value of the
additional service which may be rem
dered in the time saved is estimated
at s3.333.060. The use of mail re-
ceptacles in the delivery of mail is
not an experiment, but experience has
shown that it is an advantage to
the patrons and actually effects
saving of the carriers time, which
rs usable in extending service.
Recognized by Law.
The law recognizes the use of mail
receptacles for the delivery of mail
in that section 1ss of the penal code
as amended May 1s. 1916. providing a
penalty for wilifuiiy or maliciousiy in
jurlns. tearing down. destroying any
mail box or other receptacle intended
or used for the receipt or delivery
OF mail on Il mail route. or injuring.
defac!ng or destroying any mail de-
posted therein. or taking or stealing
mail from Or out of such letter box
or other receptacle.
I'm decision If rhe Supreme Court
OF the United States rendered at the
October term. 1917. in the case of Ro-
sen and Wagner KS. United States. the
court affirmed a Judgment of the
United States circuit court OF appeals,
under which the defendants We're con-
Nlcted of having stolen mail from an
authorized depository for mail matter.
violation of section 1874 of the penal
code. the court holding that an order
OF the department, designating any
letter box or other receptacle intend
ed or used for the receipt or delivery
or mail matter on any city delivery
route or other route as a letter box
for the receipt or delivery of mail. is
regulation clearly within the scope
OF the authority given by Congress
under section 161 of the Revised Stat
utes
Under the provision of the order ot
August %, 1922. many thousands Of
mail receptaclrS have been provided
approximately 10000 in Washington
alone. and. while definite information is
not available. from the reports which
have been received ! venture to say
that approximately 90 per cent of all
dwellings in city delivery territory arc
now equipped with receptacles
Rural Mnil ReceptacIes.
With the Institution of rural delivery
service. the delivery of mail was con-
tinsent upon patrons providing mail re-
ceptaeies at the roadside of the route
traversed by the carrier and. at Very
early date. it was required that such re-
ceptacies should be of type approved
by the department.
There appears to he no reason why
in the city delivery service also. tie
delivery of mail should not be con-
tingent upon tn" provision of a door
slot or other receptacle in which the
carrier may effect delivery of the mail.
No particular kind of mail recrpticIe
is prescribed. The simplest box or
door-slot is satisfactory, The expense
is small. Moreover. complaints over
the issuance of the order are nesii-
gible and patrons all over the country
have cheerfully complied with the
order.
The demand for receptacles has
been so great that manufacturers have
been unable To fill orders promptly
and. under date of November IL, Ioa2,
Il notice was published. copy here
with. providing that in all eases
where postmasters find that the pa
irons are delayed on account of their
inability to secure boxes or to have
door-slots made. they are authorized
to extend the time within which they
shall be provided to such length as
may seem reasonable, but not later
than March 1. 1923.
I'm the light of the foregoing
am sure you will agree that the re-
quirement of a mail door-slot or re-
ceptacle is a reasonable and neces-
Sary regulation. To provide by law
that mail shall be delivered not
withstanding such regulation would
have the effect of multiplying ali that
has been accomplished up to this
time and make it Impossible in the
ruture to secure cooperation of pa-
irons in making the service more
efficient"
$100 FOR BURIAL.