Evening star., 1922-08-18
NO BOX, NO MAIL!
IS POSTAL RULING
Carriers Instructed to Pass
All New Houses Not Hav-
ing ReceptacIes.
BARTLETT ISSUES ORDER
Hundreds of Washingtonians Hit
by Drastic Requirement-Bet-
ter Service Aim.
No mail box-no mail.

No mail box-no mail.
That is the edict that went forth
from the Post Office Department to-
day as the first step to enforce the
installation of mail boxes or recep-
tacles at residences.
Such homes as do not provide re-
ceptacles will not have mail deliv-
cred to them, it was announced. For
the present the order will be enforc-
ed against new homes, which. If not
so equipped, will be refused carrier
service.
Washingtonians by the hundreds
who have moved into newly built
houses will have to provide mail
boxes on their front porches or go
without delivery.
Bartlett Explains Rule.
Carrier delivery should not be ex-
tended to any new dwellings erected
in your city not equipped with a
suitable receptacle" First Assistant
Postmaster General Bartlett declared
in an order issued today to postmas-
ters throughout the country.
when a patron changes his resi-
dence also he will be required to pro-
vide a receptacle at his new address
before being accorded delivery serv-
ice," Gov. Bartlett continued. He
urged poStmaSterS to make every ef-
fort to induce citizens to install mail
receptacles at their front doors, SO
that city carriers would not have to
stop and ring doorbells or wait for
maids to answer the doors.
Absence of the home mail boxes
not only tends to inconvenience the
patrons, The first assistant declared.
but is directly responsible for in
60 a vi inp he
carrier in making the rounds of his
route.
Urges Patrons to Help.
I'VE have never enforced the home
mail box proposition, but the time
has come when We have to make a
move in that direction" Mr. Bartlett
said. 'The postal service is intensely
cooperative. the patrons have their
part to play, and this is one thing
they can do to help us help Them
Gov. Bartlett stated that in case
there were twelve new homes in a
row. and ten of the householders had
mail receptacles installed at their
, front doors. and two OF them did not
the obedient ten will get their mail
but the disobedient two will have the
letter carrier pass them by.
The new order was interpreted as
applying to strictly new houses in
which persons move from now on. II
Is not understood that the order is
retroactive. In this city. however. ii
undoubtedly will apply to hundreds
of owners who will move into new
homes this fall.
The order also contains aprovision
| which evidently is aimed at persons
in old houses; that is. when these per-
| sons shall move into another house
! whether it is old or new, they shall
! be required to install mail box be-
fore being accorded delivery service.
| Former Drive Success.
+; The Washington city post office
| last year conducted an intensive cam
paign to induce residents to install
boxes, and was quite successful, hun.
dreds of receptacles being placed al
| front doors. No commands were is.
sued, however. only the advantages
of such boxes being pointed out.
The local office, it was intimatet
| today, of course, will enforce the
order. Residents are waiting to see
| Just how 1t will be done, and exactly
( what will constitute new house.
Will some residents have to cal
at the main city post office every day
for their mail. as II they were in 8
new order? That is one OF the inter
esting questions raised.
"I do not care what kind of re-
ceptacle they put up" Gov: Bartlett
| said. "They can put out basket a.
| far as the department cares.