Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-02-24
Unless Order is Compiled
Free Delivery Will
Be Cut Off
IMPROVE SERVICE
Rules Given by Depart
ment For Placing of
Mail Boxes For Receipt
of Letters, .,s.

The local postoffice today sent
out to every feraon receiving
mail copy of request to obtain
mail receptacles. These were
distributed at the request of the
Postoffice Department and it is
the desire of the department to
have every person help make the
service more adequate.
The request follows:
Your attention is invited to the
matter of providing a mail recep-
tacle at your house where our
carriers may deposit ordinary
mail without the necessity of de-
lay.
The entire free-delivery is
founded upon the theory of rea-
sonable regulation on the part
of the Postmaster General and
reasonable cooperation on the
part of the Postmaster General
and reasonable cooperation an
the part of the patrons.
On an average, about 70 per
cent of the patrons in the coun-
try have provided their dwellings
with mail receptales. With this
situation confronting it and con-
sidering the many disadvantages
of not having such a mail recep-
tacle, the Department has finally
ruled chat after January /, 1928
(unless exceptions are made by
the postmaster because of inabil-
ity to purchase receptacles OF
parts for door slots), the mai
rechntacle will be necessary ii
order to secure the service, and
the carriers will not thereafter
have mail unless such mail re-
ceptacles are provided. This
does not mean that the patron is
barred from the privileges of the
mail, but merely that he Will be
obliged to 90 to the postofficE
to receive it.
1t is very desirable, both from
the standpoint of the postofficC
and from your own point of view
that you should provide some
simple and Ieas6Hable mail re-
ceptacle either in or near yOul
front door or at some very acces
sible place.
This does not mean that YOU
may not meet your carrier at the
door if you desire and that yor
may not greet him as cordially a:
ever. Carriers over the countr!
have a reputation Of being ex
Iceedingly courteous and obliginl
and thay are very popular as ;
rul.
But the good carrier does moi
desire to wait at door five min
utes to determine whether tht
people are at home or not, Of
whether they are disposed to an
swer the bell. The housewife Of
person in charge is often critical
Ily busy and can Snot answer i'm
mediately. She is often annoyed
by being obliged to leave some
thing which is engaging her &C
five attention There is every
readon why the carrier SHOULD
not wait and why the patror
should not be copelled to immedi
ately respond.
All thir NAV be obviated by /;
slot in the door or simple re
ceptacle. This will obviate tht
necessity of returning mail il
many Instances to the postoffice
with a second and third attemp
at delivery. Those patrons wh'
live on the farther end of a rout'
will receive their mail few min
utes earlier if the carrier is no
compelled to wait at the houses
The Department is disposed t
give carriers every consideration
it can. The time saved in elimi
pasing .hese waits at the doro
may help to give them other con
siderations. 1t will certainl
help the eficinecy of the Office
and, considering the fact tina
there are in the country abou
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