RURAL DAILY MAIL DELIVERY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3368, 7 November 1911, Page 2

RURAL DAILY MAIL DELIVERY.

SYSTEM TO BE INITIATED

SOME INTERESTING PARTICULARS.

The settler will hail with delight the initiation of an improved rural daily mail delivery. With the rural telephone service it is only to be regarded as the chief means of counteracting the isolation of country life, for it brings tlie farmer into closer touch with his agents and markets, and generally, the world’s news, to say nothing of his friends, and thereby places him at a distinct advantage in disposing of his procluc6. From particulars supplied by the local postmaster it is gathered that the Postal Department lias decided to undertake the delivery and collection ot mail-mat-ter to and from persons residing in rural districts along and continguous to the line of travel of all existing mail routes of one mile and upwards in length upon receipt of a properly signed petition for such service from the residents of each of the rural districts traversed by such routes. Any person living on or contiguous to a rural •mailroute and not within one-quarter mile of the corporate limits of any city, town or village, who desires his mail deposited in a box authorised by the Department at a given point on the line of the route by the rural mail-carrier; may take advantage of the opportunity afforded. .Such person shall provide and erect a box, known as the “Rural mail-box, on the roadside, placed in such a manner as to be reached by the earned without dismounting from his vehicle or horse. This box ; the cost of which, with necessary fitjiings, exclusive of lock and key. will be 135., can only be obtained from the Post Office. Such person shall also file with the Postmaster at the post-office to which his mail is addressed (which shall be one or both of the post-offices on the_ route on either side and next to the point selected) a request in writing, upon a form provided by. the .Chief Postmaster of the district, for the delivery of the mail to the carrier for deposit at the designated point at the risk of the addressee. In order to expedite delivery correspondence for a box-holder should lie addressed to the post-office last visited bv the carried before reaching his box, and the request referred to should be filed with the Postmaster at such office. The box is so contrived that the position of the lx)x on the arm to which it is attached can be easily changed from lying lengthwise along the arm to directly across the end of it. The arm itself should lie along the road in the direction of travel either way. When the position of the box is across the end of the arm it is an indication to the box-holder or to the carrier, as the case may be, that the box contains mail-matter. On the other hand, when the box lies lengthwise along; the arm it is a notification either to the carrier or to the box-holder that no mail matter has been deposited therein. The position of the box on the arm can he easily changed from lengthwise to crosswise. The post to which the box is to bo permanently attached, and which is to be provided by the box-holder may ho either Sin. square or sin. in diameter; must be at least 3ft. in the ground, and approximately 4ft din. above the roadlevel, and must be erected upon the roadside so as to be conveniently reached by the carrier without leaving his trap' or dismounting from' -his horse. During the winter season the roads must ho kept open and the approach of . the box sufficiently clear to enable the carrier to pursue his journey without being unnecessarily delayed or inconvenienced. Each box must have conspicuously painted or stencilled upon it the name of the box-holder or owner. Any person living off the line of travel of a rural mail-carrier is at liberty to purchase and erect one of ! these boxes at the cross-road or any ■ other point on the carrier’s route for the reception of matter addressed to . him or sent by him, as the case may be. All mail-matter collected from or delivered to these, boxes will be at the cxponste of the Post Office,but all deposited must be fully prepaid. As each rural mail-route will be designated by a number, a box-holder receiving mail from a carrier on any route will be required to liave his l correspondence addressed to that particular route, thus: —James Jones, Rural Route No. . . , ..P.O. Persons residing along or contiguous to the lino of travel followed by the contractor for the conveyance of mails by stage between post-offices situated in j their localities may obtain full particulars with'reference to the system of rural. mail delivery and collection upon application to the Chief Postmaster.