CONCRETE PILLAR-BOXES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14809, 12 October 1911, Page 8

CONCRETE PILLAR-BOXES.

FIFTY NOW ON ORDER. , ! _It is now the: intention of the-Post-anil®! Telegraph Department to have pillar-boxes constructed of ferro-concrete chemically mixed, > instead of » the „ iron i boxes now, in use. '. The tests made show that ' these ■ ■ ■ | boxes are stronger and lighter than ire is, J j while the . cost is said to be - only half, v' | A reporter was , yesterday,"'shown one of 1 j the boxes, and was allowed to strike it I I a heavy blow with a large hammer, but j I the . blow made not the least impression on the hard material. These pillar-boxes - ! are being made on. a patent design obviating the necessity of the'postman having "f |to open the door and handle the letters, 1 this method being open .to objection, 1 owing to the risk of letters being blown H away in stormy weather. In the new .. boxes there .will be.no door in the front. § The opening will be placed underneath, and when letters are" to be taken' out the '} postman will run his bag along a couple of grooves made for the purpose, and the I ' door will open into the bag, there bein~ V no occasion whatever to -handle the letters* Fifty of these - boxes, are. now on order by '' the Department—i 3 for.'Auckland, 13 for "T. Wellington, and 12 each for Christchurch | and Dunedin. A specially wide one is BS|§ being made for erection at Wellington, | so that long packages can be placed in .it without: getting stuck across ; the box and preventing other letters from falling down to the receDtacle. It is expected that in the near future all of the pillar- ' boxes on order will be erected. - - . .