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Show DON'T DEFACE LETTER BOXES. If You Do You Are Liable to a S1.000 Fine, Among the United States statute; relative to the postoffice department is one which provides a penalty of $1,000 fine or two years' imprisonment for any defacement of letter boxes, says the New York Mail and Kxpress. The law rested in a state of innocuous desuetude des-uetude for years until it was broug'nt to the attention of Postmaster Hicks of Philadelphia recently, and he lias been laying plans to enforce it. I'1 a recent trip through the city lie discovered discov-ered that the mail receptacles everywhere every-where were in a shabby condition, dingy din-gy with dirt and marred with match scratches innumerable. On his return to the postoflice he wrote to the postmaster-general at Washington askins that he be allowed to make a contra for repainting the receptacles. Vtoi'tl came from Washingum to go ahead with the work, and the contract ls already been let and the work commenced. com-menced. It will take about forty days to give the 3,250 letter boxes and 300 package receptacles their new coats, but as the work progresses special officers of-ficers in citizen's clothes are stationed along the rou.e to watch for people who dare to disfigure the new paint coats, aud a placard has been hung '" each of the posts quoting the statulo in question and calling the attention of the public to it. The principal offenders offen-ders against, the statute are smokers, who utilize Untie Sam's property for match scralchcrs. The paint "scil -s a silvery gray and has been speelal prepared. It, contains phosplw'-" "' largo quantities, which II Is hoped w make the boxes so conspicuous at ni.R 1 that people will have no dillh'ntty 1,1 finding them. Should the pal" I1"" a shining light It will very likely M adopted all o er t ho round '. |