You make a specious argument. Mail::Box::MH doesn't pull 70 *external* modules. Mail::Box::MH is part of the Mail::Box suite, developed from scratch with few external dependencies. If you take exception to Mail::Box design, this I can understand as I've tried using as well. However IMHO the issue is OO gone mad. Now if you are truly simply concerned with the number of use statements anything uses, than I am inclined to agree with what others have said, there is no such thing as too many; especially when the alternative is to reinvent the wheel.

PS> strict et al. are pragmas and therefore probably oughtn't be considered modules, especially in this sense.