Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-05-05

- et"W.UVV NW TC UDJtCL OF lheir most WillinU com
details. And in the first place TO advert to the Orrani,a.
ITS system and efficiency. s
Tor conducting the main operations of the de partnent.
y mas been organized under Mai. Barry into two Grand
DIVISIONS, called the Northern and Southern Divisions-
~ u"def tae superintendent of an Assistant Post.
master General. Che former comprises tho oper,t;o,,s
OF the department in the States of Maine Nev uamn'
sh'Tc, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island. Gomez
tcut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware. MARYLAND.
LeniSylvania, Ohio ana G~ie!igan Territory. The latter
u'V's.oh comprises the operations of the department in
%tI a = Ii Virginia, (wltl the District of Colum6iaJ
Norm Carolina, south Carolina, Georgia. Florida ~.
10y ALABAMA, mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas Terri
sour. """'' i""''s Il MIS-
me business of these departments is, the making of
man contracts and furnishing a copy ofcach TO the To-
sury department, and n copy TO each contractor-kecn
ns a journal OF the expenses of each route, and of the
extra allowances on each for improvement also , 10
cora OF the extent and boundaries of eacL rou,e ~ ,Lo
Instances between the several Offices on each ronte. tMc
masking OF periodical reports of the unproductive routes:
Ne ihahlhS oil appointments OF Post Minister'S on coc5
toute-recordlng these Observation-Disclosures writ.
zen holces OF appointments, following them by blank
oonus ana instructions, and then by commissions-en-
~tng ue names oi surcttcs upon bonds-makine and
recording changes in the names Of Post. OaicesInnt.
~ uhu recording diseontinuanccs of Offices. and of
~ eSIlohshiig new oiilccs-Iecording designations.
.t"'oVals, and investigating re.
si'ns oil the oatlls of qualifications of Post. Masters and
VI carriers, and returning them when imperCect-nur-
SUING mail deprcdators, and institutinp exon,;notoms
through the returns Of Offices through which LOST Iet,ers
may be traced-adiustinr and cnG5rcinr 6pos ,na;n.'
contractors, Fostlnastcrs and thers-distributing booLs
oil instructions, tables of Post Offices and routes ebl,nLs
mai bags, locks and Keys, and whatever else appertains
~ .c iNnuaMenia! operations Of the department.
such IS but a bricf. outline OF the business of each oc-
hSt1 division ofthe department, in each of which are en-
ployea thirteen clerks. In this connection. il should he
Sul.taF mat there are about II 900 different Post Offcao,
located up"~ -'oI distinct post routes, and dis,.i0utcd
ton of Statcs 49," a"J FTi"2r OF this wid"@~ Iohstella-
attended to in the above mentA oned operations II
tHcse were permanent, when once ~Oaganized, the bu-
s!ness would be obviously much lcsN But they are
constantly undergoing changes; and Syery reTnov,I
% either an Office, or oat.Alaster designation
every ncwly-Croated olhcc-everv iIevv~< s1noirt
ment-every new mail contract, or clin,De in ~, Ma.
onc-eyery loss OF u !ettcr-eyery fine that is,incNNH
ana every inquiry or complaint that is made in relatiN
10 either OF these multitarous duties and a0encies sSA
voiVesan entire series OF letters or eorresnondepce =
large portion OF which is to be recorded, and the counter.
PaItS read a synopsis of them made fer the basis of the
! ~ General 5 adJud'catIon %thereupon, and then la
oeIieL and h!ed for preservation. Thus, YOU perceive
'l''t d i ths hrst entrance into the department, an inn
~ ar|ci'S''y Oh eetalE ana labor IS presented TO ycar view
They constitute within themselves an extent of admins
tatIon, exceeding the annual operations of almost onv
one Siate Government III the Union, that can be mention
ed. In order 70 systematic this accumuIaIion az Isbnr
e9ch OF the grand divisions of which Lnve beer,
le9SiAg, is ,suldiyided into txo grc,ious. To cecb
OF me sections Or equal uuubero of tac aforementioned
- q sA 4ne me particular branch OF duties
fis'o''sa 10y eaet IS systematically prescribed lit
dsct ~ te4saf =pknihcU ~ eoa4 -
ueD' -"i' ie'-h g" fFp Au-oents; cikcrs that %rclatlags
To others dutea of a aiEfss at aat.... and sa on Tbia
Ieaaer each i-snltlr witrsanla rast, calug bgar sas fhe
T" MGR is ana enee!es IN toa attend TO taena
~ p ly ana uncffstaH0ingY
Hthifa DIVISION ot,Ac drp4toeH .-a'npriscs lie fa.n-
cal openAeas- ~ Erela1t4 0ftc.. ran gfce. R
tT CDco, Solict0TS Office, and Dcqa Lctteg ora.
Examiner 5 Office employs 81 clerks, whose business il
IS torecclve tie quarter yearly returns. of about II goo
Ios.nasteFs-to note and record the dltes of tbesc rn
turns and To report omissions 90 the Head of the diyi-
SION IN winch they occur-to detect the errors in returns
10 ascertain balances due-to notify ~Postmasters Of
rfI''s ana 20 make reports 10 the Pay Office and to the
SoIicitoi Office oi accounts, balances dine, delinouen;s.
&c, DC.
IN. p,. de-
iItasureF' Here sums due to or from contractors are
adJnsied-draits are made for balances. on Posfu,s-
ucfs VINO DO not deposit their receipts, and checks
"V gwen 10 supply deficiencies in Tie amount Of
SHen dra'is Tor The payment of contracts. all of which
traits ana checks are signed and coun,ersignedb y differ
chi ouicers, and recorded. Postmastcrs who pcrrrit dra0s
10 be unpaid are reported 90 the Heads of ae Decisions.
contracts and accounts FOR contingent EXPENSES nue also
auJusSGd ana PAID here, and recorded. Accounts cover
III -0"' routes, ana the perquisites Of III, 0G0 Post off
Gers are involved IN these duties. JUDGE Won. tbcn of
q" .aoIF ana responsibility required h6re.
lHc icg'5lef = pHlce employs IL clerks, whose bust
ness IL Is to register the quarterly accounts of Post Mae
tcrs from the Examiners Office. and the accounts of Con-
t1o'o'S rom lhe cay Ouic5-also the accounts of con-
uhsehl expenses from the Pay OGice--each under is
appropriate head and in separate books-to receive. label
ana NE all vouchers Of these several accounts. and 10
luIh'sh, at slated periods, copies Of all registered ac-
counts 70 the treasury Department, and quarterly nh
strncts OF receipts aud expenditures.
Inc Solicitors Office employs 4 clerks, whose bust
ness LIS 10 attend to accounts putt in suit, and to collcc-
tons from delinquent PsstMastcrs: also TO conduct the
correspondence incident to the affairs Of the Department
Union. P''' u lo
The Dead-Letcr Office employs three clerks
lhcse inspect all the Dcad-Lettcrs returned from, oI f.
STATES tothe General Post Onice-note each in n rpcord
return such as are oi value-conduct the correspondence
Incident thereto, and such as are not finally reclaimed
%heh 81 value, arc rccoiycdback, labelled and put i'm files
Tor preservation uutil called iOr.
In each Of these subdivisions there are q "a vo c,,
easily Imagine, numerous details Of labor. to which n is
impossible that shouldadgcrL. Such minutcpessw onid
maze nay letter almost iu.crminabie. although without ,
description %! these additional threads Of employment .
p'iitCt uHutistahdingc i the aggregate oflubor perlomcd
uhdcr the single roof Of the General Post Office i'm G,i.
citFi cannot bt ecquiied. They are, in d word. almoet
as HFcTsihcu, and countless, and constant. as are the ono.
i'uohs oil a Lo"eH Cotton Factory, counting all move
menia, from those Of the stupcndous water ybcoI u,,f
h'sl lnpai1 ,Ec impulfe, 90 tIosc offs delicatelv pointed
spindlcs and the host OF female fingers that Tend tLe,,
nave, however, some further data. tlat Will very nrnL
and you ia tbc conception oft.
Ihcre ace now, as has already been suopesfcd. about
~ wv f"si maaicfs. Bot hkingthc number repor,td ON
tHc Ist OF Iuly, lc3i, and wc have 1868. These arc re-.
P"iicd 70 make fi.lcr yearly rcturn8 en- accounts a.
P"s'aE's, making 1912 quarterly accounts for examine.
From actual cyaminalion it has been found. ulat inc
corresponding Clerks of the Northern and So9ticrp IG-
Nisi"ls ot uc Department write ANNUALLY an aycraoc g
Ottt4 fiicrH respectively 6F 32IS combiucd-w IN do.
t"t lcgrrca recording 10 these sic 10 be- added loft,,s
eAi. "HthiI9 new routes. hCw Offices. notices of rrty
appointments, commissions, circulars and lcttrr- r.
ieHing c1a"4 10 Ni,mDcrs of Congress. Tics. ..,
not recorded. lt ms been lurlrr 5lod f.,o,
iutl experience, ta1t iour other letters are writer, r,
an aycfa-a. 90 each letter thlt d. Of nc class lo ho
recorded making au annual average of a2.gg2 of t,s
description iH the two divisions OF the Apartment
Those added 10 the recorded letters. rive an aQore.afo
OIL 90 &lUIciicrs per annuui. The general import OF .I