The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-21

Postmaster Patrick Fl. Jones yesterday had an
Interview with MIR. Thomas L. James. on the LIST
OF April next General Jones goes out and Mr..
James comes In. The former has held the once
for four years, and in the time has found out tnat
the position is not so nice thing as II Is gener-
ally supposed to be. The motives were fully de.
tailed In the HERALD last Monday. They do not
partake OF political character, as General Jones
is in full accord with the administration, and
Is governed in his conduct entirely by private
reasons.
Mr.. James, the ingong Postmaster, is gentle
man who has been In the Custom House for many
years and has full knowledge of public duties.
The two gentlemen, who In entire harmony
together, met yesterday to discuss matters con-
nected with the Post once, and the statements
made were of q very interesting character. A
HERALD reporter was present ut the conference be-
tween them.
General Jones began by saying that the New
York Post once, as at present constituted, was
certainly deficient in the accommodations needed
to do its large business properly. The accommo-
dations were now just what they were years and
years ago, and yet within that time the business
had doubled more than once. 1t was calculated
and found true by statistics that the business OF
the ONCE doubled every eight years-that is, within
the time he had been in the Office only IL had
work needed there we're certainly clerks enough.
But these clerks had not room enough to do their
work properly. They were crowded together and
almost ebowed each other out OF their places
che room was 30 wanting there to do their work
expeditiOusy. What, above all
is URGENTLY NEEDED
are carricrs-men outside to deliver letters prop
ery and promptly. AT present he had 900 men
under hm-that is, $40 carriers ana the remainder
, oTarks. good many OF the latter were at the
various stations spread through the city. The $40
carriers were not enough AT least 100 more
were needed Immediately to do the business
enectualy. Indeed, the public was very indugent
to the many shortcomings OF the Post once, for
they really had reason to complain OF many things
At this point Mr.. James asked how the London
Post once was carried on.
General Jones said that the London Post ONCE
had three men 10 our one, and that therefore Lon
don held fully three times our population. This
matter must not be considered by population but
by space. New York carriers had more ground to
60 over great deal than the London carriers, and
this is what made the disparity.
THE MANAGEMENT AS IT is.
REPoRTER-Will the increase, II 1t is made give
us more deliveries?
General Jones replied that at present there were
eight deliveries made daily down town-that Is be-
the increase. besides giving greater promptitude,
would cause one delivery more each day. The pay
Of the carriers, he went to say, came from the
appropriation given by Congress to the Postmaster
General and that the consent OF the Postmaster
General would have to be obtained to get
this increase in the force. There might
probably be no dlniculty in getting it If
the appropriation were largo enough. But the
main trouble was that lot OF little country towns
were allowed to have carriers which really did not
deed them, and In this way the big cities were de-
prlved of them. The salaries OF carriers in New
York was $500 year and OF the clerks never more
men who worked from seven in the morning to five
and six at night.
Mr.. JAMEsSCan you get good men at such sala-
General JoNEs-I don't think so. That is why
great many men just pass through here and go
Elsewhere directly they can better themselves.
This is the trouble Of paying such small salaries.
The men are all examined by the surgeon Of the
their applications can be considered. Then there
Is sort OF . civil service examination which they
go psoe
who have passed through these ordeals.
POLITICAL iNrLuENcE IN TUE POST OFFICE;
REPORTER-Are these appointments entirely
governed by political considerations
General JONES' have my theory about this.
think that after these men have been through all
the examinations, both physical and mental, all
other things being equal, man should appoint
another Of his own political faith IN preference to
republican without brains in preference to q demo-
crat with brains; but mean, IN case both are
publican and you WILL perhaps agree with me
nat the republican party has as much brains as the
REp0RTER-Do any democrats apply for positionss
General JONES' have not known a single enc
to apply 10 me OF the democratic persuasion: If
they did should Of course consider their applica-
lions and with SMILEY take the best men. There
Is one democrat in the building down stairs. lie
IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE.
Mr.. James asked whether there were any changes
going on in the Post Once at present
YQa IN on - sA re.
gard to the outside mails arriving In the city. On
the Eastern and Southern railroad routes we have
clerks who 90 on the early morning trains, one at
Philadelphia and the other at New Haven, and,
coming In with the trains, they have all the letters
assorted and arranged by the time they reach the
CITY, This is q great accommodation, because in
where letters are destined Tor other parts Of
the country they are placed in boxes and sent on
to the other depotS without passing through this
which are meant for the upper part Of
neither the Northern nor the Western routes
nor the Erie nor the Hudson River have
Negotiating with Vanderbilt ana Tom Scott for
arrangements OF the Kind don't mean to say
that these roads don't afford any Accommodation
but they don't have the postal cars the very
trains on which we need them-the fast morning
trains. But this will be soon arranged, no doubt,
allow OF letters to the city beng delivered much
earlier than they would otherwise be-
The conversation here turned on delalcatons
and embellishments which have been made In the
Post Ofice. General Jones said that 1t was almost
impossible for Postmaster TO guard against these.
In the case OF Merton, Mr.. Kelly, the former Post
master. and himself were both liable himself to the
extent OF $4,000. The Knapp affair would probably
be arranged all right and would bring no trouble.
But the position OF the Postmaster was very
dangerous In this particular and II was difcult to
understand how tbefts could be prevented. The
new registration plan worked well. TWAS difficult
to rob inside the Post ONCE. These affairs were
generally done outside, before the letters reached
the Post ONCE. Where carriers robbed meney
from letters II was generally where they were ad-
dressed to publishers OF papers or to lottery deal
ers, where the fair inference that money was
inside the letters. II was not by the feeling that
but where registered letters were robbed they
could be traced from hand to hand. IL was not
very difficult TO trace even ordinary letters. The
Postmaster, to cover all cases OF defalcation had
to give bonds Of 5000, 0O0 and each superintendent
of station was obliged to give the Postmaster
bonds in $4,000 These stations worked very well,
and would remain as they were after the new Post
10 IN