St. Landry democrat., 1881-12-03

deemed eNpedient, in the interest or payeeS
OF money orders, a longer period, for cX-
ample seven or ten wears, might be hXed by
Congress. during which the amount OF any
money order would be payable to the own
err thereof and beyond which the amount
of all orders unpaid would accrue to the
United States.
"AlthOugh the money order fultisis every
reasonable expectation of remltter and payee
where the amount sent is considerable, q
strong and growing demand has arisen since
the withdrawal of fractional currency from
circulation for some device by which
amounts under five dollars could be trans
mitted by mail at less cost than at present.
desire to call special attention 10 the pan
proposed by the Superintendent Tor the
transmission of sums less than five dollars
by means of an order OF a new form, to be
termed "postal ORDER in which the witt
ten application and the advice. which Is the
chief element Of expense is well As OF Sc
curity. are to be dispensed with, so that
these orders may be issued more eXpedi-
tiolisly and at cheaper rates than money
oruerS.''
THE sTAE-ROUTE SERVICE, ETC.
The Postmaster General is of the opinion
that 50 the country has reached that stage in
the progress of its material development
where all effort ought to be made to bring
the credit and debit sides of the Depart
ment's balance sheet nearer together All
or nearly all the long and expensive Star
routes have been superseded by railroad
service. The cost OF the Star. service ought;
therefore, to rapidly decrease in the West
ern States and Territories. A careful and
impartial examination Of the Star-servlce
made during the past summer satisfied the
Depar ment that large reductions could be
made without causing any inconvenience 10
the sections OF country supplied thereby"
- A minute investigation into alleged
abuses la the Star-route service w as lnstl-
| y. p,,nr,;
and is still being prosecuted. The Post
office Department has CO. operated, and will
continue to cooperate, with the Depart
ment of Justice in this Investigation. No
one who has not been directly concerned in
the matter can fully appreciate the magnl-
tudc OF the undertaking. the mass OF record
evidence examined. the difficulties of Il per-
sonal investigation III sparSetE-settleG terrl-
tories, and the results attained by the pa
tent and intelligent labors Of the Inspectors
of this department. There can be no doubt,
from the facts already ascertaineu, that the
existing statutes leave the way open to great
abuses. and that there is abundant ground
fer asking judicial Investigation OF the
transactions OF the last few years.
The one serious difficulty in the way OF
bringing back the Department to self
sustaining basis is the constantly lncrea>lng
cost OF the railway mail service. This in
crease during the past fiscal year was 1885,
446. regret to say that there is Il deficiency
of S41S. l:t5 for this branch of the service for
the fiscal year ended June 50, 1881, which
must be provided for, and also that there
must be an increased appropriation for the
same service of Il %. ,3l9 for the fiscal year
ending June 81. 1882 The estimate for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1883. for the rail-
way service is $1,000 600. There has re-
Gently been an unprecedented growth OF
railroads, and this accounts largely for the
enormous increase OF the cost OF the railway
| SERVICE
The actual payment for the railway NAH
/ service during the year was Sll,41l, la.aO.
| The cost for the current fiscal year will be
Sl2,006, COL, and the estimates for 1883 are
| Sl3, Isl ,G0l. The enormous growth OF rail-
roads in 1899 and 1881, and their anticipae ed
increase of mileage in the near future. will
account for great portion Of the augmented
| cost for the service.
There were 46l arrests made during the
year for violation OF the Postal laws. OF
! this number 42l cases were prosecuted in
the United States Courts, and thirty-seVen
| in the courts of the several States in which
the arrests were made. OF the former, 1Ss
persons were convicted. twcnty-sIX were
acquitted, three escaped, five fOrfeited bail,
| twenty -four proceedings were dismissed,
one was killed while resisting arrest. and
III await trial; thirty hignwavmen were ar
rested and prosecuted in United States
| Courts.
THE CIVIL-SERVICE QUESTION.
"Careful observation in this Department
and elsewhere has but confirmed my con-
vction of the great pubic benefit to be de-
! rived from conducting the public business
on business principles. Some method of re-
| lief must be provided from the overwhelm-
! ing pressure for appointment to clerk>hips
and other subordinate positions, and from
the equal pressure for The removal Of clpa-
BILE and experienced assistants to make
room for those who are not more compe-.
tent. The public service is public trust
10 which every citizen may properly aspire,
and the public interest plainly demands that
admission to it should not depend upon
| personal favor, because such favor can not
! well beimpartial, and because Il system of
appointment by mere influence may
be readily perverted to the promo
ton of private interests and personal ambi
/ ton. Appointment by influence naturally
| results in making the tenure of office de-
| pend. not upon fidelity and efficiency in the
discharge Of official duty, but upon the as
siduous cultivation Of the favor OF patron.
Such tenure is Incompatible with the self
respect of the incumbent, and the service
must necessarily suffer from the decline of
| its morale But the evil consequences can
not be limited to the public service; they af-
feet all political action, the purity and vigor
| of the Government. and the National char
acter itself. The question, therefore, is one
OF far higher Importance than that OF the
comparative fitness Of clerks in the employ
ment of the Government, and really con-
Germs the character and success of republic
an institutions.
1.-THE first step, in my judgment, toward
the relief of the appointing officers and the
promotion of the greater efficiency and econ
omy of the civil service would be u method
of minor appointment, which should be
independent OF personal or partisan infil-
ence. In some important Government Off
ces of which have had personal knowledge,
such system is already IN operation. In
those offices minor appointments are deter
mined solely by proper qualifications, as
certained by impartial tests open to all APP
plicants upon equal terms. The great sue
cess which has attended this method of Sc
lection proves its practicabilty, while the
good results. both in the service and in the
oha