The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-08-14

service aud highest In rank whp ARE on
trply rutupOtOnt and equally qualified
will have nrOioronro, Applicants iuust
Pass u phyilrHl examination vs. Uu army
surgeon, al the post whore stationed,
Who also must certify that the appli-
cnnts are free from disease and in oVory
WAY physically competent. tu perform
outdoor or clerical duties pertaining Ia
position sought
Tho Special Commission which has
been Investigating the condition aud
management uf the New Orleans post
office, submitted u report IN the Post
master General to-day. Tho Commits
s ti%t''' they "'' found The S' facilities lp's
Of the office ample, but the force om-
plOyod inefficient through lack of proper
training, Organization or discipline,
they say, does not cNlsi In the office, nor
does any system of promotion, based on
individual merits, and they add that
they found everything arranged appa-
TTently more for the personal aTs con ,hnr
Tor the necessities Of the bust
ness. They say the postmaster
possesses but limited knowledge OF the
actual work of the office, and makes lit
tie or no effort To inform himself of the
necessities of the service, rarely visit
Ing the working floor and seldom con-
sultlng with his subordinates, Also,
shat while too much ought not In he oN-
pected of the Assistant Postmaster In
view OF his comparatively recent ap-
pOlntment, yet they feel constrained In
say that his selection for the place was
unwisG because OF his inferior judg-
ment, lack of discretion and
inability 10 maintain disci-
pline. They further say they
found the mailing division without or
ganization or discipline, mail matter,
especially newspapers, being badly
handled and delayed. That no account
has been kept of mail sacks, which lat
tor, In many eases, were being unlaw-
fully used 10y persons other than en-
ployes. They, the commissioners,
having found 40 of them in II junk shop,
and others used as cotton packages or
made into hammoclis. They express
the opinion that the want OF energy on
the part of the chief of this division Is in
part owing to the failure of his superiOrs
10 support him. They say, also
that the office of collection
clerk, with u salary of $500,
has been held for some time past by
George w. Merchant, son of the post
master, who has rendered very little
service, his work having been done 10y
the cashier, and they add that this office
is entirely unnecessary and should bc
abolished. They report having found
one of the employees carried on the rolls
as porter and detailed rs detective,
who rendered no service himself, but
who had hired an old colored man ut 81
per month TO do the little sweeping, that
being the service which called for the
employment of porter, and they
recommend that this office as well rs
that of chief porter be abolished.
They also recommend that the little of
an official now known as Secretary and |
Auditor be changed to official Secretary. !
and the salary of tho Office be reduced |
from 81 800 TO 81 200 per annum. They |
recommend increases in salaries of GER |
tain clerks aggregating SLIGO per an
mum and reduction aggregatinS $500 |
They also report having made inquiries |
relative to depredations on mails |
at this office and the fail |
ure Of the postmaster to report |
them, and say with respect to this |
branch of their investigations, il was |
found that just before their visit fifteen |
letters addressed to VI. a. Dauphin had !
been distracted from the mails in the |
office. That circumstances pointed al /
most conclusivcly to the son of the post
master IA the person who stole them. /
That when the facts were reported to /
the postmaster he obtained possession of .
and burned certain fragments of miss
ing letters, thereby destroying import
ant evidence against the guilty person,
but he afterwards promised to exclude
his son permanently from the office.