The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-14
CROOKED OFFICIALS.
What an Investigation Brought to Light
in the New Orleans Post-Ofice.

What an Investigation Brought to Light
in the New Orleans Post-Oficc.
WASHINGTON, August s.-The special
commission which has been investigating
the condition and management of the New
Orleans Postoffice submitted a report to
the. Postmaster General yesterday. The
Commissioners say in their report that they
found the facilities of the Office ample. bus
the force inefficient through lack of proper
training. Organization or discipline, they
say, does not exist in the Office, nor does
any system of promotion based upon indi-
vidual merit, and they add that they found
everything arranged apparently more for
the personal convenience of the clerks
than for the necessities of business. They
say that the Postmaster possesses
but a limited knowledge of the actual
work of the Office and makes little or no
effort to inform himself of the necessities
of the service, rarely visiting the working
floor or Seldom consulting with his subOr-
dinate5; also that while toe much ought
not TO be expected of the Assistant Post
master, in view of his comparatively re-
cent appointment, vet they feel constrained
to say his selection for the place was un-
wise, because of his inferior judgment,
discipline" They further say they found
the mailing division without organization
or discipline, mail matter, especially news
papers, being badly handled and de-
layed; that no account has been
kept Of mail sacks, which latter, in
many cases, were being unlawfully
used by persons other than employees;
they 1.-THE commissioners having found one
hundred and forty of them in junk shops
and others used as cotton packages or made
into hammocks. 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 TO support him.
They say also that the Office of collection
clerk, with salary of 5000 has been held
for some time by George W. Merchant
son of the Postmaster, who has rendered
very little service, his work having been
done by the cashier, and they add that
this Office is entirely unnecessary and
should be abolished. They report hay
ing found an empl0ye carried on the
rolls as ''porter detailed as detective"
who rendered no service himself,
but who hired an old colored man at eight
dollars per month to do little sweeping,
that being the service which called for the
employment of a porter, and they recon-
kildt OlilCt, NcII IIidl vi CLlCL
porter, be abolished They also recommend
that the title of the official now known as
secretary and auditor be changed to off
cial secretary" and the salary of the Office
be reduced from 1900 to $1,000 per an
mum. They recommend an increase in the
salaries of certain clerks, aggregating s. 600
per annum, and reductions aggregat-
ing 2,450. They also report having
made inquiries relating to depre
dations on the mails at this Office
and failure of the Postmaster to report them
and say with respect to this branch of in
vestigation that it was found that just be-
fore their visit fifteen letters addressed to
n. A. Dunlap had been distracted from the
mails in this office; that circumstances
pointed almost conclusively to the son of
Postmaster as the person who stole them;
that when the facts were reported to the
Postmaster he obtained possession of and
burned certain fragments of the missing
letters, thereby destroying important evil
dence against the guilty person, but he
afterward promised to exclude his son per-
manently from the Office.