The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-08-13
NEW ORLEANS POsrOFFICE.

It's Condition Reported by the Commits
Report Things Are in Very Loose State
Generally.
WASHINGTON, Aug. THE special comm
sion which has been investigating the condi-
tionand management of the New Orleans Post
Office, submitted report to the Postmaster
General to-day. The commissioners say that
they found the facilities of the office ample
but the force employed insufficient, through
lack of proper training. Organization or
discipline, they say, does not exist in the
Office, and they add that they found every
thing arranged apparently more for the per.
sonal convenience of the clerks than for
the necessities of the business. They
say 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 this
service, rarely visiting the working floor, and
seldom consulting with his subordinates
also. that while too much ought not to be
expected of the Assistant Postmaster, in view
of his comparatively recent appointment,
yet they feel constrained to say his selection
Tor the placewaS unwise. because of his "infe-
rior Judgment, lack of discretion and inabil.
ity to maintain discipline" They further
say they found the making division without
organization or discipline; mail matter,
especially newspapers, being badly handled
and delayed; that no account has been kept
of the mail sacks, of which the
latter, in many cases, were
being unlawfully used by persons
other than employees, they (the Commits
sionersl having found 40 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 collec-
ton clerk, with q salary of 5000. has been
held for some time past by George W. Mer-
chant, son of the Postmaster, who has rem
dered very little service, his work having
been done by others, and they add that this
Office is entirely unnecessary and should be
abolished. They report having found an
employe carried on the rolls as Porter, de-
tailed a detective" who rendered
no service himself but who had
hired an old colored man at 50
per month, to do little sweeping,
that being the service which called for the
employment of porter, and they recon-
mended that this office, as well as that of
chief porter, be abolished. They also rec
ommend that the title of the official now
known as Secretary and Auditor" be
changed to "0fical Secretary" and the sal
airy OF the Office be reduced from $4,000 10
So, 900 per annum. They recommend an
increase in the salaries OF certain clerks, ag.
gregatiDg 81. 100 per annum, and reductions
aggregating 81, $50. They also report having
made inquiries relative to the depredations
on the mails at this Office and the
failure of the Postmaster to report
them, and say. with respect to this branch
of their investigation, that it was found, just
before their visit, that fifteen letters ad-
dressed to NJ. A. Dauphin had been alb
stracted from the mails in the Office
and the circumstances pointed almost con-
clusively to the son of the Postmaster as the
person who stole Them that when the facts
we're reported to the Postmaster he obtained
possession of and burned certain fragments
OF the missing letters, thereby destroying
important evidence against the guilty per
son, but ne afterward promised to exclude
his son permanently from the Office.