Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-08
FRAUD In A POST OFFICE.
THTEYERY AND INEFFICIENCY
RULE AT NEW ORLEANS.
Letters for the Louisiana Lottery Com

Letters for the Louisiana Lottery Com
panY Alleged to Have Been POeketed
by the POstmaster's Son-Government
Mall Bags Appropriated by Wholesale
and Devoted to Various Uses.
WASHINGTON, Aug. The special
committee which has been investigating
the condition and management of the New
Orleans post Office made its report to the
Postmaster General to-day. The COM
missiOners, Messrs. Burt, Dice and Abels,
say in the report that they found the fa-
cilities Of the Office ample, but the force
employed inefficient through lack of pro-
per training. Organization or discipline,
they say, does not exist in the office, nor
does any system of promotion based on in
dividual merit, and they add that they
found everything arranged apparently
more for the personal convenience of the
clerks than for the necessities of the busi-
ness. They say that the Postmaster DOS
sesses but little or no knowledge Of the
actual work of the office, and he makes
little or no effort to inform himself of the
necessities of the service, rarely visiting
the working floor and seldom consulting
with his subOrdinates.
AN INEFFICIENT ASSISTANT.
Also that while too much ought not to
be expected of the Assistant Postmaster
in view OF his comparatively recent ap-
pointment, yet they feel constrained to
say that his selection for the place was
unwise because of his E'inferior Judgment.
tain discipline" Further, they found no
organization, mail matter, especially
newspapers, being badly handled and de-
layed. They found that no account had
been kept of mail sacks, which latter i'm
many cases were being unlawfulIy used
by persons other than employees, the COM
missioners having found 40 of them in
junk shops, and others used as cotton
packages or made into hammOcks.
They express the opinion that want of
energy Oh 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 the collection clerk,
with a salary of 5000, has been held for
some time past by George W. Merchant.
son of the Postmaster, who las render
ed very little service, his work having
been done by the cashier, and they add
that this office is entirely unnecessary
and should be abolished.
ANOTHER sINECURE.
They report having found an employe
carried on the rolls as "a porter detailed
as detective" who rendered no service
himself, but who had hired an old colored
man at IS per month to do a little sweep
ing, that beng all the service done. The
commissioners recommend the abolition
of this office. They also recommend that
the title CT the official now known as "sec-
retary and auditor be changed to ''of-
fetal secretary" and the salary of the
Office be reduced from $1,000 to 12OO
per annum. They recommend in
creases in the salaries OF GER
tain clerks aggregating 81, 100 per annum,
and reductions aggregatlng $3.50.
They also report having made inquiries
relating to depredatiOns on the mails at
this office and the failure of the POstmas-
ter to report them, and say with respect
to this branch that it was found that just
before their visit fifteen letters addressed
to NJ. A. Dauphin had been distracted
from the office; that instances point al
most cOncluslvely to the son of the Post
master as the person who stole them; that
when the facts were reported to the Post
master he obtained possession of and
burned certain fragments of the missing
letters, thereby destroying important evil
dence against the guilty person, but he
afterwards promised to exclude his son
permanently from the office. The Post
master General has taken no action as yet.