, 1884-08-08
A QUEER P%OSTOFFICE.
Kicking Up High links at
New Orleans.
An Institution Run in the In
ngE terest Of Clerks,
Many Of Whom are Unneces-
sary Appendages.
A Queer state OF Affairs.

WASHINGTON, August The special
commission which has been investigating
the condition and management of the New
Orleans postofice, submitted a report to
the Postmaster General to-day. The
Commissioners say in the report 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 nor does any system of promotion
based on individual merit, and they add
they found everything arranged apparent
ly more for the personal convenience of
the clerks than for the necessities of bust
ness. They say the Postmaster possesses
but 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
and seldom consulting with his subordi-
mates. Also that while too much ought
not 10 be expected of the Assistant Post
master in view of his comparatively recent
appointment, yet they feel CON
strained to say his selection for the
place was unwise, because of his inferior
judgment, lack Of discretion and inability
to maintain discipline. They say,
further, they found the mailing division
without organization or discipline, mail
matter. especially newspapers, being
badly handled and delayed; that no ae-
count has been kept of mail sacks, which
latter in many cases were being used by
persons other than employees, they, the
Commissioners, having found $40 of
them in junk shops, and Others used for
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 a salary Of 5000, has been held for
some time past 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,
this Office is entirely unnecessary and
should be abolished They report hay
ing found an employe carried on the rolls
as Porter, detailed detective" who
rendered no service himself. but who
had hired an old eolored man at 81 a
month to do Il little sweeping,
that being the service which called for the
employment of a porter, and they recon-
mend this Office as well rs that of chief
porter be abolished They also recon-
mend that the title of the official now
known as Secretary and Auditor, - be
changed to "Oficial Secretary" and the
salary of the Office be reduced from Sl5.-
90 to $1,000 per annum. They recon-
mend increases in salaries of certain clerks,
aggregating 81, 100 per annun. and reduc-
tons a%ggregating -, $50. They also re
port having made inquiries relative to the
depredations on the mails at this Office,
and the failure of the Postmasterto report
them, and say, with respect to this branch
Of their investigation it was found that
Just before thdir visit fifteen letters ad-
dressed u NJ. A. Dauphin, had been alb
stracted from the mails in the office; that
circumstances pointed almost eonclusively
TO the son of the Postmastera as the person
Who stole them; that when the facts we're
reported to the Postmaster, he obtained
possession of and burned certain frag-
ments Of the missing letters, thereby des-
troying important evidence against the
guilty person, but he afterwards promised
to exclude his son permanently from the
office.