Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-02
number a .ht yeer's end ono hundred and

-Four hundred and sixty-cight new car
rlcrs have been employed, swelling the
gross number In thisarm OF the service 10
lass, This accounts In part for the In.
crease " expenditure already remarked
upon, aud the remainder was due 60 the
provision Of law Increasing the oompcnsa.
ton OF carriers after certain periods OF
service, having become applicable 20
many, whereby The average compensation
OF carriers Increased (by sl4I2) 90
epla.a0 each. The regular Appropriation
I OF ~ 100000 was augmented during tho
last session BY further special one Of
7 $4,000, ana subsequently another Of
$4,000 IN anticipation Of deficiency
The cost Of the service proved 70 be, how
ever, not IN excess Of the first provision,
having reached bnt 81 as6.a52 81, because
but low new carriers were employed after
the lat OF March
4 The postage upon local mail matter al
I the carrier delivery offices amounted "a
1 eb,2sl ,I2ll0, exceeding The coat Of the
/ service by sl,2lb, 76855 There has been
also general increase IN all The usual
\ statistical Items because OF the additional
elites taken Into the system. The aver.
aye cost crpioce for handling, 30 mills,
remains unchanged, however
The great labor performed hy the car
riers may be conceived from tho
Tact that i7lL6S7, 4i8 pieces wore col
lccted nnd delivered IN ALI M average TO
each man Of lO0,aO1, and Increase oi .Os
per cent, over the preceding years oNpt.
rienoc
Many other facts Of Interest and mpor.
tanco are shown IN the statistical tables
accompanying The report oi the frat assist
ant acknowledgement on this subject
TlR DIVISION ON roSr-uFpiCn surrItFs
furnishes statistics OF tho work per,
formed In supplying post-onlccs with
blanks stationery, twine, wrapping.
paper, cancollng.lnk, lcttor.halanoes
scales, stamps, aud pads for the conduct
OF tbcii business, and iaolng.sllps for the
railway mall.serlce. A general notion
OF the labor Of this Office may be formed
from the reported details. Above Oh
100000 blanks were issued during the
year above d6,000,0 600 iacing-slip., $40,
600 pounds OF Irvine, over $1,000 record
books, aud moro than 1900 rcatas OF
wapplng'papor The expenditures were
s35s ,i0S 80, being sa8 ,g8s,is less than
the appropriation.
The methods pursued IN this division
by the former superintendent having
awakened some suspicion, appointed,
early IN April last, commission,
composed of George W. Wells,
chief OF the finance division, w. D..
Cooley, OF the moncy-ordrr office, und n
l.. Johnson, OF the contract office. TO Ia.
vcstigate The transactions and Affairs OF
tue division. The l0bors imposed proved
severe, requiring the time of the commits
sion until late hours OF night during sev-
oral wee \, but the duty was performed
faithfully aud le0rlossly, and the commits.
sion well earned the grateful appreciation
bestowed upon the conclusion Of their
lnbors. Their report disclosed That i'm.
proper practices had been pursued IN the
purchase of supplies, worthless material
bought contractors suffered TO deliver
goods maniiestly Inferior 10 contract
requirements, and many improyldcnt and
unnecessary purchases mndei mud ospt.
cinlly, that the privilege allowed by law
OF purchasing supplies IN the market,
when the eXigcncles of the service leaves
40 sufficient time tn invite bidders 10
contract, had been abused lnasmuch az
the supplies 30 obtained had been mostly
sent out to postmnstcrs or railway post.
J Offices, the pecunarY loss sustained by
the government could only be estimated
but the evidence leaves little moral doubt
, that II amounted 10 "A large sum. The re-
= port " the commission viii be found IN
I the appendix, and invite attention o 81
statements. Some OF the facts given are
I interestingly illustrative OF the methods
by which The government may sometimes
suffer. Upon the disclosures OF this In,
vostigation the superintendent and Alta,
, tlonery clerk were removed from office
and changes OF methods ordered recon-
= mended by the commission.
SALARY AND ALLOW ANUr DIyigfpN
The responsibility and magnitude OF
the labors assigned 10 this division, and
the pecuniary consequences OF Judi
I ciOus performance Of them, require
= especial consideration, aud invite care.
! iul examination of the statistical inior.
I nation gvoni OF which ! can here mem
; ton only the general features.
The salaries of all pOstmastors Of tho
! first, second, aud third classes are now
annually adjusted, aud all allowances 10
, such pOstmnsters for clerk hire, rent,
fuel, light furniture, miscellaneous aud
= incidental expenses made IN this division;
I and here boX-rent rates are examined
I and liked. lforty-four offices OF tho fourth
I class were assigned 10 the third class, az
salaries aggrcguting Si7000i 81 adjust
- nonis OF other presidential Offices added
/ a gross amount TO the salaries OF The in
cumDepts of S7l 900; i8i reductions aud
discontinuances reduced the total enln-
rics Of those Offices hy Sl80, 800 aud, nj
together, 2i8b adjustments made involved
I salaries 10 an aggregate Of $500 900.
. OF allowances, 1882 for clerk hire re-
, suited Ia charge OF st,02i, 6Gg.G6; 1850
for rent, fuel and Hight secured SiG3,-
, $50. 400 for miscellaneous Items I'M
/ posed cost OF sGi ,2DI 87i 67s for furnl.
, turc amounted 10 s23,000ti; while 282
I for advertising added Si0,8li,s7, mnklnp
an aggregate charge 60 the government Of
. s5,i6G, S,2i resulting from the favorable
consideration of l0,56l different applica-
lons from postrnasters scattered over a
Wide country Besides those demands
which were granted, 1926 were declined
In addition 20 these Items OF regular
work, there have been llled 81 40 oppli-
cations for the roadjuelmcnt of salaries
in former years, under The net Of March
3, 1888, Of which 1854 have been 70.
Viewed, l0,G2i found below the 10 per
cent requirement. aud $500 allowed,
whereby the government Is already held
liable 10 an aggregate for bnck pny OF
Fastlnsstcts Gl nearly SBs0,000, with but
/ about hfli Of the flied claims considered,
while probably many ARE YET 10 be died
II needs not 80 lie added that tranHae-
. lions involving 80 much Of peenniuy con-
sequence aud iudlcious business judy
ment demand very high dfgro OF
ability care aud iidelity for tbeir safe su'
I peiYltiuu.
fpt ,..,ttt ~ tt,a t.t,...t annual ma "a f,,af