The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1886-06-29
Letter from Hon. H. II. whitney.

Letter from Hon. ii. III. whitney.
The following letter from the ex-PostmasteF-
General relating to postofice matters, read in
the Legislative Assembly on the sd Of June:
Hon. J. S. Walker, President of the Legislative
Assemnly-Sir: Statements having been made by
the Minister of the Interior and the Postmaster
General during the debate in the Legislative As
sembly on Monday last on the appropriation for
the Postal Service, which appear 10 reflect upon
my administration if not on my honesty, beg to
make brief statement to you, and through you
to the Legislative Assembly so far the discussion
refers to my administration as an officer of the
Government.
According to the published reports motion was
made by the Minister of the Interior to increase
the item of incidentals for the Postal Service
from $4,000 to $4,000, the reason assigned by
him for this change being that the latter amount
required to pay of certain claims incurred by
it prior to April l, 1886 Relative to this have to
say that every bill presented for payment prior to
March 81 1856 with single exception referred TO
below was settled, and a balance of cash re-
manned on hand that day of $904.S9 in the Gene
raj Post Office and &, 239 IS in the Postal Money
Order branch, which amounts were paid into the
Government Treasury. On inquiring at the Cen
eral Post Office as to what gave rise TO the Min
isterial assertion referred to, was informed that
owing to proposed change in the system of set
Ting the accounts of the country post offices,
about $500 will be required to pay salaries mail
carriers the other islands, and for similar bills
for the current expenses OF the Postal Service,
which claims have been presented since April LIST,
and which formerly, ever since the Postal Service
has been in operation, have been passed over for
settlement to the succeeding biennial period, is
customary in the United States Postal Service
and that of Great Britain, after which ours is
modelled. Early in March, was notified from the
Department of Interior to have the Post Office
accounts closed promptly on the 3lst of March,
and my report, as well as accounts handed into
the Department of the Interior by April 18th,
otherwise the accounts would not be included in
10 tha anrrai atTfrn Nftr1
Auditor General, may remember that the Post
Office financial statement for the last quarter of
the biennial period of 1884 was excluded from the
Finance Report to the Legislature of that year.
because it Eas handed in day or two later than
the time set. 10 avoid recurrence OF this, my
statement and report were made up promptly on
April LIST, and passed into the Minister on the 5th
Il will thus be seen that no bills or claims received
at the Post Office prior to March 3lst were left
settled, and the work of the biennial period Just
closed was completed in accordance with strict
orders from the Minister, and also in accordance
with customary usage here and abroad.
The statement made in the Assembly by Mr.. ka-
uukou that safe had been purchased by me two
years ago and was not paid for, has no truth in it,
Two Postmasters-Mr. rurton of Bahaina, and
Mr. Meinecke at Kau-had each a safe, which
they wished TO sell to the Post Office
for the money order business. | replied that
when the next Appropriation Bill was passed pro-
vision would probably be made for purchasing
them if they proved, after inquiry, to be what
wanted for the service.
Reference was also made in the Assembly to a
bill of about 81 200 owing by the Post Office for
work done by the American Bauk Note Company
of New York. This BILL which was received i'll
1884, was by oversight, filed away inside of the
letter which accompanied it, and was entirely
overlooked and forgotten until after my leaving
the postal service, in April, when letter from the
firm to me called attention TO its not having been
paid and on examination, it was found to be cor
rect. The fact that have been in frequent cor
respondence with the firm during the past two
years, in which had paid them several bills for
work done SINCE and no allusion had been made
by them to this bill, may, fully account for the
circumstances attending its non payment. On
ascertaining that 1t was still unpaid, immedl-
ately wrote to the firm, stating the above circum-
stances, apologizing for its non payment, and as
surfing them that it would soon be settled by my
successor in office.
My attention has also been called to the item of
$4,000 inserted in the Appropriation Bill for
money ORDERS and have been asked what is tho
necessity for this item. 1t was not i'll the esti-
mates for the current biennial period fnr-
nished by me to the Minister of the Interior.
/ omitted 1t because the money order business is
now paying its own way, and ought to yield rev.
enue to the Government of between 5000 and
$1,000 during the present biennial period. iii be
asserted that high rates of exchange may render
IN appropriation necessary, l answer that so long
as the business Is Kept on the gold basis on which
left it no assistance from the Treasury will be
required, as gold will always secure exchange for
money order business without cost to the Govern
ment. If the money order business cannot be
maintained by the present administration without
biennial appropriation of $1,000 the sooner it is
closed the better.
Had the gold basis been adopted in 1884 for
the money order business, as was strongly
urged by me, there would have been no loss attend
ing it during the prevalence OF high premiums on
exchange. But, by peremptory orders from the
Minister of the Interior, was forbidden to make
any change and the silver basis was adhered to,
resulting in a loss to the public Treasury of about
5000 in one year. for which His Majestys Min
listers alone are responsible. In connection with
these items | may be permitted TO refer to n mat
ter in which the last Legislative Assembly took
special action, and through committee directed
me to carry out their wishes to provide more
street letter boxes for the purchase of which the
sum of $500 was specially appropriated in 1854
the item of Post Office lncidentals having with
increased by that amount for this puTnc.tIII WV.
instructions that it shonld be spep'in t II Pui
chase of letter boxes to be SCI sp On naWaI
Maui and Oahu. The wshs5 on ,ot fEn o'
Want oF az s.s1H on my part, but because the
fermIssivd to send for them was not granted,
having called Mr. Gulick's attention to it once, if
not twice. Not only have no new street boxes
been obtained, but / understand the twelve boxes
which erected in 1884 in this city have been torn
down by order of the Minister as useless trash.
These boxes have proved very great assistance in
collecting letters for the mails, and during the
last two years more than $1,000 letters have been
collected from the twelve street boxes in this city
or an average of over 5000 letters from each. If
these boxes were introduced and set Up at all cen
trail points all the mail carrier routes through
out the group, not only would it be a great con-
yenience to many Door people, but TO all who live
at distance from the main roads and Post
Offices, and assist largely to increase correspond
ence, and consequently the revenue of the Postal
Service, which is chiefly for the convenience of
the people. Having promised the special com
mittee of the Legislature of 1884 to provide these
street letter boxes, it seems proper for me to
make this statement and to show distinctly that
no reason can be given by me for not obeying
their request, except the refusal of the Minister
of the Interior to sanction the expenditure, espe-
cially as the Post Office had ample funds, having
paid into the Government Treasury early in April
the sum of 50 144.47. which were the surplus earn
ings OF the bureau for the year ending March 81,
1886, the entire receipts for that year from all
sources having been $56,0j0.1S. have the honor
to be, sir your obedIent servant.
Honolulu, June Is, 1886 H. NJ. WHITNEY