The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-16
UNCLE SANS STAMPS.
Extraordinary Precautions to Prevent
any of Them Going Astray.
From the Nelc York Star

corner Of an envelope have but little idea OF
the precaution adopted and constant vigl-
lance practiced by Uncle sans officials, to
prevent any of them going astray until the
government has been properly recompensed
for them. All postage stamps used in this
country are manufactured here in New
York and passed through the
registry department of the Gen
eral Post Office in being sent to their
destination. The acquisitions from post
masters throughout the country vary IN
value from 81 to 100000. The latter figure
is the highest that has ever been reached at
anv one time, and was made by the post
master of this city. AS superintendent or
the registry department Of the New York
post office the work of handling the STAN s
comes under the supervision OF Mr.. j, j.
Phillips.
There are quite a few million stamps
used daily" he said yesterday toa reporter.
THE general public mas but little idea of
the method in which stamps are ordered
AID delivered. When the postmaster OF
Jaytown, in Montana, wants 500 worth OF
stamps he forwards his order to the third
assistant postmaster of Washington and it
is recorded alphabetically. When twenty
one o.ders have been received under the
letter u the sheet containing the orders is
duplicated and one copy sent here to tie
American Bank Note Company, who print
the stamps as per the order. The work is
performed under the supervision of agents
of the government. For instance, say the
order calls for 5000 sheets Of paper. That
number of sheets are taken flom the vault
and counted. A receipt is given for them.
If one sheet is spoiled in any manner it is
taken charge of by the agents, who forward
it to Washington, with their statements
sworn to before notary public, and ano her
sheet of blank paper is returned in its place.
when the printing of the stamps is COM
plete we are notified by the company, and
an hour or two later they come over to this
department in iron safes. A duplicate of
the original order accompanies them, and
we check each individual order and furnish
the company with receipt It's future
cour: g, until arrival at its de7tination, is
that Of ordinary registe ed matter with the
exception that the postmaster receiving the
package must acknowledge it o the depart
ment at Washington and also to this office.
The orders for stamps vary In number.
Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago frequent
~ order $75, 600 worth at time, and it is
rot unusual TO get a $4,000 request from
Brooklyn. The largest demand is of course
for 2 cent stamps and the smallest for 90
cent ones"
Are you not often bothered by the stu
pidity of country postmastersp was asked.
Frequently" said Mr. Phillips. "They
fail to understand why they should make
two Acknowledgements of a package of
stamps, and notwithstanding there are in
Structious from Washington on this point,
they fail to comply, and it necessitates COZ
siderable correspondence, and sometimes
the services of an Inspector There are
postmasterS in the United States who re-
ceive salary of but 81 a year. They do
not have many mails, and have but lit lie
work to perform. They are usually store
keepers at a crossroads village, who have
the office in the rear Of their stores. 1t
brings Gus ON to them, in addition to which
there is degree OF prestige attached to
representing the government and they are
recompensed by it. 1t is impossible for the
government to be at a loss through the ras-
cality of postmaster. They are under
bonds, and they can order stamps only up
to a certain limit and cannot get a sec nd
order filed until a settlement has been
made with the government for the previous
one."
Does a package of stamps ever go
astray?
Eyes, they have gone astray. Then the
tracer is used. 1t is a description of the
package, containing its number, the num-
Der OF the pouch it was sent in, the number
of the rotary loci, the hour it left this office.
the route it was sent by, and all details.
Attached to this are duplicate coupons, and
1T Is sent in the same manner as tue package.
The first mail agent fills up both coupons,
tears one off and forwards it here, and the
rest IS sent on to the next agent. Each one
has receipted for the package, so the spot
where it went astray is easily located. For
instance, say the mail bag was burned in a
railway accident. The identical package is
traced down to the hour the accident occurs,
and then the INSPECTOR of the division
where the accident happened takes the case,
and if he is satisfied the package was de-
SJroyed he notifies us and we send the Bank
Note Company Blank Vanilla 565.' This is
printed sheet containing numerous q :es-
tions, such as name of clerk who did up
package name of government agent
checking them etc. This statement is
sworn to and forwarded to the Third AS
sistant Postmaster. to whom the tracer
has also reported, and he issues an order for
the duplication of the requisition Post
masters, as a rule, order once quarter, and
only sufficient stamps are printed to fill the
order. They are not kept in stock like or
binary goods The bank note company are
under heavy bonds, and they take every
precaution to as .ure the safety of the en-
vault, of which only certain members of
the company possess the combination. They
are taken out only in the presence of a
government agent and receipted for as they
leave and enter the vault The business is
conducted under perfect system, and it
w Juld be almost impossible for impression
to be printed secretly. Mr.. j. H. DIM
mick is the repres entative of the govern
ment in New York, and he could probably
tell you more of the inside working OF
printing stamps than | can"
"How often do postmasters make q set
Element with the department.
There Is no set time for them to do so.
Their accounts are supposed to be balanced
daily, and as rule they are, for they never
know at what moment stranger NAV step
into their office with credelti Is ordering
any and every postmaster to turn over their
books to i'm. Country postmasters enter
tain the idea that inspectors are sent from
Washington, which is a mistake. The
country is sectioned Off into divisions.
under charge of certain inspectors, and a
man can be on the ground in a very few
hours after being notified by the depart
ment at WASH gton, in addition to which
they are generally pretty we'll posted on the
men in their own division. An inspector
is an accountant, a sort Of genteel detective
and is usually very shrewd man"
Mr.. Phillips, though comparatively young
in years, is one OF the old hands at the
New York post Office. He began az a clerk
on the floor, and has worked his wav up to
his present position OF SUPERINTENDENT of
the registry department. He is man of
small stature, with sharp features, and is as