Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-04-24

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Considering the hundreds of thou
sands Of dollars that are daily sent
through the mails in the form of Treas
ury notes, the few losses from embezzle-
ment speak volumes for the general
honesty of Post-office employees. In spite
Of the facilities afforded by the Govern
ment for the safe transmission of money
by money orders and registered letters,
the masses seem content to take chances,
and it is safe to say that where one per-
son seeks guarantee for the safe deliv-
ery of missive and its contents, there
are two who are disposed to trust in provi-
dence and to the integrity of postal
clerks. Instances are on record where
as large amounts as $4,000 have been
mailed in unregistered packages, and
misdirected letters containing sums from
81 to 800 turn up every day in the Dead
letter office. The average Post-office
officiali is perfectly conversant with this
fact, and, If at all weakened morally,
the indiscretion of the forwarder subjects
him to constant temptation But there
is always-more or less thieving from the
mails.
One of the chief duties of most i'm
porta1t branch of the Postal Service is
the detection of this species of misde
meanors. This branch is known as the
Department Of Post-office Inspectors.
They number from seyenty-five to one
hundred, and are under the immediate
direction of Chief Inspector e. G. Rath-
bone. They are paid from an item in the
general Postal Department appropriation.
The country is divided into ten districts,
the chief offices being located in Wash
ingten, Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia, Chattanooga, Tenn, st. Louis,
Chicago, San Francisco, and Austin,
Tex. Each division is under the super
vision of an official known as the Post
office Inspector in Charge. The staff of
each division varies in number according
to its extent and general character. In
spectors in charge receive salary of
So, 500, and inspectors 81, 900 per annum,
besides per diem of "a when actively
engaged in work for the Department.
Their commissions run from January l,
to January 1, and appointments are made
under the Civil Service act.
Chief Rathbone is paid $4,000 year.
The positions involve considerable respon-
sibility, and call for degree of intelli-
gence and capacity far beyond the re-
quirements Of ordinary detective work.
As rule, the cIews offered by cases
presented for their investigation are of
the vaguest nature. Patience is one OF
the rarest Of moral qualifications, and yet
to locate the average post-office thief it
is necessary to rival Job himself In the
exercise Of that virtue. The Inspector
is charge is the official who receives every
complaint against the post-office In his
division. Some idea of the number of
grievances poured into their discreet ears
can be CLEANED from tie fact that the
New England division alone includes
3,521 post-offices. There are about Co.,
900 in the entire country.
When complaints are being made Of
money being lost in the mails they are at
once forwarded to the Chief Inspector at
Washington, who classiies them under
the head Of A, B, G and +. 1t may be
said, in this connection, that the loss of
ordinary letters is classified under the
head Of B. All complaints are jack
eted, as it is termed, numbered, and,
with directions for the prosecution OF the
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