The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-08
THE MAILS,
The Work OF the PostoAlce lnspec-
tors Department for the
Montana Division.
Something Done for the Public
Which the Public Knows
Little o..


Thoro are very few people who under
stand the duties and responsibilities OF that
branch OF the government service known az
the postofiice Inspectors department.. Yet
its value to tho public In second to that OF
no other government service. The Mon
q division, under the management of
Judge Frank 8. Bsdell. with headquarters
in this oity, is composed of North Dakota,
South Dakota, Idaho and Montana. and
covers an area Of $3.50. 900 square. miles. with
a railway mileage of 1900 and II, 760 miles
of star n river routes over which is con
veyed the United States mails. There are
LOO postoffices in the division, eighty
seven Of which arc presidential or Offices
paying a salary Of $1,000 and upward. OF
the presidential offices Idaho has ten. North
Dakota nineteen, Montana twenty and
South pakotat hirty eight.
Tie postotfice department assigned six
inspectors to perform the york in this
division, but on account Of the sappropria-
ton running short, the force has been re-
duced to five. leaving but four mon to do
the field work. These field inspectors are
VIM. Watkins, jr.. c. l.. Wayland, M. G.
Fosnes, and T.. G. Clement, and they ale
ouOoA Vuo otNCAc Va 4AoPCOgo4 IL q
Bedell and report directly to him.
The work of an inspector is the inspec-
ton or checking of postmaster's accounts;
reporting as to the validity OF postmaster's
bonds; complaints or charges against
pos3masters; location of postot1ice sites in
certain cases: ascertainin9 the Responsible
ity Of losses or rifinR of registered letters,
and making collections for same when pos
sible; detecting and bringing to justice dis
honest employees in the postal service and
those parties who send letters through the
mail with intent to deEraud; to detect and
punish those who send obscene letters or
postal cards through the mails; to trace
and endenvor to find missing ordinary let
ters; to report on the necessity for the es-
tablishment of the free delivery service at
certain offices; to detect and punish fourth
class postmasters who return false can
cellatlons of stamps, &C..
The department. sends out five kinds of
''cases'; the first being lost or rifled regis
tered letters and packages. the second for
ordinary letters and packages, the third for
miscellaneous PURPOSES, the fourth for rob-
berry or burning of postotficcs or the rob-
berry Of trains or stages by road agents. and
the fifth for losses of letters of foreign or
igin.
AS showing the Irregular" work accom-
plished by the force under Judge Bedell
during the fiscal year ended June 80, 1892.
there has been investigated and returned to
the department LII oasas with reports
thereon, $50 reports on cases of lost or
ritled registered letters or packages. 655
on cases Of lost or rifled ordinary letters or
,ackages, 759 on miscellaneous cases, u on
cases of robbery or burning of postotfices
or robbery of stages. rs on cases of lost for
eign letters, and 24l special reports on vari-
Gus subjects. During this period 80 arrests
were made for violation of the postal laws
and regulations, and ST.. 76S.48 in money
recovered and sent to the department on
account of collections on lost registers.
false cancellations. etc., besides the return
to senders or addresses of merchandise
found loose in the mails valued at. say,
$500.
The excellent record made by the Mon
tana division ia made in spite of the diff
culties and expense of travel in this coun-
try. which is from three to four times as
great as in the other division.