New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-17

AN IMPORTANT WORK BE iUN BY THE
HOUSE

The POSTAL NOTE ABOLISHED AND MONEY
ORDER FEES REDUCED A LARGE
YEARLY SAVING IL SALARIES.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TElBuSr.l
Washington. Dec. lG-After hearing the report OF
the Join, Commission. the House OF Representa-
tives yesterday passed without debate or division
the bill ITO Improve the Methods o. Accounting IN
the Postofice Department and for Other Purposes"
This is the first and by no means the least i'm
portan. OF series OF measures which the De-
partmenta Joint Commission expects to bring for
ward from time to time The general nature and
object OF these measures have already been ex-
planned in these dispatches. The bI ass"d to-
day aboilshes the postal note and amends the laws
relating TO postal money orders in important par
ticuars TIE report accompanying II also de-
scrbes the changes In regulations which have been
approved by the Posmas ter General and the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury in accordance with the
recomm endat tons Of the Joint Commission and rs
experts These changes are exceedingly important
and necessary and they can be made without the
aid Of legislation.
The clerical force employed in auditing postal
accounts as organized consists OF 400 per
sors. distributed among ten divisions. the total Of
whose yearly salaries amounts to SNlo As In,
dicating the enormous growth OF the postal service
during the last sixty years. and also perhaps the
tendency toward the multiplication Of checks ana
the duplication ana trpllcaton OF work IN the Cow
eminent departments in Wash ngton. II is p"rt!-
ncnt mention the fact that in 1854 the postal &C.
counts audited In the office OF tho Fifth Audi
tor OF the Treasury. who also audited tn" diTo'
matte and consular accounts. rs well as those OK
the lighthouse establishment and the Indian ser
vice To assist him in the performance OF the--
multfarious and important duties the Auditor was
provided with one chief clerk nine clerks and one
mess nger. and the total yearly amount paid for
salaries was t2lco. only three Of the nine clerk,
were employed upon the postal accounts however.
two Of whom received 81 i5J a year each and the
third sl.Cco a year making tota. II $3.50 a year.
II appears therefore. that the number Of clerks
required under the present system u organizi-
sreat as II was sxiy vars ago and thnt the total
yearly amount Of sliaries IS Isl tim~s a" great.
9 srn In mo tS he wo. nunr OF ierk
from 100 TO 81. AMI the total amour; Of yearly
Salaries from SOOlp T. !i2S.OO0. which will be the
sum appropriated on this account FOR the next
fiscal Year But the saving OF money will not be
the only or. indeed. the greatest benefit derived
from the reorganization. In the opinion OF the mem
whose recommendations submitted after a careful
and thorough invesisaiion the; unanimonsy APP
proved and adopted, chanS.s IN me methods OF
doing the work VIII expedite ne settlement OF
postal accounts without any s1crihce OF accuracy
or the removal Of any check necessary to protect
the interests OF the Government Under tn pres,
counts IS exceedingly unsatisfactory and untras'-
worthy!-whie under the new system 1t VIII be tho
.rhe Sill. passed. today PROVIDES for he repeal
or tho law authorizing the lS~N" or postal notes
and for the amendment OF the law authorizing
and regulating the issue OF postal money orders.
Postmaster General. we'll by al OF the
members OF the Joint Commission II was found
We're were is issued las, Year was SIS. from vain
1t was evident that largo proportion OF them
therefore provides that the Zee for a postal money
order exceeding 81 20 shall De cents which IA
cceding 81 50. The new scale OF fees for money
orders Is much lower tnan the existing one and Is
"A "a o.
panies. The bill reduces the fees now paid 10 post
masters Tor issuing money orders from y, cents 10
postmasters for paying money orders The fees
fourth-ciass Offices as AT present.
Section provides for turning into the Treasury
funds when are now held by he alter on accoun,
postal notes accumulated sine. the organization or
the money order system. together with an accurate
accounting for the amount involved. The Govern.
these orders and notes. and paid IT as they
have been presented and left to chance guess.
work the question Of the amount remaining
section repeats the section OF the statute,
order more than one year old by Issuing a new
order in lieu Of the old one by the Postmaster
General.
section provides that postmasiers shall attach
to their reports 10 the Auditor OF money orders re-
paid at their offices the advice sent 70 the office
upon which the order was drawn: which. mat
ter of course must be recalled for the purpose OF
preventing the once to which thr advice was sent
reporting the same % The Auditor as unpaid after II
shall have been In his hands more than year.
Section abOlshcs the presf nj form Of appllca-
ton for money orders and empowers the Postmas-
ter-(ieneral TO issue form requiring legs writing
and only offices where there appears 10 be a
need OF having such form.
Section changes an existing statute 80 that re-
ports from money order offices will 40 direct 20
the Auditor OF the Treasury for the Postoiice De-.
parment. instead OF going through the office or
the superintendent Of the money order system.
Section q amends the existing law which provides
that the Postmaster-General shall issue TO post
masters blank money orders on such printed
engraved forms. by adding tina, the form shall In
clude coupon which. when detached from the
order. Will designate the amount which the order
drawn for Il also provides that the coupon
shall be forwarded 10 the Auditors office with the
report OF money orders sold.
Section 10 extends the facilities OF the proposed
money order system. an Office Of Issue only 10
small offices which are now enjoying the
the postal note and which not regularly desig
mated money order Offices There are abou, 700
of these Offices and the provision Will faci,i-
ties for transmitting money without which there
would be some Inconvenience
Section II provides for means OF paying for lost
money orders. These are covered now by section
OF the revised statutes, which needs some modlhca-
ton TO adapt IL TO the changed conditions resulting
from covering into the Treasury the amount or
unpaid orders more than a year old.