The herald., 1894-11-12
Operations of the POstoffice
Department.
Report of First Assistant Postmaster
General Jones.
Abuses Of the Franking Privilege-Fall-
ing on of Revenue-Too Much
Free Matter Carried.
Free Delivery.
BY the Associated Press.

work in the department under his
charge for the year ending June ~,
1898, and contains his recommendations
for the improvement of the service. Mr..
Jones recommends legislation to protect
the postmarking stamp in use at post
Offices, as the stamp is now being used
for unlawful purposes.
He reviews his recommendation for
legislation to prevent the boycotting OF
postmasters by the mailing OF letters at
places other than the Office, which re-
suits in reducing the salaries OF the post
masters boycotted.
He calls special attention to tie mis-
use of the franking privilege. He
says:
ssThere seems to be some miaappre-
tensions among members of congress as
to the scope of the frsnking privilege,
which has resulted in some postmasters
declining to send speeches or other
printed matter presented for mailing.
This department has been called upon
to give special instructions in such
matters.
s'Instead of the name being written or
placed ON the envelope by the hand
stamp, it has been in some instances
improperly printed thereon; the
speeches therein contained have borne
advertisements for the printer, which
formed no part OF the congressional
record, and therefore are subject to pos
tage ss third-class matter. In addition to
this, some of the packages sent by
mail under the frank of the member,
have been found after delivery to have
contained printed matter outside of the
congressional record and public docu-
ments, and are therefore not frsnkable
under the laws above quoted. The liter
ature being sent under seal, the de-
psrtmcnt is of course unable to detect
every violation. There is no penalty at
tachsd to tie misuse OF the franking
privilege. hence no action can be taken
by me further than to call the attention
of the mem bers to the matter.
"As this department ia required to
carry, without one cent OF revenue,
hundreds of tons of franked matter, ad-
ditional limitations should BIZ placed Oh
the use of the frank or q penalty Of
some kind imposed for its unlawful use,
and respectfully suggest that the at
tention of congress be called to this
matter for such action as it shall deem
proper"
Mr.. Jones recommends legislation al
lowing suspension without pay of en-
ployees violating the postal rules, also
that disabled employees may be granted
leaves of absence with continued pay,
also some changes in the classification of
salaries which were heretofore recon-.
mended.
The report gives details OF the differ
ent divisions of the first assistants
n6ioa 10 ubnup hv tho aalaru and
allowance division that there are 140
first-class offices, 400 second-class and
2537 third-class. The aggregate salaries
of these was So. 709, 700 and the aggrs.
gate receipts sos, ,6S5, ,024.
The following estimates are made for
salaries of clerks. etc., for the next year :
Compensation of postmssters, $l6,-
100000.
Clerks in postoffices, $10.100,000
Rent, fuel and light first and second
class. 100000.
Miscellaneous, incidentals and furni-
ture, OF first and second'class post
Offices, $3.50, 900.
Advertising, fret and second.cass
postoffices, $4,000.
Renting of oanceliDg machines, $780,
600.
Mr.. Jones says that owing to the
scant appropriation, the work of the
free delivery system has been curtailed.
There have been no new Offices made
free delivery during the year. There
has been q slight increase in the number
of carriers during the year.
Mr.. Jones condemns az heartily as he
did last year the experimental free de-
livery and the rural delivery tried by
his predecessor. He estimates the free
delivery service for the next year at
$12,327. .685.
The estimate for supplies at the post
office department is $444, 500, a decrease
of $3l 900 from the present year.
The money order business shows that
$50 Offices were constituted money
order offices during the year. The
amount OF orders issued was $160 ,793,s
$50: amount paid. $l38. 729, 229 receipts,
$1,2l2, 1888; expenses, S586,747. The is
sue of postal notes was $l2, ,094;
postal notes paid. $12,644. .844. The
postal notes have never been discontin-
ued by act CT congress. The amount of
international money orders issued was
$13753, 455; foreign issues paid, IS, 6,b68,-
493
OF the operations of the dead letter
Office Mr., Jones says:
1ho uumUe VI pleCeb VI original O6a0
mail matter received during the year
for treatment was 7,101 ,044, decrease
of 29.9S3 pieces from the preceding
year, instead OF an annual increass of
this class of matter, which in 1898
amounted to 949,847. These fgures
show difference in favor of the last
year over the preceding one of 379, $50.
and indicates a larger degree of eff.
cheney on the part of the general postal
service.
The number OF parcels and lettera d e.
livered was 1915, ,0S7, gain of 267, ,240
pieces, the highest percentage in de-
livery of mail matter yet attained by
she dead letter office. OF the letters
and parcels opened and recorded, % 58l
contained money amounting to $38, 255;
29,090 contained drafts, money orders,
ETC., with face value of 81, ,056, ,368;
4170 contained postal notes, valued at
s5S9S; 40.2l4 contained paid notes, re-
ceipte. legal and other papers of a mis-
cellaneous character; 35,0 contained
photographs: 1hl, S68 contained postage
stamps; 81, 452 contained articles of
merchandise, books. etc. 1000 con-
tanned manuscripts, and 59l5 ,645 were
without separate enclosures and were
returned to the writers, when prac~
ticable; otherwise destroyed without
record.
There were restored to the owners 49,.
108 letters containing $28,077; 1910
containg drafts, notes money orders,
etc, with a face value of $966.979
4,033 postal note letters, value So, SOC;