The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-11-15
POSTAL SERVICE.
Tho First Assistant Postmaster
 Generals Annual Report.
THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT,
The Franking Privilege Abused-Rural Free Delivery Faiiure-The Increased Efficiency of the Department
 Dead Letters.

ant Postmaster-G General Frank Jones has submitted his annual report to the postmaster-generaL It is review of the work of the department under his charge for the year erded June 30, 1894, and contains his. recommendations for the improvement of the service.
 Mir. Jones, in his report, says: "There seems to be some misapprehension among members of congress as to the scope of the franking privilege which has resulted in some postmasters de- clining to send speeches or other mat ter presented for mailing, and this de- partment has been called upon to give special instructions in such cases.
 'Instead of the name being written or placed on the envelopes by the hand stamp, it has been in some instances improperly printed thereon, the speeches therein contained have borne the advertisement of the printer which formed no part of the Congressional Record, and therefore are subject to postage as third class matter. In addi- tion to this some of the packages sent by mail under the frank of the mem- Der have been found after delivery to contain printed matter outside of the Congressional Record and public docu- ments and are therefore not frankable under the laws above quoted.
 "As this department is required to carry, without one cent of revenue, hundreds of tons of franked matter, additional limitations should be placed on the use of the frank, or penalty of some kind imposed for its unlawful use, and respectfully suggest that the attention of congress be called to this matter for such action as it should deem proper"
 Mir. Jones recommends the legisla- tion allowing the suspension without pay, not to exceed ten days, of an em- ploye 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 rec- commended.
 The report gives the details of the different divisions of the first assist ants office. It is shown by the salary and allowance division that there are 149 first-class offices, 466 second-class and 2,5s7 third-class.
 The aggregate salaries of these was &, ,7l9, 900, and aggregate receipts S5s,- 6s5, ,O24. The following estimates arc made for salaries, clerks, etc., for the next year: Compensation to post masters, Sl6, ,500, 900; clerks in post of fees, S1O, 1000 rent, fuel and light, first and second-class, 5000, 900; miscel- laneous, incidentals and furniture, first and second-class post offices, $50, 900; advertising, first and second-class post offices, Sl5,OoO; rental cancelling ma chimes, S60,000
 Mir. Jones condo ms as heartily as he did last year the experime ental free de- livery and the rural free delivery tried by his predecessor. He estimates the free delivery service for the next year at SIP, 327, ,6s5. The estimate for sup. plies at the post office department is S444, 300, a decrease of S31, ,000 from the present year.
 The money order business shows that $50 offices were constituted money or der offices during the year. The amount of orders issued was S13S, 793. 579; amount paid, Si3s, 729, 229; receipts, S1, 212, 33s; expenses, S5S6,74T The issue of postal notes was SIP ,G49, 094; postal notes paid, sl2,644,s44. The postal notes have never been discontinued by act of congress. The amount of inter national money orders issued was S13,- 753, ,455; foreign issued paid, SC, j6s, ,493.
 Of the operations of the dead letter office Mir Jones says: "The number of pieces of original dead mail matter re- ceived during the year for treatment was z, ,10l, ,044, a decrease of go, 9S3 pieces from the preceding year, instead of an annual increase of this class of matter which in 1893 amounted to Si0,947. These figures show difference in favor of the last year over the preced- ing one of 379, $50 and indicate larger degree of efficiency on the part of the the general postal service.
 Ut is gratifying to note the amount of work done and the increased deliv- cry of mail matter from this office dur ing the past fiscal year. The number of parcels and letters delivered was 9, ,975, ,O97, a gain of 267,240 pieces, the highest percentage in delivery of mail matter at the dead. letter office, and this has been accomplished without any increase in the clerical force. Of the letters and parcels opened and recorded 2S,5S1 contained money amounting to $3S,255: 29,- 02O contained drafts, money orders etc, with face value of $l, l,O56, ,36s; A. 170 contained postal notes, value, $5,- S9s; 40,214 contained paid notes, re- ceipts, legal and other papers of a mis- cellaneous character, 35,041 contained photographs, 151, s6s contained postage stamps, e4,452 contained articles of merchandise, books, etc., 1000 con- tained manuscripts and 5,915, 645 were without separate inclosures and were returned to the writers, when practi- cable; otherwise destroyed without rec ord.
 "There were restored to the owners IS, 1OS letters containing $2s,077; 27,910 containing drafts, notes, money orders, etc, with face value of S966,97 4,033