The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1895-08-23
PosrMAsrERs WHO DEFAULT.

Mainly Responsible for tho Annual De-
fcit-Bordam Without Property.
because there Is an annual deficit In
the postoffice department It must not be
taken for granted that the postal SER
vice Of the country can never be made
self-sustaining." said a representative of
the department of justice, who was on
his way West to collect on Judgment
against a defaulting postmaster on the
Pacific coast, according to the New York
World. "The main cause of the deficit
Is the number Of postmastcrs In small
places who default and leave worthless
bonds against which practically nothing
can be collected. They are usually for
petty amounts and more often than not
are the result Ct Ignorance and bad book
keeping. As soon AS n postmaster stops
sending In his report II Is taken for
granted that something Is wrong, and an
Inspector Is sent to 20 over the books.
When the accounts are Strengthened out
the postofiice authorities get judgments
against the poslmaster's bondsmen.
These judgments are then turned over
TO the department Of justice for collec.
ton. In nine eases out of ten the
amount dcfaulted is not worth all this
trouble and expense. but the men have
to be prosecuted for the sake of policy,
for II postmastcrs We're allowed to de.
fault with impunlty the postal service,
as far ms the smaller offices are concern.
ed. would soon grow demoralized and all
discipline would be at an end. These
claims are prosecuted with the utmost
formallty and a special agent for the
department OF justice Is sent 10 the scene
OF action. armed with authority to levy
on everything In sight. The department
clerks look upon these trips as soft
snaps. and the fellows who stand In
well with their superiors can have as
many rs they wish. The soft-snap part
consists In travelling all over the coun.
try with flrst-cass accommodations nj
the expense OF the government. You
can work free pass or scalp ticket
and put the rest In your pocket. 1t |.
a poor trip that won't net you 500. ex,
elusive OF your regular salary. These
perQuisltes are usually spent In playing
the races and having good time gen
orally. and do much toward making OF
flciai life In Washington so demoralz
ing to young men.
''The postmaster In a small town Il
generally the owner OF a store. While
u DIE HihH, ponllchiiy, ne Is usually
mighty small one financially. His bonds
men are often just AS irresponsible. II
IL looked upon as n mere matter Of form
10 20 upon postmaster's bond, and
many qualify when they have no prop
erty. When the bonds prove WORTHLESS.
nothing, OF course. can be done mt III,
time. In such case we transfer ,lit
Judgments and trust to luck that IN,
bondsmen will some day strike 1t ricl
and have something to levy on. Tn.
postmaster gets behind In his accounts
There was probably no fraud Intended
but the man had supreme lgnoranc,
OF bookkeeping and got all mixed up
He was under $1,000 bond. the funn,
thing being that ten men had qualific,
In 500 each for him. when ! went Il
levy on the judgments ! found that mo-
one OF the men was worth over Sl5 II
tangible property. All the postmaster
himself really owned was pair OIL
mules. When these were put up at auc
ton by the sheriff. no one In the plac,
would bid ON them. and the postmaste,
laughed at mo MS he himself bough
them In for a tribe.