The herald., 1895-10-14
Annual Report to the Postmas-
ter General
DEATH TO THE LOTTERIES
Has Been Sounded by the Postoffice
Department
Attention Called to the Necessity Of Pre-
scribinz Penalties for failing Poison
Gus or Dangerous Articles
Associated Press special Wire


WASHINGTON, Oct. i3.-John L.
Thomas, encouragement for the post
Office departm has made his annual
report to the postm astergeneral. OF
the operations of his office he says that
during tho year 21S "fraud' orders were
issued, prohibiting the delivery of regis
tered packages and the payment of
money orders to certain com panies and
parties named. Of these, however
thirty -eight were duplicate orders. I he
orders were issued against fifty five lot
teries operated by so-called Investment
companies, twelve against avowed lot
teries. twenty lotteries Of "a miscellaneous
character and ono hundred and thirty
seven Schemes devised to defraud the
public. Seventy of these orders were re-
voked upon it being made to appear that
the parties operating the schemes had
abandoned them. This left in force at
the end of the year las orders. original
and duplicate. Twenty-eight Of the orders
issued during the previous year were
also revoked upon the proper showing.
Mr.. Thomas says that the act of March 2.
1895, fourther amending the lottery act,
tually closed the mails to lottery con-
Germs. He adds: "This act goes farther
and forbids inte irrational state carriers
from transporting lottery matter from
foreign countries into this country, or
from one state to another. This depart
mont has no jurisdiction, however, to
enforce that part of the law, and can
not state definitely the extent to mich the
lottery carrying business has been checked
60 I'D Hat kI.>
most. if not all, of the express companies
yield obedience to it by refusing to carry
the prohibited lottery matter.
1T may be confidently asserteN that
the death-knell of the avowed lotteries in
this country has been sounded and their
business HIS been vastly crippled if not
ruined, but | am sorry to nots the fact
that many business men think they must,
In order to succeed, resort to schemes
that appeal to the gam bling spirit of the
people, and they accordingly sugar-coat
their legitimate enterprises with lottery
advertisements and thus create desire
for other and moro pernicious modes of
obtaining something tor nothing by haz-
ard or chance. These fascinating and ap-
parently innocent schemes reach the
boys and girls of the LAND and t,nd to
make them gamblers
The mum ber of claims allowed for losses
by burglary, fire, ETC., were 1906, amount
ing to Sl36, 6s6.
He again urges a law compelling subor-
dnates in postoffices to give security for
tho handling of money or making the
postmasters responsible for the losses in
CURED by subordinates. Mr.. Thomas also
calls attention to an important subject in
the following wav:
"Attention has beed several times dus-
ing the year called to the dangerous and
injurious matter denosited in the mail
and upon Investigation it was. shown that
there was no penalty prescribed for such
matter in the mail. ana indeed there is
no statute torbidding it being maiied.
Many substances, such as poisons.
matches and other articles liabe to ignite
or explode by shock or jar I've and pni-
scnous insects and reptiles, smallpox
virus or germs Of contagious diseases or
fatty substances, liquids or sharp poiated
instruments. Some are very dangerous
to life, health and comfort of the body
and others ara liable to damage other
mail matter and mail SACKS if they should
become loose in the nails"