Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-07-20
pEFAuLrlNe posrMAs1ERs.
A Source of Much Trouble to the Govern
mcnt Treasury. ss o.q.


mcnt Treasury. ss U. ~
Because there is an annual deficit in
the post Office department it must not
be taken for granted that the postal
service of the country can never be
made self-sustaining, said n represent
ative of the department of justice, who
was on his way west to collect on
Judgment against defaulting post
master on the Pacific coast. The main
cause of the deficit is the number of
postmasters in small places who de-
fault and leave worthless bonds against
which practically nothing can be col
lected They are usually for petty
amounts, and more often than not are
the result of ignorance and bad book
keeping. AS soon us postmaster
stops sending in his report it is taken
for granted that something is wrong,
and an inspector is sent to go over the
books. When the accounts are straight
ened out the post office authorities get
judgment against the postmasters
bondsmen. These judgments are then
turned over to the department of JUS
tice for collection. In nine cases out
of ten the amount defaulted is not
worth all this trouble and expense, but
the men have to be prosecuted for the
sake of policy, for if postmasters were
allowed to default with impunity the
postal service, as far as the smaller
offices are concerned, would soon grow
demoralized and all discipline would be
at an end. These claims are prose-
cuted with the utmost formality, and
a nin1 fx,- 1a 1arN. .f1,nn nr,t Of
! justice is sent to the scene of action,
armed with authority to levy on every
thing 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 as
they wish. The soft snap part con-
sists in travelling all over the country
with first-class accommodations at the
expense of the government.
The postmaster in o small town is
| generally the owner of store. While
a big man politically, he is usually a
mighty small one financially. His
bondsmen are often just as irresponsi-
BILE. 1t is looked upon as mere mat
ter of form to go upon a postmaster S
bond, and many qualify when they
have no property. When the bonds
prove worthless nothing of course can
be done at the time. In such a case
we transfer the judgments and trust
to luck that the bondsmen will some
day strike it rich and have something
to levy on. The postmaster got behind
in his accounts. There was probably
no fraud intended, but the man had
a supreme ignorance of bookkeeping
and got all mixed up. He was under
one thousand dollars bond, the funny
thing being that ten men had qualified
in one hundred dollars each for him.
When 1 went to levy on the judgments
l found that not one of the men was
worth over fifteen dollars in tangible
property. All the postmaster himself
really owned was pair of mules. When
these were put up at auction by the
sheriff no one in the place would bid
on them, and the postmaster laughed
at me as he bought them in himself fol-
trihe.
But there is often danger as we'll as
profit and amusement in these trips
Some months ago was sent to little
place in Georgia. AS soon as l arrived
States marshal had come down after
the postmaster. The mans friends helC
secret meeting. When it was ovel
they armed themselves with Win
chesters and formed a bodyguar6
around the postmaster. Then they al
marched to the hotel where l wa.
stopping and called me out. 1 tried tc
convince them that 1 was a chance
visitor and had no designs on theil
chief citizen, but it would not work
They gave me till train time to get out
Igot. The government never collected
anything on judgments.-N. Y. World
"CHARLEY," she asked, as they sat looking
at the game, show many balls make a batf
He looked long and suspciously ut her, ther
averted his face and slipped into it another
clove.-Cincinuat Tribune.
To SETTLE THE BABY.-Hicks-"Got any
| knOrlx-ont 1rppS a.. OF Nbat