River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-11-14
MAIL MATTERS.
Report of first Assistant Postmaster
General Jones.


Washington, Nov. Il-First Assistant
Postmaster General Jores has submit
ted his report. 1t calls attention to a
saving in his branch of the service dur
ing the past year of Sl,395.577. Mr..
Jones recommends an appropriation OF
Sl7,000,0O0 to cover compensation of
postmasters for the next fiscal year and
Slo,5O0,000 for clerk hire at first and
second-class post offices.
The salaries of ali presidential post
masters amounted to $5,s97 200, and
the gross receipts of post offices $60,-
53S,097. The number of presidential
PC stmasters are 3,i91. of which 159 are
| first-class; 200 second-class and 2.632
third-class The total number of posi-
| lions brought within the classified
service during the year was 1895.
An estimate of S12, 800, 800 i made for
| the free delivery service next year.
The money-order report shows that
there are 1861 domestic money-order
offices, and orders to the amount of
$156. 709,Os9 were issued and Sl56, 1884,
ESQ paid. Mr.. Jones recommends leg
islation requiring clerks handling
money-order business to give bonds.
Concerning dead-letter matter, the
report says: The number of pieces of
original dead mail matter received dur
ing the year for treatment was G,3l9,-
| 573, a decrease of 7S1.171.
He recommends the order recently
promulgated by the president providing
! for the consolidation of fourth-class
/ poct afficac and cavc +ha only pnSitiopS
at first-class post Offices that are now
excepted from civil service examination
are assistant postmaster, private secre-
| tary and stenographer, cashier and as
sistant cashier; at second-class offices,
assistant postmaster, under whatever
legal designation known.
Mr.. Jones does not favor maintaining
experimental free delivery service IN
towns and villages, but states that If
the people still demand it he assumes
congress will pass the necessary appro-
priation to establish the service. In
view of the great saving effected and
the general improvement in the service,
especially in the large cities, Mr.. Jones
recommends the employment of num-
Der of men in the larger Offices whose
regular duty it shall be TO inspect the
work of carriers, make suggestions as
to extensions and changes of routes,
and, in fact. TO have a general super
vision of the work of carriers outside of
post offices.
Mr.. Jones says that besides the ac-
tual saving effected, the improved eff
cheney in the service in the offices in
yestigated must be credited to the Sc
cret service. At every office the dis
cipline of the force and efficiency OF
the service have been much improved
the work more equally distributed
among the letter carriers, and at many
offices extensions made and facilities
increased without additional cost.
The assistant postmaster general rec
ommends that the attention of congress
should be called to the advisability OF
providing a penalty for the use of the
postmarking stamp for unlawful pur'
poses, or for counterfeiting it, or foI
placing an impression thereof upon an
envelope or postal card for the purpose
of deception. He says some penalty fol-
the unlawful use of the franking priv
lege should be imposed.
Mr.. Jones renews several recommen
dations made in his last report, such as
more stringent Legislation against oh
scene mail matter; the power to sus
pend employees; the employment o.
temporary and substitute clerks; carr
for disabled employees; the better class
ification of salaries of clerks in large
offices, and the employment of substi
tute carriers.