The morning times., 1896-11-09
HIS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

Ar. Jones recommends .ndJ 81 I,QOo,UUt
be appropriated to compensate postmaster
| for the next fiscal year. He asks only
81 l 900 900 for clerk hire, considerable
decrease in proportion to the increase %
| clerks to bc employed. He recommends
that $4,000 be appropriated for the renta
| and purchasing or cancellinS machines
| He thinks $4,000 a sufficient amount &
| cover advertising expenses regarding un
claimed letters, and advocates the adoption
| Of the bulletin board system in this matter
| lie recommends that ten inspectors be
| assigned 10 look after the work in the
| sIiary and allowance branch II the ser.
| vice. Free delivery service has been
| established at twenty-four .ities during
| ise year and there are now bnt s,Xty-Iiiree
| entitled to II, but on account 1f tie ex-
pense tne remainder could not be bene-
| fitted. Experimental free delivery in towns
| and villages has shown Il reduction in gross
| receipts In d ma jOrity OF offices. By No
yember l next rural free delivery will be
tested in IDOnt thirty States There was
| a reduction Of dismissals of letter carriers
which evidences the high standard OF dis
| Cipline.
An estimated expenditure of ST. 8 1926 500
! is made On account OF free delivery service
for the fiscal year 1S97-9S Negotiations
| are now pending for an exchange Of money
orders with Mexico.
ABUSE OF FRANKS.
Mr.. Jones recommends that n penalty be
prescribed for the unlawful use Of the
| frank of n member of Congress and suggests
$500 fine in each case. He says the law
was disleear'ied during the campaign just
| closed. He asks legislation to do away
| with private postoffice boxes.
Concerning the boycotting of postoffices
Mr.. Jones says:
Il desire to renew my recommendation
nf last relation Ia, q GROWING a. Y III
Of boycotting pustoffices. owing to poll
tical differences, selfish motives, petty
jealousieS. etc, the compensation Of post
masters is, in many instances, seriously re-
duced and the organized plan of postal
service interfrred with. At Presidential
offices this is accomplished by number
of persons purchasing their stamps else.
where, and at foUrth-ciass offices by COL
lecting and mailing large quantities of
letters on the cars or at other offices, there.
by deprivins such poStmasters OF the can
collation. of stamps. This is carried to
crievous extent in Some communities, and
is such an interference with the Usual and
regular disposition of the mail as in my
Judgment calls for legislation by Congress
Several bills have been introduced in
Congress calculated TO correct this injustice
and to secure to poStmasters the business
properly belonging To their offices, but l
regret to say none of them Were passed"
DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
Tie report of the Dead Letter Office
for the past fiscal year shows the receipt
of 6 ,253.363 pieces OF original dead mail
matter, S,331 of which were of foreign
origin. There is Il decrease in the receipts
of domestic matter from those OF the pre-
ceding year of 81 ,I59 pieces. There has
been an increase OF l32,2 pieces in de-
livery by the office Of this class OF mat
ter. The number of letters and parcels
opened was o,O4l ,lJ6. Number or in
closures found therein was 3S4 81 s: amount
of money in letters and parcels, $33 ,s6O.S5
amount in drafts. checks, etc., in letters
and parcels, $3.50, ,095.53.
AT the normal rate OF increase for a period
of three years the number Of pieces OF dead
mail matter received at this office would
have been 22,112.125. Actual number re-
ceived for tIat period was 1861 ,991
This shows a decrease for my three years
OF 3 ,0330,134.
The increase in the amount OF mail de-
liyered Tor three years OF preceding term
was 1.324.4a2 pieces.
During the year 1906 magazines, H.
lustrated papers, picture cards, ETC.,
which cnuld not be restored 10 owners
were distributed among the inmates OF
the various hospitals, aSyiumS and other
charitable institutions in the District OF
Columbia by order of the postmaster gen
eral.
Tie following shows the number and
character OF the matter distributed:
Magazines. 5,771: pamphlets. 1886; IL
lustrated papers. 1883; picture cards, ETC.,
., $50.