Evening star., 1896-09-21
THE POST OFFICE BURGLAR
He Has Been Keeping Very Quiet Of
Late.
Hold-Ups, Green Goods Men, Stamp
Growing Beautifully Less.

r. A. Maxwell, fourth assistant postmas-
ter general, has made his annual report to
the Postmaster General for the year ending,
June 80. 1896. The principal divisions Of
the department under his care are appoint
ments and inspectors. The report shows
that the total number of post offices in op-
Grafton in the United States was 1O.56O. OF
these, G6.725 are fourth-class offices and
3,635 presidential, being an increase over
the last fiscal year of 296. During the year
2.U46 post offices were established and 1,75O
discontinued. The total number Of appoint
ments for this year was 1900. and the
total number Of cases acted upon 1852.
Under instructions from the Postmaster
General. 141 fourth-class and 81 presiden-
tlal offices have been consolidated with
larger ones during the past four years for
the purpose of giving the patrons OF tho
smaller offices better mail facilities. OF
these It's offices ~ were In Illinois. % In
Maryland. 25 in New York and II in Massa-
chGSetts.
Work of Inspectors.
Mr.. Maxwell commends the work of the
post office inspectors. The report shows
that the total number of complaints of all
classes received during the past year ag
sregated 1US,O37, and the number Of cases
disposed of amounted to 1OO,2O5. The num-
Der of cases treated during last year shows
previous. The number of complaints re-
ce1ved during the year relating to regis
tered mail was 5.S17. Only "A complaints
were received of carelessness in the hand
ling of this matter by postal employees.
Particularly noteworthy is the fact that
the employees in the postal service handled
during the last fiscal year 1851 900 pieces
OF registered mail, with the loss of only one
piece in every 16.264.
Attention IS called to the fact that the
general public could prevent losses in or
binary mail matter by being more careful
IN addressing and stamping mail. Com
plants to the number of 64,6l3 affecting
the ordinary mail were received during the
year; :5l,3H referring to letters and 1860
to packages. This shows increase of L.
5I2 over last year. OF the total of COM
plants received, Il 1876 have been inyesti-
gated. and of this number it is shown that
no loss occurred in S,13 cases, proportion
OF one in five of the total number of COM
plants investigated.
Less Burglaries.
Mr.. Maxwell points out that there has
been decrease in the number of post Of
flee and mail burglaries and robberies,
owing to the killing and arrest of many
desperadoes engaged in the business. Dur
ing the year there were 2,O74 arrests, of
which number 1:S were poStmasters IS
were assistant postmasters IL " ere clerks
In post oftiC es, IA were railway post office
clerks, "a We're letter carriers. - were mail
carriers, and nine others were employed in
minor positions In the postal service. Four
hundred aud seventy post office burglars
were arrested, while the remainder of .2J
were persons not connected with the postal
service, who were arrested for various Of
lenses against the postal laws. OF this
number. LOS cases were disposed of in the
United States courts and is in the state
courts. Six thousand one hundred and
thirty of the cases handled by the inspect
ors referred to violations of the postal
laws and regulations. the largest number Of
them relating to the mailing of scurrilous
and obscene matter.
During the year there were 1853 COM
plants treated affecting foreign mail mat
ter. OF these, $3.50 related TO registered
matter and o.154 to ordinary matter.
Quite portion Of Mr.. Maxwelis report
is devoted to notorious cases where arrests
have been made. He makes several recon-
mendations for more stringent laws for the
protection of the mails