Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-09
GOVERNMENT SAVES MONEY
Annual Report Of the First Assistant
Postmaster General
CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTION IS EXTENDED
Only Few Higher Positions in the
First and second Glass omccs
Now Left to the Discretion
of the Postmaster.


WASHINGTON. Nov. S-The annual re-
port Of Frank II Jones, ;be first assistant
postmaster general. gives a review OF d large
part of the postal work and some recommen-
dations for the improvement Of the service.
II shows that during the lest three fiscal
years the aggregate savings In the divisions
OF salaries and allowances Of posJmas crs
were S545 1924 in free delivery. S2,Sl4 4l5,
and poetofice supplies S2lS5iO; totals So
O7Ss49 For the period there was an agEre-
gate reduction OF OSO 12| IN the numoer OF
pieces Of mail sent from pos'cfl ,es 70 The
dead letter office. Tns total number Of
presidential offices July ! last was 3.G5l. OF
which l69 were frs;-class. 746 second class
and 27S6 third class. The sggresaJe gross
receipts at the first secor ana third class
Offices were sos. .2S2, ,3s5, and the total sala-
rias Sc ,203 900.
Since November 2. 1894. there have been
2459 positions in the postofices added 10
the classified services. This leaves as the
only positions at frst-class postofices which
are excepted from civil service examinations,
assistant postmHsters and principal cashier;
at secont-class Offices. assistant postmaster,
under any legal designation.
Attention is called TO the fact that not
withstandinE the increase in gross receipts,
the numerical increase in the force was less
than so per cent OF previous years. During
the year tventy-nine stations and l2O sub
stations were established and one station
and seven substations were discontinued u
net increase Of 14l stations and substations.
Fifty-fve postofices OF the second. third and
fourth classes we're discontinued during The
year and ffty-iuur stations and substations
were established to take their place.
WANT LOWER LEASES
Mr. Jones says the Postoflce department
should be at liberty TO execute leases for
postofhce premises for a period In excess
OF FIVE years where. in the opinion OF the
department il iS necessary. CaucelinE ma
chimes are highly commended, and there are
1c9 OF one pattern and 237 Of another now
in uUo under contract. II Is expected that
the investigation OF overtime carrier claims
will be completed during the current fiscal
year and about $500 600 more will be ueces-
sary to pay all claims accrued
The experiment OF free delivery in forty
FIVE towns and villages cost the department
fN.2i1. leaving an une&pended balance Of
sl,753. Investigation showed that in q ma
iority OF the Offices the gross receipts had
decreased since the establishment OF The
service. the department being compelled 10
send money to some Offices for the payment
OF the letter carriers salaries. Congress
aid not appropriate for further pernuneu.
was necessarily discontinued with the close
OF the fiscal year.
There are sixty-throe Offices which were
entitled TO the establishment OF the free
delivery service during the fiscal year ended
June so 1896 but the service could not be
established at more than nineteen Offices
without entailing greater expense upon
the limited appropriations for the current
year than the maintenance OF the established
service would permit.
The rural free delivery experiment was In
operation at points in thirty states by No
yember !, and the result OF these tests will
be received in special report TO congress
in December. Tho aggregate number OF do
mestiu aud international money orders issued
turing the year was 81 g47 S49 amounting 10
S1S5. .953. 26i, and their payments and repay-
ments was 24l40S4S, amounting 20 s177-
0SI .561. There was an increase OF over (
per cent In the whole number OF money or
ders issued, showing that the growth OF the |
system and the total increase in revenue |
from both the domestic and international |
business was S4.l47. The total amount az |
bills Of exchange resulting from exchange Of \
International money orders sent to foreign |
countries during the year was IS s21 Ogq |
balances received from abroad for the same |
purpose being, S2ol SO. In the dead letter !
office 6.253,S6 pieces Of original dead msu |
matter were received. about S33 500 being !
i-closed and g. per cent OF the money re |
stored. Letters also came containing drafts |
checks, etc. OF the apparent value OF 1856
pSo ABOUT " per cent OF this being returned |
to owners.
The report closes with q summary of the |
administration Of Mr.. Jones showing prun- |
Ing Of expenses wherever possible. improved |
iaellltles ana makes numerous recommenda- |
tiohs.
TO PREVENT FRAUD.
The first assistant says: The attention OF |
congress ought TO be called TO the private |
letter box abuse in large cities. II is in |
some cases impossible to locate persons en- |
gagged IN conducting fraudulent and unlaw- |
tul correspondence through the mails who |
for q cDruuar6fiVply small eu-u pur |
box in some cigar or stationery store through |
which TO receive letters addressed TO them |
Several bills have been introduced within |
the past few years designed to put an end |
to the practice OF boycotting postmasters AT |
Offices OF the fourth class, thereby depriviuE |
them cf the compensation properly belong |
ing TO them. This matter should be called |
up and some action taken that would result |
in postmasters receiving al least the com |
pensation which properly belongs 10 their |
respective Offices.
Other recommendations are: Placing |
dealers in obscene matter upon the fraud |
list; penalty for unlawful use OF the frank |
OF member OF congress; authority for sus-
pension OF postofice employees: for substitute |
CLERKS with pay In the place Of regular |
clerks necessarily absent: leave with fun |
pay 10 clerks or carriers disabled while on |
duty; substitutes to assist regular carriers |
on holidays and other emergencies and 10 |
require bon IS covering negligence or dis
honesty of money order clerks.
For the fiscal year ending June 80 1895. |
the report asks for appropriations Of Sl7.-
10000 for compensations OF postmasters: |
81 900 900 for clerk hire allowances. 81 Goo
600 10 cover rent, fuel and light at first |
second and third class Offices: $3.50 600 for |
miscellaneous and incidental items includ- |
ing furniture; $4,000 for cancellng ma |
chimes; $4,000 for advertising Sls5 600 for |
pnstoftce supplies, and sl3, 800 500 for free /
delivery including salaries of u $50 regular |
carriers.
OHIO COAL MINERS on STRIKE. |
Large Force Idle AT jackson and Conn |