Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-10-28
rosTMAsrnRs AND oFr1CEs.

Interesting Figures from Report of Fourth
Assistant POStmaster General BrlstOw.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26.-The follow
Ing abstract of the annual report OF
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow was made public yesterday:
In the establishment Of post Ofices 1t has
been the policy Of this bureau since the begin
ming Of the present administration to establish
new post once wherever It is desired and 1t
is shown that 1t will accommodate reasonable
number of people, the purpose being to give
the people the most convenient mail facilities
possible. believing that such policy contrib
utes TO popular intelligence and good Citizen
ship
In the amount Of business transacted New
York ranks first with q ~ per capita expended
In the use Of the mails, and South Carolina Is
the lowest with i020 per capita During the
year there were: Post ofices established, L.
coll post ofices discontinued, $50; names and
sites changed l,O67i appointments on changes
Of name and site, $50; appointments Of fourth
class pOstmasters upon resignation, 1890; ap-
pointments Of fourth-class pOstmasters upon
removal, BIB; appointments Of fourth-class
postmasters upon deaths, 722; offces relegated
TO fourth class, % During the year 1914 Oflces
became presidential
The report on the appointment lewiston
closes with o table showing the number Of post
ofdces In operation in the United States from
1870, when there were 49, to 1897 with 7l,02S.
During the year there have been 1893 post
masters reported to the bond division by the
auditor for delinQuencies and Abs notices
nave been sent sureties Of postmasters advising
them Of the hardness Of pOstmasters In their
remittances. For various causes 800 acting
p0stTnasters have been designated by bonds
men during the year
The total number Of pieces Of registered mail
handled by the post ONCE department for the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1897. Is estimated at
ia 750.O 600 Four thousand two hundred and
seventy-dve Of these cases were investigated
and closed In $3.50 OF these cases 1t was dis
covered that no actual loss had occurred, and
In ,067 cases the full amount Of loss alleged
was recovered, leaving only 45S cases In which
actual loss was sustained, or only one loss for
every % $40 pieces Of registered mail handled
During the year there were Cd, 778 complaints
received affecting ordinary mail matter; IS, IA
referred to letters; n ,0O4 referred to packages
an increase OF 2, 1866 over the number of COM
plants received during the previous year.
There were on hand at the beginning Of the
fiscal year 49, III cases Adding the number re-
oeiVed during the year we have 80 955 for con-
sideration, Of which 900 we're disposed Of.
The total number Of arrests for Offenses
against the postal laws made during the year
was 1882 OF this number l05 were pOstmas-
ters, a were assistant postmasters, AZ clerks
in post oflces, II railway postal clerks "a let
ter carriers, 80 mail carriers, and II others en-
ployed IN minor positions In the postal service.
The total number Of post ONCE burglars ar
rested was 348, and the remaining 924 we're per-
sons In no way connected with the postal serv-
ice.
The following are q number of the
most important recommendations
made:
That q severer, penalty be provided for en-
ployes Of the service who may be found guilty
Of embezzling or destroying newspaper mail
An amendment to the statute making the
depredations by railway postal clerks a con-
tinuOus offense. In order 10 avoid the di11cult
task Of proving In which particular district
the Offense was committed.
That more stringent statutes be enacted COW
ering green goods" and obscene matter and
in this connection the amending Of section 1874,
postal laws and regulations Of 1893 revised
statutes, section 543O), relating to green
goods" and schemes to defraud. making those
ofienses continuous, as Is now the law concern
ing lottery cases under section 331, postal laws
and regulations Of 1893 as amended. The pur-
pose being to avoid distractions to and miscar-
riage Of justice incident TO trials in some large
cities where criminals may have friends and
sympathizers.
That, In order TO provide greater safety and
security to letters sent In the registered mails,
both foreign and domestic, special stamped
envelope Of superior material of the denOmina-
tiOn Of ten cents, be adopted; and that all per-
sons who desire to register letters be induced
to purchase these envelopes at the face value
Of the stamp, as Is now the case with postal
cards
That the subject Of the use Of postage stamps
as currency be taken up and considered, with
the view Of efiecting some legislation, which,
II It would not entirely do away with them as
medium Of exchange may at least curtail the
extent OF their use in this manner