The herald., 1898-11-25
PROOF OF PROSPERITY
AFFORDED BY THE INCREASE OF
POSTAL RECEIPTS
THE SOLDIERS MONEY ORDERS
Really Cut More Figure Than the
Effect of the Alleged Revival
Of Business
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24-First Assist
ant Postmaster General Perry S. Heath has
completed his annual report, except the
portions relating to military postoffices a,
the army camps and in the islands of the
Philippines, and the rural free delivery dis
tricts, both of which await more advices
The general business of the department
shows an increase of over s6,OoO,OOO during
the fiscal year. In all departments of the
business the prosperous times have made
themselves apparent. This year there were
27,79S,O7s domestic money orders issued,
against 25, 5,l69,055 last year. The amount
carried was $l9l, 1854, ,l2l, against $l74,S32,-
GIG. There were 1855 new money order Of
fees established.
The recommendations for congressional
action are numerous and interesting. Mr..
Heath recomends that clerks in postoffices
be classified and placed upon fixed scale
of salary, similar to that of letter carriers,
so as to give a fair prospect of advancement
and certainty of compensation. At present
there is no rule or system for the grading of
clerks at postoffces 1t is contended that
an efficient postoffice clerk is the peer of a
letter carrier and there should be no dis
elimination in the pay or privileges ac-
corded to either class.
The hours of labor of a letter carrier are
limited by the law to eight hours day and
he is allowed fifteen days leave of absence
per year. Postoffce clerks have no limita-
tion on their hours and no vacation without
loss of salary. An appropriation of $50, 900
is requested for the employment of substi-
tute clerks to allow vacations. An appro-
priation of sll 100000, an increase of $780,
900 over this year. is recommended for the
next fiscal year for clerk hire Congress
having appropriated 100000 less than the
department estimate for clerk hire during
rassment has ensued in meeting emergen-
cies incident to the great increase of public
business.
The consolidation of postoffces is again
recommended. Congress is asked to repeal
the law forbidding the abolition of post
office board located at any county seat by
a consolidation of postoffces. The abolition
of small postoffices contiguous to large of
flee having free delivery and the establish
ment of stations and substations in lieu
thereof, Mr.. Heath says, has been found to
result not only in a vastly improved public
service, but in a substantial saving in ex-
pense, and he desires authority to continue
this plan.
Authority is asked to make the clerk hire
appropriation apply to all classes of postof.
fees. At present an allowance for clerk
hire can only be given to first and second
class postmasters. Many third-class post
offices which only escape by few hundred
dollars of receipts from being included in
the second-class, have so much business that
it is impossible for any one person to prop
erly attended to it and the postmas-
ters are constantly compelled to pay for
such clerical help as they need out of their
own salaries. There are 29l0 third-class
postoffices, 100 second-class and l76 first
class. One result claimed is that it would
remove the temptation for postmasters to
pad their receipts or to fraudulently in
crease their apparent revenues so as to get
into the second class.
Free delivery was extended during the
fiscal year to SO Offices. Additional offices
entitled to free delivery number 10. Dur
ing the current fiscal year service has been
{ tablished at 81 of these offices, leaving rs
to await the consideration of the depart
ment.
The first assistant postmaster general
recommends a modification of the eight
hour law as applied to letter carriers so as
to provide for the eight hours for six days
work and cnly as many hours on Sunday
within the eight-hour limit as are abso-
lutely necessary for the requirements OF the
service This recommendation is in accord
with the views expressed by the convention
of postmasters recently held at Detroit and
it is believed its adoption would meet the
approval of the letter carriers themselves.
Mr.. Heath recommends an additional
grade of carriers to be known as carrier
sergeants in all cities having 50 carriers or
more, and that these positions be assigned
by competitive examinations among car
riers who have served five years or more
The duties OF these sergeants would be to
supervise the work of the letter carriers on
their routes and to investigate complaints
He asks an appropriation for salaries of
carriers at established Offices for the next
fiscal year of SD, ,697 200: for the salaries of
letter carriers at new offices, $50 900; for
horse hire allowance. $4,000; car fare and
bicvcles, Slo5,000; all other incdentals
sl50.000. making grand total for this serv-
ice of sl4.5l2,20O. He recom1>,nds a repeal
of the law requiring the use of the present
form OF money order, in the interest of
safety and simplicity and also authorization
for the use OF postal checks payable to
bearer.
4 detailed report of the operations Of the
rural free delivery will be presented within
a few days. Congress increased the anpro-
priation for this purpose from $1,000 to
sl5o.O00. and Mr.. Heath recommends, in
view of the success of the extension of the
service and the satisfaction it has given,
that an APPROPRIATION Of $300.000 be made
for rural free delivery during the next fiscal