The record-union., 1898-11-25
Prosperous Times Made Apparent
in All Departments.
Domestic Money Orders GreatIy Exceed
Those Of Last Year.
Numerous and Interesting Recom-
mendations for Congressional
Action for the Betterment Of
the Postal Service Presented i'm
the Annual Report of First AS
sistant Postmaster General
Heath

the Annual Report Of First AS
sistant Postmaster General
Heath.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-First AS
sistant Postmaster General Perry
Heath has completed his annual reports
except the portions relating to mill
tary postoffices at the army camps and
in the islands of the Philippines and
the rural free delivery districts. both
of which await more advices.
The general business of the depart~
ments shows an increase of over &c.
100000 during the fiscal year. In all
departments of the business the pros
porous times have made themselves APP
parent. This year there were 27,T9Ss-
07S domestic money orders issueds
against 25,169,055 last year; the
amount carried was $191, ,354 .121.
against STA, ,4S2,6 There We're 2,35S
new money order offices established
The recommendations for Congress
sional action are numerous and inter-
esting. Mr. Heath recommends that
clerks in postoffices be classified and
placed upon a fixed scale of salaries.
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 postoffices. It
is contended that an efficient postoffice
clerk is the peer of letter carrier, and
there should be no discrimination i'm
the pay or privileges accorded to either
class.
The hours of labor Of letter carrier
are limited by the law to eight hours a
day, and he is allowed fifteen days
leave of absence per year. Postoffice
clerks have no limitation on their hours
and no vacation without loss of SAL
ary. An appropriation of $4,000 is
requested for the employment of sub
stitute clerks to allow vacations
An appropriation of $11 ,S00 600, an
increase of 100000 over this year, IS
recommended for the next fiscal year
for clerk hire. Congress having appro-
priated 100000 less than the DEPART
ment estimate for clerk hire during the
past fiscal year, considerable embar-
rassment has ensued in meeting emer-
gencies incident to the great increase
of public business.
The consolidation of postoffices is
again recommended. Congress is ask
ed to repeal the law forbidding the alb
olition of a postoffice located at any
county seat by a consolidation of post
offices. The abolition of small post
offices contiguous to a large office hav-
ing 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 inn
proved public service, but in a sub
stantial saving in expenses, and he de-
sires authority to continue this plan.
Authority is asked to make the clerk
hire appropriation apply to all classes
of postoffices. AT present an allowance
for clerk hire can only be given to
first and second-class postmasters-
Many third-class postoffices which only
escape by few hundred dollars of re-
ceiptS from being included in the Sec
ond class have SO much business that it
is impossible for any one person to
properly attend 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 2,910
third-class postoffices, 100 second class
and 176 first class. One result claimed
is that it would remove the temptation
for postmasters TO pad their receipts or
to fraudulently increase their apparent
revenues, so as to get into the second
class
Free delivery was extended during
the fiscal year to fifty-nine Offices Ad-
ditional offices entitled to free delivery
number 110. During the current fiscal
year service has been established at
thirty-four of these offices, leaving sew
enty-six to await the consideration of
the department.
The First Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eraa recommends modification of the
eight-hour law as applied to letter car
riers SO as to provide for the eight
hours for six days work, and only as
many hours on Sunday within the
eight-hour limit as are absolutely
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.
Mr.. Heath recommends an additional
grade of carriers to be known as car
rier sergeants in all cities having fifty
carriers or more, and that these posi-
tions be assigned by competitive ex-
aminations among carriers who have
served five years or more. The duues
of these sergeants would be to super
wise the work of the letter carriers
on their routes, and to investigate COM
plants.
He asks an appropriation for salaries
of carriers at established offices for the
next fiscal year of $12.697. 200; for the
salaries Of letter carriers at new offices.
100000; for horse hire allowance, S410,-
900; car fare and bicycles, $195, 900:
all other incidentals, $150,OO0; making
a grand total for this service of $14,-
so, 300
He recommends 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 a postal check payable
to bearer.
A detailed report Of the operations OF
the rural free delivery will be present
ed within a few days. Congress in
creases the appropriation for this pur-
pose from $4,000 to $50 600, and Mr..
Heath recommends, in view of the sue
cess of the extension Of the service and
the satisfaction it has given, that an
appropriation of 100000 be made for
rural free delivery during the next fis-
cal year.