The Saint Paul globe., 1900-11-25

tai cards, and the denominations, sizes.
colors and qualities of stamped enveI-
| opeS. These accounts should also show
| separately any special series of stamps
ana stamped paper which may De issued
from time to, time. The work involved
| and the number of clerks required will
| depend on the detail in which the ac-
count is kept.
| L have called attention in previous re-
| ports to the notoriouSly defective meth
! ods rhat are now employed in auditing
claims for railway mail transportation.
| RMS is due to the insufficient data fur
nished this office by the postoffice de-
! parunent, it being a settled principle
| that in auditing an account we are en-
| Titled to all the information in the pos
| session of the department when the ac-
COUNT COUNT was was approved. The expenditures
| under this head, aggregating more than
Soz!VVV,uoU annually, would seem to re-
| quire special attention and the most rig
| 10 accuracy In ascertaining the amounts
cue before final payment.
The number of post0fflces in the United
states has increased from 70 1850 july /
1877, to 1851 June 80, 1900; net increase
The number of money order offices in
creased during the four years from 19-
S2S to 30,O24; net increase, 10,199.
Inc number Of domestic money orders
issued, all of which find their ultimate
/ resting place in the files of this .bIraa il =,
increased from q, So, ,053 to 81, 1853 $50 per
| ahnum; net increase 9,200, ,997 The aud
IoE clerks handle each of these money
! olcefs as a voucher five times before the
! accounts of issuing and paving DOsf.nae
| teIS can be settled
Inc volume of money order transso-
| oi IONS increased from 1853, ,00S, ,921 52 10
500, 790,3l3SO; net increase, S141i i7SI S95 %
The revenues OF the postal service in
creased from $82, 499, POS 40 to $1O2 3E4 579 %
| net Increase, $19, ,855, $40. So ,
| The expenditures of the postaI serrioo
increased from $50, 626, ,296. 81 to s107 219 !.
zS9;I5; net increase, SIG, ,623, ,0G1. 90
Inc total money transactions of the
ehtlre postal service, including the money
| order system, increased from 1856 1874 426. .76
IN 1896 to STA 1874 19l. % in 19G0 net increas se
Sig ss25 25S, 564; 46, Of 50 1-S pei. cent.
ABSORPTION OF, ISLAND SYSTEMS.
during the fiscal year legislation by
T congress extended the Jurisdiction of the
United states postal service over Porto
/ Rico and Hawaii, whereby the previously
greatly varying systems in operation
! there were absorbed and amalgarnafed
into our own. The law as to- Porte Rico
/ went INTO effect May l. 1906; that OF Ha-
waii June IA, 1900. All the laws rules
! and regulations of the United States
I poStofEce department were on those dates
aPplled TO. the service then existing,
WHICH practically constituted an entirely
new establishment of each Sepa ra te
postOffice i'll both these new dependencies
A very large amount of extra work was
thrown upon this Office by the taking
ever and Inauguration of OUR methods
there and the length OF time required for
correspondence will make auditing the
accounts of poStmaSterS in these distant
localities much more difficult than with
| a corresponding number of equally I'M
| portant offices nearer the seat Of govern
ment
The service in the Philippine islands
| las not yet become the subject of legis-
laton, but Is administered on provisional
! lines, which experience has proven sat
| isfactory, which have been reduced to a
! reasonably efficient system, and which
will, doubtless, continue until made the
subject of congressional legislation.
POSTAL FRAUDS IN CUBA.
When a new postal service was estab-
! lshed in the island of Cuba, Jan. l. 1SS9
under the auspices of the United States
! government the same mistake was made
against which such emphatic warning
was raised In this country sixty-hve years
! ago. The entire control of finances and
accounting. was left in the hands of the
| director of posts. Instead of an inde-
| pendent auditor there was appointed a
| chief of the bureau of accounts" who
| was subordinate to the director of posts.
! Statements were made that the new Gu
| ban system was, organized on the United
| States plan, but in this vital particular
! there WIS the widest possible departure
! from the principle of an Independent
audit, which has prevailed here since 1886
! The consequences could have been easily
! foreSeen. They were exactly what oc-
CURED in connection with our own 9serv-
| ice in its earlier days. which, after Seri-
| Gus scandals, brought about the present
methods of accounting. In Cuba, after
/ six or eight months of this incorrect pro-
| cedufe, the chief of the bureau of ac-
| counts was made auditor and removed
! from under the Jurisdiction of the head
| of the postal system. But the same fndi-
! yidual retained his position, and had eVi-
IDENTIFY become so accustomed to accept
| the orders and approVaiS of his superior
| as conclusive that practically the same
conditions continued; there was no really
Independent scrutiny and audit of ac-
! counts, and the irregularities which en-
sued We're the natural result.
AN EXPANSIVE EXPANSION.
| The growth of the postal service is
! much mere than an index of the nations
advance in population and wealth. It is
the measure of a marvellous develonrnenf
OF intellectual activity The service is
a colossal educational institute, quicken
ing the mind and energizing the spirit of
our entire people Its expansion, COM
| pared with other elements of progress,
has a startling significance
The population of the United States in
liSe was Z, ,0o0, GEO; in 1900, it is perhaps 76-
Oee, 9Ve The wealth of the people in real
ana personal property, probably aggre-
gated 5000, eco in 1870, and is conserva-
| 9Vely estimated at $50 goo, 600 600 in 1900
Inc number of postoftlces. was 70 in 1890,
and is q, S3l in 1900, The POSTAL revenues
| We're SSl,sI5 in 1850. and $1G2, ,3354, SIS. 29 in
Therefore, while the population of the
country has increased 10 to in 10 wears
and the wealth of the people 70 TO / the
number of postofflees has increased I. .OOO
to !, ard the revenues of the service SoY
to j. &c -''''
Meantime the rates of postage have
peen reduced 10 fractional part of those
then prevailing, the speed of trausrrit
ting mails mas heen Incredibly acceIerat-
ec. safety and accuracy have been incon-
celVa5iy increased, and innumerahIe fea
lures nave been added to the service Ct
which the officials and patrons of those
days lacked even the capacity to i1aag-
J me.
ILLNESS FoILED HEALTH nan