Evening star., 1901-10-09
POST OFFICE AUDITOR
Relations of His Pureau to the
Department.
ALSO TO ALL TEE PosFMASTERS
How the Mail Contractors Can Aid
the Work.y
MIR. CASTLES STATEMENTS

| 4l1ls SlAk1J LIZ - SAa L Ix4a ~
The annual report of Henry A. Castle, au-
dftor for the Post Office Department, now
in the hands of the public printer, makes
the following exposition Of the relations of
that bureau to the department, the post
masters and the contractors for carrying
the mails:
Relations OF the Auditor to the De-
partment.
The law which provided for the establish
ment and operation of the auditors office
in connection with the postal service, while
stipulating specifically for its absolute inde-
pendence, did not. Of course, contemplate
that it's functions should be exercised In
any spirit Of antagonism. While obedience
to law must be rigidly exacted and expendl-
lures strictly limited to the amounts grant
ed every effort should be made for har-
monlous adjustment of all relations be-
tween the bureau and. the Post Office De-
partment. Under the present administra-
ton such spirit of harmonious co-opera-
tion has prevailed and with the happiest re-
suits. The Postmaster General and all his
efficient bureau and division chiefs have,
rule, at all times cheerfully cooper
ated with this office in so arranging ex-
penditures and the accounts thereof rem
dered by subordnates that every technical
requirement of the law should be fully OBJ
served. No detriment to the postal services
has occurred, but increased efficiency
rather, and the spirit manifested has made
the work of the auditors bureau much less
difficult than 1t otherwise would have been.
When the auditor and the department dis
agreed to the legality OF any innovation
and patient conference failed to reconcile
the disagreement, cases were made up and
submitted to the controller for final ad-
judication with the least possible delay and
derangement to the plans OF the depart
ment.
Whenever the matter thus became finally
adjudicated the executive heads Of the de-
partment promptly conformed their action
thereto and the construction of law there
by established became the rule both for
the department and the auditors Office. A
business enterprise of such enormous mag
nitude and widely diversified functions
the United States postal service could be
easily hampered, disarranged and crippled
by any lack of harmony between the ex-
ecutive and the accounting authorities.
Tat no such trouble has occurred, while
distinctly attributable to the regard for law
exhibited by the officials Of the Post Office
Department. is also accepted as evidence OF
the sentiment which has prevailed In this
bureau favorable to the smoothest working
of the postal machinery within limits mex
orably fixed by legislative enaetments.
Relations of the Bureau to POstmas-
ters,. vi
The auditors bureau has direct and most
intimate relations with every postmaster in
the United States. While we have no con-
troll over the discipline OF the offices or the
authority for making expenditures, all the
financial transactions of p6stmasters and
those for which they are responsible come
directly under the jurisd fiction of the audi
tor, are subject to review in this office and
are finally settled, recorded, and balanced
here. About II, 600 postmasters are now in
commission, their emoluments ranging from
O fax 6a1l IN vi, ,1a vic
allowed in the largest cities; and their dis
burSementS, in some eases, freaching hun
dreds OF thousands OH millions of dollars
each ALI classes and conditions of men
are rspfessntsd On this great roll Of gov
Almost without execution the postmas-
ters In cities and larger towns are men Of
superior business qualifications and under
them are employed armies of hard worked
clerks and letter carriers, all giving their
best energies to the performance of their
respective duties. Postmasters of smaller
villages and isolated nefghborhoods are
necessarily in many cases men unframed in
business, having compensation SO meager
as to, afford little encouragement to jealous
performance Of duty, and they are natural-
ly Indifferent to a service which is Of SO
little personal Importance to them. But
even these men, as a whole, show COM
mendable desire to perform their duties
faithfully. 1t Is too much to expect that
relations with all these diversified elements
will be entirely pleasant and harmonious,
but with a sincere desire on both sides to
do full duty to the government, with an
honest effort on the part of postmasters to
get their accounts and vouchers in proper
form and forward them promptly, these
relations grow more satisfactory year by
year. 1t is the present policy Of this bu-
reau that all official communications ema-
mating therefrom shall be couched in cour-
teous language. and that even the reproofs
sometimes necessarily administered to
those who are vexatiously careless and di-
hfa In fhn 1aa aafn OH in11S
To the splendid men who do their duty
cheerfully and promptly no tribute Of
praise Is too high and the rewards they re-
ceiye are usually inadequate.
Relations With Mail Confractors.
All accounts for transportation Of mails
by railroads. steamships steamboats,. star
routes, mail messenger and special mail
service are adjusted and reported for pay
ment In the auditors office. These adjust
ments are made on data furnished by the
Post Office Department, which data 1t is
still claimed by this bureau are not SUM-
cientiy detailed to accomplish that inde-
pendent scrutiny and audit which the law
contempfates. But a more detailed exam
ination would involve labor which cannot
be carried on In this bureau without
considerable increase in clerical force as
signed to that special work Duplicate
copies Of all contracts for carrying the
mails are filed in this bureau. When 40
COUNTS are founQ to De in accordance with
contract they are stated to the Post Of
fee Department, where warrants are is
sued for payment thereof These warrants
are countersigned by the auditor. the ac-
counts are reported to our bookkeeping d.
vision and entered in our ledgers and the
warrants are finally registered in the
Treasury Department before transmission
to the contractors by the Post office De-
partment-
The relations Of the auditors office to the
contractors tor carrying the mail are.
therefere. less direct and intimate than
those with postmSsters. but are OF such a
nature as to involve voIuminous corres-
pondepee plating to tias adjustment OF ac-
connsss, and entail much supervisory work,
over the payment therefor Recent wise
changes In policy by the Post Office De-
partment to the effect taae star route con-
tracts shall hereafterI be granted only to
residents OF districts where the service Is
to be performed promise great simplifica-
tion of accounts through abolition Of large