Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-11-22
BRlST0W'S REPORT.
1t Shows Saving Of S79,336 in
Postmasters' Salaries.
P0ST0fflCES NUMBER 76, GAS.

POST0fFlCES NUMBER 76, GAS.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral Joseph l.. Bristow has submitted
the annual report OF his depai tment
of which the following is an abstract:
The work Of the bureau has in
creased proportionately with the enor-
nous increase in the postal business
OF the country. Additional help is
needed In the various divisions. cs.
p~ecially that OF po%stoflce inspectors
and mall de predations The work Of
the division Of appointments is volum
nous and exacting. The work OF the
division of bonds and commissions is
up to dat. n condition which has not
eXactcd before for many years and the
enormous amount Of work involving
upon the inspectors division because
Of the vast Increase In the postal bust.
ness of the country can be appreciat
ed by only those Immediately a%cquaint
ed with he detail work which Is daily
referred 10 that division for prompt
attention.
APPOINTMENT or POSTMASTERS.
The number of appointments during
the fiscal year was 1861. as against
l5.li2 made during the preceding
year: a gain OF SIS. OF the total mum
her OF appointments 1905 were fourth
class postmOstcrs and $50 presidential
pOstmasters
ESTABLISHMENT or POSTOF
F1CES
There were 3.2gi postoficos establi.
shed during the year. a decrease as
compared with the previous year of
3O5.
The record of establishments during
the last i've fiscal years Is as follows
1897. 1901: 1898. 1901 1899. 1895:
1900. $500: 1901. 1924.
DISCONTlNUANCE OF POSTOF
FICES
There were 3,037 postofices discon-
tinued during the year. being 1,125
more than during the preceding year.
The principal cause for the large
Increase In the number OF postOfices
discontinued have been the extension
Of the rural free delivery service and
the establishment Of rural free deliv-
cry stations an lieu OF fourth class
| postOftice3. the extension Of city de
livery service so AS to include post.
| offices adjacent to large presidential
| Offices, AM the Improvement of the
public highways.
The extension OF ,ural free delivery
has resulted In the discontinuance of
l,226 postofices during the year, the
salaries % postmasters of said of
fees a~ggregating $79,336.
PRIVATE POSTOFFICES.
Increased diligence has been exer-
| cised In the suppression of private
postofices. Wherever II is found that
a postoflce Is conducted for the sole
benefit Of some corporation, factory,
nursery company, patent medicine
firm, or other private business insti-
tuition. It is discontinued. To per.
| nit such Cilccs to exist not only great.
ly reduce the revenues of the depart.
ment. but may be fruitful of fraud
| Many such offices have been discon.
tinued during the year and the estab'
lishment Of others refused.
DEATHS AND RESERVATIONS.
During the year there were IS resig.
nations OF presidential postmastcrs,
and 80 deaths. an increase OF n in
the number OF designations, and eight
in the number of deaths. as compared
with the preceding year. There We're
Sg5 deaths OF fourth class postmasters.
and 1871 designations. a decrease of
"a in { number of deaths and an in
crease of rs In the number OF res.
ignations, AZ compared with the pre-
ccding fiscal year,
The material prosperity of the coun
try has doubtless contributed to the
large increase In the number Of resig
nations of postmasters. Men have
found il rore profitable to devote
their time 10 private enterprise than
To the public service, cspe tally in the
smaller Offices.
NUMBER OF POSTOFFICES
On June 50. 1901, a THE close Of the
fiscal year, there were 76,9i5 postof.
fees, divided as follows:
First class, POS; second class, $40;
third class, S.31S; fourth class. 72,479.
The aggregate amount of the penal
ties OF all postmastcrs' bonds now in
force is about $l17, 500 ,772.
The penalties of the bonds which
were approved during the fiscal year
amounted 10 s29.715,2i6.
POSTOFFICE INSPECTORS.
During tho year 17S,5l4 cases have
been referred to the inspectors divis'
ion for investigation. The entire
number investigated was 7 9,OS4. but
there were left over from the fiscal
lN'hA lf''f otHo't 'hn'nf ~ AhaA w
had on hand on July |, 1901. S7,327
cases,
The number Of Offices inspected dur,
ing the year ended June 30, 1901. was
23O32. while the number Of money ord,
or Offices IN existence June 80, 1901,
was 30.529 II win thu. , see that
7,497 money order ohiccsdre not in
spected. The offices noe Visited are
/ pattVa1lu tbn HnNa11nr npnu and thnGa
more difficult Of access; and while the
rcyenue from these offices would not
be great, many of the postmasters
have continued to employ wrong
methods inherited from theiI
predecessors. and in order that they
might be given instructions which
would insure the correction Of irregu
~larities 1t Is necessary that these OF
fees be visited at least once a year
by an Inspector. The annual inspec
tions, even without considering the
protection - the revenues, have beer
highly beneficial, and the Interests OF
the service require at least one in
spection a year of every money ordel
office.
"A" CASES.
The total number OF complaints o
this class received during the year wa,
S033, OF which 1897 related to letters
and 400 10 packages. or these case,
5.39i were investigated and closed an
actual loss was sustained in only
3li cases, being SIS per cent of the
leases Investigated. This same per
, centage applied 10 the total number o
, complaints (s,033l would indicate
total OF iG6 cases In which actual los.
occurred. The total number Of regis
tered pieces handled by the depart
ment during the year was 20,Sl5, sol
making an average loss OF but on
! piece in every 4i6G6 pieces Of register
ed mail handled,
ARRESTS.
The total number of arrests durinI
the fiscal year, a. shown by exhibit
Twas l,6ll. or this number lOl wer,