The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-10

the envelope or wrapper, 1t is only nee
| essary to state that thousands of letters
deposited for transmission in the mails
are misdirected, or not directed at all;
| and it is often impossible, even with all
| the facilities afforded by the department.
either to deliver these letters to the adj
dresses or return them to the writer's
1t is also important that every depre-
dalton upon the mails and losses oc-
curing therein which may come to the
knowledge of the patrons thereof should
be promptly reported to the department.
There were 1O0,255 complaints received
at the department during the last fiscal
year affecting the ordinary mail. ,ard Of
this number 81, 800 referred to letters and
47.949 referred to packages. .,..,..
The above total shows an increase in
number of 1928, or fraction over per
cent, as compared with the number of
cases of this class received during the
year 1900.
Miscellaneous Complaints.
| All inquiries or complaints affecting he
employees or business of the postal service
are treated separately from other matters
| by the department and at the beginning
or the last fiscal year there were 49,2l3
| such complaints brought forward from
| the previous year, which complaints had
not been satisfied by investigation. .-'-
| During the last year there were 42.s57
additional complaints Of this character
| received, which makes a total Of 92,170.
| OF this total the inspectors investigated
and reported upon 521O9 leaving bal
ance of 40,061 to be considered during the
| current fiscal year.
OF the ,957 cases referred to the in
| spectors for investigation during the last
| fiscal year, 1882 were reported on and
! finally closed, leaving a balance of "a
14o referred during that period which
were not closed.
A comparison of the last two fiscal
years shows that there were 1902 less
cases of this class referred to inspectors
in 1901 than during 1900. while the num-
| Der Of cases closed was 2499 more than
| the number closed during the previous
! year and 35,077 more than in 1899.
Robbery Of the Mails.
The investigation of this class of cases
| requires persistent and patient effort on
the part of inspectors. The figures show
decrease in the number of postal cars
burned and wrecked as compared with
P, previous years noted, but there was an
| increase in the number of other depreda-
| tons and casualties reported.
There were 4066 such cases during the
/
| vestigated and closed.
In addition to those reported by the in
spectors they also closed 1913 similar
cases relating to previous years, making
| total of this class of depredations
handled by the inspectors in 10000 1895.
There were outstanding on the first of
July, 1901, 1859 Of these cases.
A special feature which attracts atten-
ton in this class Of cases is the fact that
the number of postoffices robbed during
the current year is 1885, which in COM
parison with the average number for
the previous three years Q53S) shows an
increase Of over per cent, with a cor
responding increase Of "a per cent in the
number of postofflces.
Offenses Against Postal Laws.
The total number Of arrests accom-
plished through the inspectors for the
fiscal year was 1911.
OF this number 1O1 were postmasters
40 were assistant postmasters, IS clerks
in postoff1ces, 10 were railway 'p0sta.