Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-04-20
TWO CENTS
HONEST MEN
Are Those who Handle Uncle
Sans Mail.


Comparatively Few Unworthy Among
the Vast army of Postal Employees
Success of Rural Free DeIiyery-Ex-
tensions in the system to be Made.
The fact that every time post
master or empoye of the postal de-
partment commits theft or is found
TO be crooked the news is being sent
all over the United States, leads some
people TO believe that dishonesty is
quite prevalent among government
Office holders.
This Is wrong. Should clerk or
factory man commit small theft IL
would be known 60 only few or his
acquaintance and probably be given
few lines notice in the local paper,
but II he were q government employe
IL would be pretty generally COM
mented upon and talked about.
The knowledge that the public uses
the mails for the transportation OF
money is always more or less a temp
tation, but figures show that there
are remarkably few dishonest men
handling the mails.
There are over rs, 900 postmasters,
over 10, 900 letter carriers, about 81
500 railway mail service clerks, about
10000 clerks in postotlces, 22,s90
star route drivers, 100 mail mes
sengers, 1000 special Office route driv-
ers or about $4,000 persons In all.
This army Of employees is directed
managed and controlled by less than
500 officials and clerks In Washing
ton. or all this number 292 were
arrested last year for violation OF the
postal laws, and a great majority Of
them had chance TO be tempted
nearly every day In the year.
OF those arrested 119 were post
masters, 20 assistant postmasters, IS
clerks in postotlices, railway mall
clerks, 30 letter carriers, 80 mail mes
sengers and 10 employed in other POI
sitions. Only one postal clerk was
arrested in West Virginia last year.
He was arrested for stealing regis
tered letter from the mail West
Virginia should be proud Of her record
said postotilee official when he had
completed giving figures.
1t has been the intention of the
postofflee department from the start
TO give the patrons of rural free de-
livery in West Virginia and through
out the country not only free delivery
OF mail, but all OF the other convent
enees OF fourth class postoffice.
Those who live In rural districts
have not been accustomed to sending
registered letters or money orders but
they are now being taught this mod
ern system OF doing business through
the malls, and reports prove that the
American farmer is a very apt student
to the teachings OF the government
As soon as 1t was decided that rural
free delivery was going to be success
the department announced that the
carriers would register letters and also
receive applications for money orders.
The rural mail patron thought he had
no use for this service just the same
as resident thoughtlessly passed by
the telephone score OF years ago.
During the month Of July 1900 only
3S7 letters were registered by rural
carriers, and only 81 applications for
money orders were received.
There were then 827 rural mail
Offices During the month OF March
1901, 5, 248 letters were registered and
20, 258 applications for money orders
were received. The total number OF
offices was 1858. During the month
Of March 1901, rural mail carriers In
West Virginia issued 326 applications
for money orders and collected 2l2
registered letters.
The postotlice department point to
these figures as an argument that the
rural mail delivery Is success ia
m fs,.a tuovo fhap ono