Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-12
urrounded by reporters as he

desks moved and folded papers opened
Under the complete system Of book
keeping. explained under mail and eX'
press clerk and financial clerk. no loss
of remittances can occur after the
first entry has been made on the books
Of the former. A loss may occur IL
transitions-in fact. the past reports
for all mail handled in the United
States Of the posto1ce department
snow that about one letter In $500 IN
ordinary mail is reported lost and
about one letter in 10000 In registered
mail, consequently this office might ex.
peot, using the same propOrtionate loss
on its mali. to have on an average
tnree or four complaints a week OF
missing letters Upon Investigation Il
is frequently found that the com.
plainant has himself forgotten 70 send
the letter as stated; that for some rea-
sou Il has gone TO the dead letter
Office that Il has been misdirected and
finally eturned 20 him; that an EN-
ploye Of his own has stolen It, or he
even may have written the complaint
knowing that he never sent the letter
as stated, hoping in that way TO Obtain,
an extension OF time to save a fee o.
for some other reason \ considerable
percentage OF the complaints received
ff losses are for the above reasons not
genuine.
To prevent losses in the office the
first class matter Is delivered into the
mail and express room In locked mail
bags and is not opened except In the
presence OF the chief clerk or one OF
his representatives,; the letters are slit
in his prestnce by an employe, who is
not permitted TO touch their contents
the slit letters are given to employees
TO open and make up" the contents
under the personal supervision Of the
head Of the room. All remittances ART
at once entered on what Is known as
book A. and these, with their accom-
panying letters are handed through a
wicket 10 the financial clerk, who Ell,
ters the contents upon book II. II tho
remittance comes in any other way
Than b! mail II Is handed 20 the NAH
and express clerk and treated as above
At tie end Of the day the footings Of
books A and p must agree
Although there is small opportunity
for dishonesty, except on the part Of
the financial clerk. who Is selected as
being man Of the strictcst integrity
and who IS also under heavy bonds, the
rules Of practice provide as follows.
"All payments Of money required for
Office fees must be made in specie.
treasury notes, national bank notes,
certificates Of deposit. postoflice money
orders OF certified checks. Money or
ders and checks should be made paya~
HE 20 the commissioner OF patents.
Payment may also he made TO the
treas or 10 any Of the assistant
treasurers OF the United States or TO
any Of the depositarles. national banks
or receivers OF public money designat-
ed by the secretary Of the treasury fof
that purpose. who shall give the depoS-
itor a receipt OF certificate OF deposit
therefor"
Every possible effort IS made 10 I'm
press upon patrons ~ the Office the
undesrability Of sending cash In or
binary mail, but In spite Of this not "a
day passes without considerable
amount being sent In hills or coin.
Sometimes tho letters arrive aftor hav-
ing been rinfd and rese1led, sometime,
tle coins have worked their way ont ot
The envelones. and occasionally such n
letter arrives without having been
sealed perhaps with the cash aud per-
haps not
Notwithstanding an the millions Of
dollars which have been received by
the pension office. only In two or three.
instances have there been reasons 20
believe that an empl0ye n the Office
had misapproprinted funds passinL
through his hands. thing which
speaks well Tor the honesty Of It's EN-
ployes as well as for the complete
ness Of Its safeguards