The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-10-30

bonds executed by surety AID trust
companies for such Government officials
as are required by law to furnish a
guaranty for faithful performance Of
duty. This act has had limited ap-
plication to postmaster's bonds The
postal laws and regulations require that
every postmaster's bond shall be ex-
ecuted by not less than two sureties,
and the Postmaster General has wisely
insisted that at least one of them shall
be patron of the Office in question
The bonds of surety and trust companies
are accepted from pOstmasteTs at Of
fees of the first and second class for
half the penalty, provided the company
is incorporated under the laws of the
State in which the Office is located.
Personal suretfes are preferable. how
ever, because collections can be much
more promptly and satisfactorily made.
Bond companies sometimes resort to
legal bubbles and technicaIities to delay
or evade payment when losses occur,
while private citizens. when presented
with the proof that the guaranteed is
in default, as a rule promptly meet the
obligation and pay the loss.
Another feature OF the desirability Of
personal suTeties is that defaults are
less liable to occur when the bonded Of
fetal realizes that he is involving his
neighboTs and personal friends in seTi-
Gus financial loss. When citizens of q
community and patrons of the postofice
are on the bond Of the postmaster, and
are therefore responsible fsc his con
duct, they are quick to observe any sus-
picious practices or habits on the part
Of the postmaster, and frequently re
port to the department the result OF
their observations, which 4lways leads
to prompt investigation Surety and
trust companies are not accepted on the
bonds OF postmasters at third and
fourth-class Offices.
The aggregate amount Of the penal
ties Of all postmasters' bonds now in
force is about $120, GOO, 600
The penalties of the bonds which
were approved during the fiscal year
1902 amounted to SOS. SIC, 500, as com
pared with S29, 715, 246 for the preceding
fiscal year. an increase Of nearly 100
per cent This increase was due to the
large number of Presidential postmas-
tiers appointed, necessitating the fling
Of many bonds Of large amounts.
Confirmation Of Postmasters.
During the fiscal year the Senate
confirmed the appointment 2,572 post
masters. the largest numb, in any one
year in the history OF the department. -
The division OF postofHce inspectors
and mail depredations reports that Ger
tain kinds Of crime against the postal
laws seem TO be on the increase. such
as the burglarizing of postoflces and
the robbery of mail boxes.
Mr. Bristow recommends that law
be exacted requiring assistant postmas-
ters, cashiers and other employees TO
give bonds u postmasters direct and
holding postmasters responsible under
their own bonds for any and all acts
and defaults occurring at their respec-
tive Offices.
II is also recommended that the in
terstzte commerce law be amended 10
prohibit common carriers-telegraph
and express companies-or any Of their
employees from aiding and abetting In
the green goods OF lottery swfndles or
any etner scheme carried on partly nv
mail and partly by common carrier. and
which Is IN violation Of the postal laws.