Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-30
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Rem
der Account Of His seoretsryship.
BUSINESS AND CRIMES BOTH INCREASE
More Omeers Appointed Than Ever
Before and Msre OHenses Rad Ir- y
r~eRuIsrities Form Subject
Of Investigations.

Dental postmasters appointed, the number
3elng 2,bfO, the greatest In any one year.
This Increase was due to the expiration of
q large number OF commissions and the
advancing OF many fourth-class offices to
the presidential grade.
The total number OF postmasters APP
pointed for the year ended June %, 1871,
Nas 1857, as against 1890 for 1902. an In
The records show a slight increase in the
number. of removals OF postmasters for
cause, due to the policy Of the department
TO hold postmasters TO a more strict ac-
count for carelessness and Irregularities.
There was a gradual Improvement in the
character of service during the year, and
their work has never been more efficient.
There were S,OSS postofhces established, a
decrease as compared with the previous
The record Of establishments during the
nss. Ssof; 1899, ass; 1900, $500; 1901 1884;
1872, 3,0SS.
OMces Decrease in Number
There were 1859 postofhces discontinued,
being l,C22 more than daring the proceed
The principal causes for the large de-
| crease In the number OF offices have been
the extension of rural free delivery sta
tons In lieu of fourth-class postofices, the
extension OF city delivery service and the
Improvement. OF the public highways.
The extension of rural free delivery has
resulted In the discontinuance OF 1906 post
offices during the year. the salaries Of
postmasters of said offices aggTegating
$ll6,SO7
Tine usual diligence has been exercised in
the suppression of private postothces.
wherever II Is found that a postofice Is
poration, factory, nursery company, patent
medicine firm or other private business in
stitution IL is discontinued.
During the year seventy-three postmas-
tiers resigned and torty.foar died, an in
crease OF twenty-five In the res. gnations and
I9l deaths of fourth-claes postmasters and
$3.50 designations, a decrease of 1Q in
deaths and 131 In designations.
IN June 30. 1902, there were 1924 post
offices, divided as follows: First class, go;
second class, LOB; third class. S,4sS; fourth
From June 30, 1897, to June 30. 1902, the
number of presidential postofices increased
about Is per cent.
BY the act of congress approved August
-, 1894, authority was given to accept bonds
executed by trust companies for such off,
Gals as are required 70 furnish a guaranty
for faithful duty. This act has had a
The postal regulations require every post
masters. bond to be executed by two sure
sisted that one of them shall be a patron
of the office. Bonds of trust companies are
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 sureties are preferable,
however, because bond companies some
times resort to legal bubbles 60 delay pay
promptly meet the obligation and pay the
loss.
Il W1e0 ClIlZeIt Oh Il community are on the
bond of the postmaster they are quick to
observe any suspicious practices and fire.
quently report the result of their observa-
Surety and trust companies are not ac-
cepted on the bonds of postmasters at third
The aggregate amount of the penalties of
all postmasters' bonds now in force is
The penalties Of the bonds which were APP
proved during 1902 amounted to, %S,s1O,SOo,
as compared with Ss,1l5,246 for the preced-
| This increase vas due to the large number
of presidential postmasters appointed,
necessitating the hling OF many bonds of
During the year the senate confirmed the
appointment of 2,5I3 postmasters, the
largest number in any year.
Inspectors DO Good Work.
During the year a larger number of post
ONCE inspectors was employed. Numerous
Irregularities were discovered In remote
country offices which Inspectors have been
instances frauds were detected. and. large
amounts of money collected from dishonest
officials, which would not have been dis
covered had II not been for the unusual
vigilance required of the inspectors force.
Certain kinds of crime against the postal
laws seem to be on the increase, such as
burglarizing Of postofices and robbery Of
Increase in the number of arrests and con-
Victions for all o~ffenses, the percentage
being SIS on arrests ana lS,4 ON convictions.
ferred to Inspectors for Investigation. The
number Investigated was 49, 25.
The number of offices inspected. was 49,
sUl, while the number of money order Offices
in existence was 33,1SI. IT will thus be seen
spected. The ohhces not visited are the
smaller ones and those more difftcult OF &C
cess, and while the revenue from them
tiers continued to employ wrong methods in
herited from their predecessors, and 1t is
necessary hat they be visited at least once
The total number of complaints relating
related to letters and 565 to packages. OF
u these 5,639 were investigated and closed; ac-
tpHl loss was sustained IN res ln eaS Sisce,
handled by the department was 22,SSl, 400
making an average loss of but one In every
' X records of the department, for the
last six years on loss of registered mail is
Investigated, or ar average Of one in every
ESQ; 1885, the loss was S9 per cent, or ar
average Of oneIin every y Sff, SSS rs hSss sva loss &.
$50; 1900. loss 10 per cent. or an average OF
one IN every $; 6Ss Is ISOi sv l9Ss q ~ Sac per ,S ssnf ioS q
sSiEG
ordinary mail during the year, of which
s. 700 referred to letters and 1857 to pack
ages. an increase Of 5000 as compared viii
ing the year, as well as 3S,lO4. cases received
in former years. II was shown that M
loss occurred In about 20 per cent OF tn
The number OF miscellaneous cases re
ferred TO inspectors during the year wa
41,b27. In addition there were 40,061 lef
over from the prec4dinE year. OF thesl
S,5SS cases 52,O56 were closed, leaving 1858
cases on hand.
Many RObberies Occur.
During the year there were LAG robberie
OF postofices, as compared with LES Il
1901: eleven robbertes of mail trains, a
compared with thirty-seven; sixteen o
NATL messengers. star route carriers an
wagons. as compared with three; 49, O
street and rural free delivery letter boxes
as compared with 1853. This Increase Is &C
counted for by the growth OF the rural FIRE
delivery service.
The number of postal cars burned an
wrecked in 1902 was "a; In 1901, Il. Tn
number OF postofices burned in 1892 Wa
669; I'm 1901. 643. The number OF mail pouche
lost in 1879 was 762: in 1901. CSC. The humble
OF pouches cut or stolen in 1902 was T42. on
less than In 1901.
During the year 24.1ls inquiries concern
ing foreign mail were received, Of whic
14.S14 related 10 registered matter, 9oS7
ordinary mail and 2I of a miscellaneoU
nature. There were Alsl cases on hand
the beginning OF the year, making a tot
OF $3.50. OF this number S.5l5 were invel
tigated. OF the lace registered cases 10:
occurred-fn only SL. OF the $500 cases n
lating TO ordinary matter 3.629 were n
ported without loss, and In 1913 the loss
could not be located.
The total number OF arrests during n