Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-30
SYSTEM HAS! GROWN
Expansion Of Pqetal Service
During Past Year.
MR.. BR1sToW' $ REPORT
HE RECOMMENDS IMPORTANT
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAWS.
Nearly 1900 Postmasters Appointed
Increase in Burglaries-Warm
Praise for Inspector Fosnes.

| j. L. Bristow. fourth assistant postmaster
| general has submitted to Postmaster Cen
| eral Payne his report for the past fiscal
| year. Much space is devoted to consider
| ing the present method of binding post
masters and other subordinates of the pos
| tai service and to argument in favor of a
| new law on that subject. Mr.. Brstow also
urges that the interstate commerce law be
amended to prohibit common carriers from
| aiding and abetting in green goods or
| lottery swindles carried on partly by mail
and partly by common carrier"
| In the course of his review of the years
| work Mr.. Bristow says:
THE work of this bureau has increased
| proportionately with the enormous increase
in the postal business of the country. In
the division of appointments the work was
heavier than in any year since 1885, There
was a large increase In the number of pres
idential poStmas ters appointed the total
number being 2,370, the greatest in any one
year and the advancing of many fourth
increase was due to the expiration of a
large number of commissions during the
year and thhe advancing of many fourth
class post offices to the presidential grade.
There was no material difference in the
number of fourth-class appointments made
as Compared with the year 1901. The work
of the division of bonds and commissions
is up to date, and in satisfactory condition
The work required of the division of post
Office inspectors and mail depredations in
creases with the increase of the postal
bushes of the country, and has been kept
well in hand during the fiscal year.
THE total number of appointments of
postmasters for the fiscal year ended June
30, 1901, was 1857, while for the fiscal
year ended June 30, 1902, they amounted
to 1870. an increase Of 1913
The records show slight increase in the
nj har nj m a
cause, due to the policy of the department
to hold postmasters to a more strict ac-
count for careleSsnesS and irregularities In
the discharge of their duties. There was a
gradual improvement in the character o.
service rendered by postmasters during the
fiscal year, and their work has never been
more efficient than 1t was during the period
under consideration. sca-tu.
Post Offices Established and Discon-
tinued| b
There were 3,03S post offices established
during the year, a decrease compared
with the previous yearof 256
There were 4,O59 post offices discontinued
during the year, being I.022 more than dur
ing the preceding year.
The principal causes sfer the large in
crease in the number, Of post offices dis
continued have been the extension of the
rural free delivery service and the eStab-
lieu of fourth-class post Offices, the extern
sion of city delivery service so as to in
clude post offices adjacentnto large presl-
Dental offices, and the Improvement of the
public highways. ~ -
The extension of rural free delivery has
resulted in the discontfffuafee of !, 906 post
offices during the year, the salaries of post
masters of said offices aggregating $116,-
S07.
ION June 80, 1902, at the close of the fiscal
year. there were 1924 post offices, divided
as follows: First class, DO; second class,
1O23; third class, 3,4SS fourth class, H.
1913.
From June 30, 1897, to June 80 1902, the
number of presidential post offices In
creased from 1862 to 4.131-an increase OF
500, or about % per cent.
The aggregate amount of the penalties
of all postmasters' bonds now in force is
about $120,OO0000.
1.-THE penalties of the bonds which were
approved during the fiscal year 1902,
amounted to S5s,s1O, 500, as compared with
$29 715, 246 for the preceding fiscal year, an
increase of nearly 100 per cent. This In
presidential postmasters appointed, neces-
stating the filing of many bonds OF large
amounts.
During the fiscal year the Senate con-
flrmed the appointment of 2573 postmas-
tiers, the largest number In any one year In
the history of the department.
Depredations and Inspections.