Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-25
FROM EMERGENCY FUND
DISTRICT WILL PAY POSTAGE ON
OFFICIAL MAIL.
Congress Expected to Relieve the Sit
uation-Effect of the New
Rule.

The postage stamp problem has engrossed
the attention of the officials at the District
building today. acquisitions have been
pouring into the executive office from the
various heads of departments for different
quantities Of the engraved evidences OF
postage paid. The idea of the Commits
sioners is that each Office shall be supplied
with a sufficient number of stamps to take
care of the correspondence for the month
ensuing.
A large quantity of mail was returned to
the District building this morning from the
city post Office. The matter had been
placed in the mails under the usual franked
envelopes yesterday. the understanding
with the post Office authorities being that
the payment of postage would be 1naugu-
rated today. 1t was through some mistake
on the part of subordfnates in the post
Office that the letters mailed yesterday
were held up. They were again sent to
the post office from the District building
today ano went on their respective jour-
neys under the official frank.
Today, however the mail slot that runs
to all the six floors of the local govern
ment building, which has witnessed the
passing of SO very few stamped missives
is filled with flying envelopes containing the
2-cent patches of red in the upper right
hand corner.
AS stated IN Inc star yesterday, AuQllOT
John R. Garrison took under Amusement
the question of the use of the emergency
fund for the purchase of stamps until Con-
gress shall have relieved the situation. Mr.
Garrison consulted with the controller Of
the treasury, who agreed with him that
under certain restrictions the emergency
fund could be drawn upon. This fund
amounts to 5000, which is placed at the
disposal of the Commissioners for use in
any exigency that may arise.
Order Issued.
When Auditor Garrison had reported the
result of his interview with the treasury
officials, the Commissioners issued an order
on the subject of stamps, which was as fol-
lows:
Whereas the Postmaster General has
notified the Commissioners that in accord
ance with an opinion rendered on the 22d
instant by the assistant attorney general
for the Post Office Department that they
ARE not officers of the general government
of the United States, nor is the business
of the District of Columbia the business of
the United States, within the meaning of
the statutes authorizing the use of the pen
atty envelope. Therefore, they are not au-
thorized by law to use the penalty envel-
opes In performing the duties and admins
tering the powers intrusted to them,' the
postmaster at Washington, In said District,
has been directed to require the prepay
ment of the proper rate Of postage on all
matters presented TOT mailing Dy the sew
eral officers and departments of the gov
eminent of said District; and
Whereas Congress has not provided in
terms any appropriation for the payment
of postage required for the official business
of said District; and
Whereas the appropriation for contin-
gent and miscellaneous expenses for the
current fiscal year has been so apportioned
that it is absolutely impracticable to use
any part of the same without mourning a
deficiency, which Is prohibited by the terms
OF the act making the appropriation: and
Whereas the existing condition as here
In set forth constitutes an emergency not
otherwise sufficiently provided for;
1T Is ordered, That the necessary ex-
penses 1or postage for the official business
of the District Of Columbia shall be paid
provided for by Congress; that the stamps
shall be obtained on monthly requisitions
by the heads Of the several departments
and Offices who shall render monthly &C
count of the same"
Effect of New Ruling.
The health department this morning re-
ceived two returns of births from physi-
clans who keep up with the news The
returns were sent to the office in penalty en-
velopes, but each one bore a two-cent
stamp over the penalty paragraph. One
erect of the requirement that postage shall
be paid will be a curtailment of the con-
Venlences usually afforded at the District
building. For instance, the assessor Mr.
II. II. Darneille, and his assistants have al
ways been very courteous in mailing tax
bills and statements when requested. These
privileges will probably have to be denied
In the future. The correspondence of the
assessors office on tax questions Is al
ways large. and writer's for information
from that branch Of the local govern
ment have received uniformly courteous re-
plies This correspondence must needs be
cut down to considerable extent In the
future, much to the regret of the officials
who are so closely related to the taxpaytng
public.
Regretted by Police Officials.
Police officials regret very much that the
decision should require the purchase of
stamps for the work Of the police depart
ment 1t will, in all probability, curtail
the amount Of correspondence carried on
with the police Of other jurisdictions and
may cause the ends of justice to be de-
| feated in many instances MANY thou
sands OF circulars are sent out each year
by the department and 1t is often due to
the information contained in them that
criminals are apprehended and returned
here for trial Under the new order of
things there will probably be a large de-
crease in the number of these circulars sent
out
There is other business Of Importance
that has been transacted through the mails
and this, too, will be curtailed. 1t is esti-
mated that the change in the method of
sending out circulars will mean a cost to
the department of about 81, 500 annually,
should the important mail business be
continued In the future as it has been in
the past. 1t is recalled by police officials
that the capture of Frank Funk, the muir
derer. was effected only after thousands of
circulars had been sent to all parts of the
country
The change will not affect the Police Court
to any considerable extent. Only a small
amount of business is done by the court
officials which requires the use OF the mails
1t is said that $40 worth OF stamps a month
well meet its demands.
For Loss Of Appetite
Take HOrSfnrds Acid Phosnha4a Exnola