Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-11-02

space q time the department ha
grown SO that even smaller building
are rented for necessary accommc
dations, at an annual rental Of s35, o0C
The clerical force Is necessarily in
creased as the postal business In
creases. The rural free delivery al
vision Is In rented quarters, the diyis
ion Of p~ostoiice supplies is half /
mile from the department proper; th,
railway mail service Is more than /
quarter OF a mile away: and the BIZ
mailbag repair shop Is separated from
the main building. All OF these di
visions are connected with the depart
ment BY telephone. but business car
not always be properly transacted in
that manner.
There are now upwards Of $1,000
postoffices. $500 OF them being prest.
Dental. the remainder being fourth
class, All Of them. however. are doing
increasing business which must be su.
peryised ~ the capital city. BY the
time the proposed annex a be com
pieted there will DO 10000 postofices,
and the number will still increase.
The auditor Of the postof1ce, al
though an oficial Of the treasury de-
partment. must have his oflces In the
same building with the postofice de-
partment for convenience In the trans.
action Of business. This onicial has
under his direct supervision upwards
u GOO clerks " ali grades, and they
require q great deal. or space.
In all ages there has been q DISPOSE.
tion to dishonesty on the part Of some
government employees. and during the
past few months enormous gratis.
have been discovered In the postal
system. Ananias and Saphira were
not the first, nor was Cassius the only
Roman "reputed 10 have an itching
PALM" Previous to 1886 all postal
accounts were received. accorded and
settled In the p~ostoflce department.
Under that practice, scandals arose,
and President Jackson asked tho con-
to investigate them. The con.
g%ressional Investigations resulted In
law establishing an auditors bu.
as a separate institution, free
from the influences Of the postal SER
vice.
III accordance with that law, Pres
dent jackson appointed q. X. Gardi-
ner OF New Jersey. on July .. 1896,
and the postal accounts have ever
been audited ., treasury om..
Captain Henry A. Castle md!
who has recently resigned.
occupied ths position since May
=, 1897. Previous to his induction
mo tina Office he had been postmas
er u 81. Paul, where he had made d
study OF postal laws and reg
nlations. so that he was well fitted for
duties Of his high office by pre-
vious experience.
In 1896 tho total transactions were
less than $4,000. 900. For the last ns
year they amounted 10 upwards
of $s25,000, 900. Isn't that a tremen
ious business? The sale Of every
stamped envelope and postal
lard IL watched by the employees OF
iho auditors Office. Not a penny can
mlsdirected In all Of the more than
I. 100000 domestic money orders,
which are issued and paid every year.
Every money order ultimately comes
% tho auditors Office as a voucher.
where II Ia handled five times and
'hecked twice by different skilled ON
The majority OF these expert
Examiners. inspectors and checkers OF
money orders nre deftfingered ladies.
counting them the total
OF money orders received by
his once Is upwards OF 5000 pounds
n one month.
Auditor Castle has said. officially.
n his report: mot only are We oblig.
d to keep correct accounts OF all
ranches Of the postal service for the
Of our own settlements with
he spostmasters. but We arc almost
called upon for Information BY !
he postofice department; Information
0 be used a. foundation for proceed. .
nss against ~postmasters and other +,
mployes. or for determining their sta.
" and efficiency. Tho oficiaI tenure. |
nd eve the personal liberty. OF the !
may depend upon the ..
tatement Of his accounts at a specl. :
ed date. furnished by this once"
Previous to 1890 there were always
thousands Of delinquent accounts with
every year. 1n4is92 a
ew system OF auditing was inaugu.