Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-18
MORE SALARY WANTED
ANNUAL ,REPoRT OF FIRST AS
sIsTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL.
Business of His Division Outlined and
Recommendations Made for Inn
provement Of Service.


Robert ]. wynne, first assistant postnas-
ter general in his annual report to the
postmaster General recommends that Con-
gress authorize clerk hire allowances at all
third-class post offices. Only the first and
second-class Offices have this allowance at
present, and Mr.. Wynne advocates an al
lowance for this purpose OF 500 wherever
the postmaster's salary is $1,000 OF $1,1O0;
OF FOO where the postmaster gets 1890 or
81 300: $500 where the postmaster gets 81 400
or 800; $500 where the postmaster Is
salaried at $1,000 or LOO and $500 where
the salary is from $1.S0O to $500. This
would make the total appropriation for
clerk hire allowances at third-claSs post
offices and for separating mails at third
and fourth-class post offices and for I'M
usual business $4,000
New Classification.
Mr.. Wynne recommends a new classified
ton act for clerks in first and second-class
post offices, creating number of new po-
sitions and abolishing the titles of all
clerks below the grade of foreman, simply
designating clerks employees whose du-
ties are purely clerical. 1t is recommend
ed that the maximum allowance for fuel
and light at third-class post offices be in
creased from $50, as now fixed by law. to
$50 per annum A lump sum appropriation
of $2O,OO0,0OO Is asked for clerks at first
and second class offices, instead of segre-
eating this appropriation into grades Of
clerks. During the year the domestic
money orders issued amounted to $353627.-
t4S and the excess Of receipts from this
source over expenses paid from the pro-
ceeds was s1,9O4 S9S. The amount of
money orders, both domestic and interna
tional, including the postal notes, issued
since the organization of the system in
1864 was $4,987 1903 613.
Dead Letter Office.
The receipts at the dead letter office of
mail matter of all classes and from all
sources which could not be delivered, de-
ciphered or were unavailable, were 10.153.-
528 pieces, an increase Of S1s per cent, and
of that number 7,276,0O0 were ordinary I'M
claimed letters, increase Of about 0
per cent. Ordinary letters returned from
foreign countries numbered $50. 400. an in
crease of 1920. or more than double that
Of the previous year.
Postage stamps to the amount Of 1921. 90
were separated from letters which could
not be restored: found loose in the mails
or in post offices; received in payment of
held-f or-postage matter forwarded to des-
tination or on parcels returned to senders
from the dead letter office.
literature of various kinds, which could
not be restored to owners-among num-
Der Of the charitable institutions OF the
District Of Columbia for the use OF the
inmates-was continued. The total number
of pieces so disposed of was 20,970, includ-
ing 5,4OO magazines and 1916 Illustrated
papers. This distribution is made in pur
suance of a provision of the regulations
and by authority of the postmaster general
Insular Offices.
The second annual report of the opera
lions of the dead letter bureau OF Hawaii,
under the charge of the postmaster at
Honolulu. has been received. The volume
of matter handled 2O,973 pieces, shows
slight falling off from the preceding year,
perhaps to be attributed to an improved
delivery service A curious and instructive
item Of this report is, that OF the S,44
pieces of matter returned to foreign coun-
tries $3.50 pieces were returned to Japan,
against 2229 to the United States.
The annual report of the dead letter bu-
reau of Porto Rico, conducted IN connec-
ton with the San Juan office, has also been
received and shows the continued success
full operations of that office. The total
number of pieces Of matter received and
disposed of during the fiscal year was TO-
992.
1t is recommended that the attention Of
Congress be called to the frequent mailing
of explosives and other harmful matter.
The department has authority to withdraw
such matter from the mails when found,
but as it is generally sent sealed the con-
tents are unknown until revealed by fire
or after delivery.
1t Is also suggested that inflammable
matter be absolutely forbidden carriage in
the mails and a severe penalty be pro-
vided for depositing it to be so transported.
and that penalty be provided for mailing
disease germs except under such regula-
tons as the Postmaster General shall pre-
scribe