Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-25
POSTMASTER BARNES
Conferred Today With the Post.
master General.
TO ASSUME OFFICE SUNDAY
Mr.. Merritt to Settle His Accounts
Next Saturday.
10 ASSUME OFFICE SUNDAY
GOODBYE" TO HIS employees
Statement Of Growth Of the Work
Reform in Methods and Thanks
for Loyal Assistance.

Benjamin F. Barnes, whose appointment
as the twenty-first postmaster of WASH
ington was confirmed by the Senate Sat.
urday afternoon, called on Postmaster Gen.
eral Cortelyou this morning and had d
brief conference with him upon matters
pertaining to the local office. He also met
John A. Merritt, whose term as postmas-
ter of this city will end June 30.
Mr.. Barnes will assume his new duties
Sunday morning. July 1, which is the first
day of the new fiscal year. The formal
transfer of the office will be made the
evening before. Mr. Merritt will account
for all moneys on hand to the auditor and
will take receipt for the postal stock on
hand from Mr.. Barnes. He will then bid
his successor Godspeed and the formalities
will be complete.
Mr. Merritt will leave Sunday morning for
Suspension Bridge, N. Y. the port Of
Niagara, there to assume the duties of col
lector of the port, to which position he
was appointed early in the spring. He eX-
poets to be at his new post Monday morn
ing next.
The employees of the local post office will
be sorry to Mr.. Merritt leave He has
been postmaster seven years and has made
host of friends among all of his associ-
ateS. He has conducted the business of the
office with IAN iron hand in a velvet glove
and as result affairs are said to be in
prime condition.
1t will be exactly nine years and two
months next Saturday since Mr.. Merritt
came to this city, and he has been a con-
tinuouS resident here ever since. He was
born in Tecumseh, Mich, November "a,
1851 and remained in that place until he
was eight years of age, when he went to
Lockport, N. Y. In the latter place he re-
ceived his education, and when he reached
manhood he entered mercantile life. In 1880
he was admitted to practice before the New
York bar and later entered into law part
nership with A. A. Bradley. which still ex-
lists. He was twice elected clerk of Niagara
county and served as postmaster of Lock-
port President Mckinley appointed him
third assistant postmaster general in 1897,
which position he resigned June 30 1899, to
become postmaster of Washington. He IL
now secretary-treasurer of the New York
paper mills.
Mr. Merritt's Goodbye.
Mr. Merritt has issued the following
goodbye to the employees of the local
office on the eve of his departure:
I'm severinR as l am now about to do,
my connection with the Washington City
post Office to enter another branch Of the
government service-the President having
recently appointed me collector OF customs
at Niagara Falls-I deem it appropriate to
say few words of farewell.
when first assumed the duties of post
master of this city-nearly seven years ago
1T was a comparative stranger. l was
acquainted with but few Of the superintend-
ents or other employees of the office, either
personally or officially and consequently I
had perhaps but little right to expect any,
thing more from them than a formal,
though respectful, reception. But in this
I was happily mistaken. On the very day
Of my installation I was given a welcome
SO kind and hearty as to engender in me
the keenest sense of pleasure and grati-
tude, and to give me the satisfying assur-
friends. on whose loyalty and best assist
ance 1 might at all times confidently rely.
LAS to this assurance. 1t gives me un-
qualified qualification to say that l have
not been disappointed. Throughout my term
of service / have received repeated proofs
of the friendship of the men and women
Of the office, characterized in many in
stances by harmonious and delightful
spirit of comradeship; and in my efforts
to build up the entire service of the Of
fee, and to bring about the present state
of efficiency and thoroughness, of which I
am very proud. have had from all. in an
official sense, such earnest, intelligent, and
unwavering support to relieve Of
much of the labor and responsibility of my
stewardship. l do not doubt that you all
share the belief with me that in the prompt
ness and accuracy of dispatch and delivery
of mail matter. and In the security given
to its custody. as we'll as In the handling OF
registry, money order and special delivery
business, this Office is not excelled by any
other in the country. For this happy re-
suit of your work 1 make now my
Warmest acknowledgements: and 1t very
greatly lessons the sorrow l should natur-
ally experience at the termination of our
long and agreeable association to know that
l leave things in such satisfactory condi-
tion that my successor need have no mis-
gtvings as to what his connection with you
is to bring forth.
Advance in Work.
In so thanking you, I might also. with
which the post office has made In its finan,
cial operations during the period of our
joint labors-an advance which indicates
to some extent the progress of the city OF
Washington itself, from whose people, 1 am
pleased to add, I have continuously received
the most unmistakable hospitality and good
Will:
During the year ending March 81, 1899,
preceding my appointment as postmaster.
the gross postal receipts OF the ONCE. elini-
mating business connected with the affairs
of Porto Rico, amounted to 1854. 452. 23: and
the expenditures to $55S .50s 10; giving a sur
plus of receipts Of $75.94413.
During the year ending March 81, 1906,
practically the ending Of my incumbency.
the gross receipts amounted to 81 ,102. 745 40:
and the expenditures to $S1S. $40; giving
a surplus Of receipts of $2S4. 109O6.
I'm other words, the outcome Of my last
year Of service shows "A per cent more
gross income than that of the year preced-
Nin2 my appointment, while the net revenue
has increased 214 per cent. In all this
time, too, the expenditure has advanced
only 46 per cent. 1t adds much. moreover.
to the creditableness of this showing to say
that while three-fourths of the postal bust
Iyess OF the office represents official mail
matter, which brings in no revenue. we
have been able continuously to pay our ex-
penses out of our receipts. and are now
turning into the treasury a surplus of over
q quarter of million dollars year.
"The number Of paid registrations for the
year ending June 30. 1899, was S1,032 as
against IA, ,562 for the year ending March /
81, 1906 or an increase OF 15S per cent-a I
remarkable showing when considered tn I
connection with the steadily increasing /
mass OF official matter (amounting to - |
per cent OF the total registrations), which
Includes all the postage stamps used
throughout the country. the internal reve-
nue. stamps and other valuable treasury
securities