Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-15
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY. 10. 1908.
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONS
GOOD WORK.

GOOD WORK.
The benefits arising from the on
Grafton of the civil service employ
1aient In the Offices of the Federal
government. as shown in the annual
report of the commission, must he
very gratifying to all the friends OF
that system in the country 1t Is
claimed with All emphasis, which
seems warranted, that In the conduct
OF the business of the treasury and
poNtofflce departments OF the national
& government there Is now remarlSa
& bile degree OF honesty and efficiency
III is said that the records OF the In
ternnl revenue and customs service
demonstrate not only the honesty but
rsthe economy OF the treasury depart
s1nent, and that the cost of collecting
the revenue is almost iniinitesmal
compared with the vast sums OF
money which are handled By the big
army of employees. Considering the
vast amount of buslness transacted
3 by the postofiico department alone, II
4 IS astonishing that SO much efficiency
exists and there is 80 little loss OF
public funds through the carelessness
$of the public which now uses the
malls Tor great variety of purposes
In n special report on this depart
mont the auditor states that the mar
velons growth OF the postal service
continues. In all probability both the
receipts and expenditures for the en-
suing fiscal year will exceed $780,
;0An000. III 1890 the receipts were
+ $60,O10,o0O expenditures $66,000.oo0
With deficit of about $5.500.00O; BY
1907 this had increased threefold re-
eeints being s1ss00O,oOO. expendl-
tares s19o,OO0, 600. while the deilci!
vas only about s6,5Oo,oO0 While the
expenses are three times as great
lie deficit remains substantially the
same as it was II years ago. The
ioas during 1907 by bad debts. burg
larry. etc, was only two onehun-
dfedths of per cent, which empha-
aises the untiring and successful eff
forts of this office in collecting bal
asces due the United States.
Another report submitted BY the
CHIEF inspector of the postoffice de-
partment states that only $50 posta
employees ont of n total OF 10000
were called to account for INSIDE
Ineanors. many of which were OF s
tfi1ing character. During the past
syear i4,076 complaints were made and
sent out to the inspectors, which was
decided Increase from the 1912 in
size year 1906, because of the burning
,SoE several postal cars and the destruc-
fton of great many registered let
Esers.
a large number of the complaints
MO due to carelessness or ignorance
III writer's instead of the employees oil
, No service Alleged losses are often
Explained, and the articles returned 10
the owners, who have been guilty OF
esralessness In writing or failing to
srite the addresses upon their en-
veiopes, IN the great majority OF
rses the iiiciosure, when opened al
iss dead letter Office. fails to give
trace of the person from whom II
9na or the person to whom IT was
sslls.
THIS accuracy of the clerks may be
ilsd &ed By the reports Of the money
ssfd der department, which show that
libfe ware only 2.07G errors COM
:tsSd. amounting TO ss,e6s.54, in. s5.-
ssa9a9 transactions, which represent
b value Of s5ssTsi esq. The audi
that more thar 70 per cent.