Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-28
Postmistress at Soldiers Home
Is Sustained BY Postotiice
Department
is ENTITLED TO BOX RENT
Postrn aster General Rules That Miss
Walker Will Not Have to Pay Back
to tho Government the Box Rents
She Has Collected Department.
Holds Such Rents Belong to Her.

Miss Lulu NJ. Walker, postmistress of
the ub-postal station at tho soldiers
home. will not have to pay to the post
office department box rents amounting
to about 5000, which she has collected
during the six years she has been In
charge OF the sub-station. Miss Walker
will also keep the box rents she may
collect in the future.
A ruling to this effect in the case,
which has been before the department
for several months, was received this
morning by Postmaster C. ii. Smith.
Last fall an inspector discovered that
Miss Walker had collected the box
rents and kept the money, just as her
predecessor had done, the amount thus
collected having been considered part
of the pay Of the office. The inspector
reported the case to the department,
which ruled that Miss Walker must re-
fund what she had collected, and in the
future turn over to the department all
monies taken in from similar source.
Later the department was induced to
reconsider the case, and huge peti-
ton, addressed to Senator Allison and
Congressman Cousins. was circulated
and freely signed by home members
and others.
The department now holds that the
boxes, in this case, do not belong to
the government, but were furnished
by the state for the convenience OF
home members, who had right to pay
Miss Walker for distributing their mail
into them. The following is an extract
OF an opinion in the case furnished to
the postoffice department by the at
torney generals department!
Neither the clerk In charge nor any
one else Is required to supply delivery
boxes. and the distribution and deliv-
cry of mail at said home or at said
station is no part OF the official duty.
but is personal accommodation on
the part of the clerk in charge, who is
at liberty to accept a fee from the in
mates for such services. In my opinion
the boxes in this case are not the prop
erty Of the United States. nor under
the control of this department. and
they bear the same relation to the pos
tai service as similar boxes used in
hotels and other public establishments.
The fees paid for the use of said boxes.
therefore. are remuneration for per
sonal services Of the clerk in charge
and are not part of the postal reve-
nues which should be accounted for.
Under the circum stances the depart
ment deems it tnadvisable to take any
further action in this matter, and the
auditor for the postoffice department
has been advised that the clerk in
charge shall not be held liable for. the
amounts which have been in dispute"
The government, in the case of the
home b-station, is to no expense
whatever in maintaining the office ex-
cepting the payment to the postmis-
tress of a salary Of $500 per year. The
state furnishes light, heat, and the
boxes, and for that reason Command
ant Horton and others interested in the
case insisted that 1t would be unfair on
the part of the government to rule that
the postmistress should turn over the
small sum paid by the members of the
home for the many accommodations
they receive at the hands Of the post
mistress.