The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-12-23

C1zrles P Grzzdfeld, first assistant
gost-zs,er general. In hiz annual re-
gorr s1smirred yesterday to Postmas-
ter General Hitchcock, shows that the
number of poetonces in operation On
June -. 1915. was $3.50. The gross
rsyenue II The postal service during
TIE fiscal year amounted to $z241zs,- /
.g57-gz. Al Increase Of s20.5ss,247-55.
The expenditures for the year aggre-
gated 1929, ,s77 Zz450, al increase Of
|sss7s1zLs1. The deficit was $5,S48.-
l5ssss, as compared with sl7.4417 1882
for the preceding year. Although the
business of the postal service increas-
ID during the last fiscal year more
than 70 Per cent the expenditures de-
creased from an average " sos per
cent for each Of the ten years preced-
ing 70 4.0s per cent in 1910.
The number Of postofices establish |
ed during the year was 1,50s and the !
number discontinued 2,073. At presi-
dental Offices 2,57s postmasters were
Iappointed and at fourth class Offices
Is,428 postmasters we're appointed.
The net increase in the expenditure
flor postofice clerks during the year
was s2,917 900, making the total ex-
Ipenditures s31.5s3,587; for letter car
riers the net increase was $1,S50825,
Iresulting in an aggregate cost of $780,
l292, ,579, which was s16,047 less in 1910
THAN in the previous fiscal year
The policy of the department to
make no changes in postmasters so
long as their services were satisfactory
was followed uniformly throughout the
country during the year
An urgent recommendation is made
that the department be given author
Iity properly to adjust the salaries of
assistant postmasters. Under the pres
ent system 1t frequently happens that
Ian assistant postmaster receives a
Ismaller salary than some of the clerks
Whose work he supervises. The de-
partment has estimated appropriations
to adjust this anomalous condition.
1t also is urged in the report that
somewhat increased salaries be pro-
vided for supervisory employees, in
Guiding superintendents, assistant SUI
perintendents and foremen, some of
lwhom now receive less in salary than
is received by some clerks and letter
lcarriers. 1t is pointed out that many
efficient supervisory officers have re-
ceiYed no promotion since their ap'
lpointment although they are subjected
= Ito greater responsibilities than the sub
: lordinate employees, greater expenses
. land longer working hours The entire
amount requested for the promotion
Iot supervisory officers is about $4,000
It Is recommended, too, that provis
ion be made for the promoting to high
ed grades and increased salaries Of
expert distributors of mail in various
{ Iofces. It is pointed out that the serv
! Ices of these men are invaluable an(
that they are difficult to replace whe1
they leave the service.
An urgent recommendation Is made
r that in the event of the death Of ;
If postoffice clerk in the line of his dut,
ia provision be made for the payment o
st reasonable sum to his heirs, precise
se " as now is done in the event of tn
III death of railway postal clerk in tn
line of duty. 1t is shown that the il
III creasing use of labor saving machir
III cry in the modern city postoffice make
ht greater the liability to accidents. 1
MS the office at New York alone four en-
IL ployees have been killed and 64 IL
k capacitated since 1908, as the result {
as injuries received in the performance
their duty. yet it has not been possibl
n for the department to afford them {
of their families any assistance.
IN. 1t is earnestly recommended that a
to appropriation of $4,000 be made
u.s. reward postal employees who presel
of to the department patented devices {
processes that may prove of value
M the service.
la. The difficulty of obtaining compe
ar. ent postal employees in remote sc
rs. tions of the United States postoffiC
r. territory is urgently called to the a
of tention of congress. 1t often is il
nd possible to obtain efficient clerks fl
ty. the salaries fixed by law and it is ur
"a. ed that the postmaster general be aut
oriled to use the regular appropri