The New York herald., 1922-05-23
Requests for Transfer to
Registry Department
Held Suspicious.
NEW ROUTES FOR TRUCKS
High Washington Official
Gives Hope Of Raise for
Registry Men.

Rigid regulations designed to check
robbings within the Post Office De-
partment went into effect yesterday
when John M. Bartlett, Acting Post
master General, issued an order to
Postmaster Edward NJ. Morgan re-
curing every one of the $4,000 postal
employees of Manhattan and The
Bronx to be photographed and finger
printed A similar order was issued
with regard to the Chicago post office.
In addition new routes for mail
trucks carrying registered mail were
laid out and the police instructed
again TO arrest any drivers or chauf-
feurs found off the regular beats"
Mr.. Bartlett. who came to New York
on Saturday following the arrest of
have been concerned in a plot to rob
the City Hall Station of registered
mail valued at nearly $4,000, 900, com
pleted his survey of local conditions
with an inspection of the registered
mail rooms of the general and City
Hall stationsS
other. Steps Possible
Beyond the PRONUNCIATION of the finger
printing order Mr.. Bartlett would not
indicate what recommendations he might
make to Postmaster-General Hubert
Work, who is on leave of absence In
81. Louis That certain employees, some
presumably with criminal records, have
deliberately sought transfer from one
branch of the service into the registry
division. where smaller salaries are paid.
was Indicated in a statement the acting
Postmaster-General made before he
boarded his train. The new finger print
trg system, 1t is believed, will effectively
check that.
This investigation and recent dis
closures show that certain men have
sought transfer to the registry division
for chances there offered to obtain
money wrongfully." said Mr.. Bartlett
The investigation has not disclosed any
evidences of widespread dishonesty. but
there may have been laxity and in
ef1ciency on the part Of some of the
supervising officials"
The new finger printing rule ampIifles
regulation put In effect by Postmaste
Morgan following the Leonard street
mail truck robbery last November. That
o.Sei Seiicu LOT the Hnser printing OF
all new employees and close. checking
up OF their records. Out of $50 appli-
eants ~ were found to have had Grim
inal records.
0mcfa1 Ffngerprints.
Inaugurating the new system, James
A. Boyle. fingerprint expert of the de-
partment. printed Mr.. Bartlett, Postmas-
ter Morgan. w. Irving Glover. Third
Assistant Postmaster General, and Will
lam z. Cochran, chief inspector of the
New York division. Mr. Boyle estimated
the work Of printing the $4,000 en-
ployees of the New York office would
take about six months. Mr. Bartlett
said the matter OF permanently assign
ing marines or other troops to guard
mails had not been decided on and that
II was something he would take up with
President Harding and Postmaster-Gen-
eral Work
Mr. Bartlett did say the department
hoped soon to be able to put into effect
an increased wage scale for employees
In the registry DIVISION The present
scale for these special clerks is 1890 a
year In the nom distributing class and
sl,soo and $4,000 in the distributing
class
The acting Postmaster-Genera in be-
half of his chief, also took occasion yes-
terday TO commend the work of the
postal detectives responsible for the ar
rest OF the seven men in connection with
the City Hall plot He mentioned par
ticularly the work Of the mysterious de-
tective Mutt" and that Of Inspectors
Cochran and Doran. who had direct
charge of the Investigation