REPORT OF THE FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL. POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL, Washington, D. C., October 30, 1885. SIR: I have the honor to submit a report of the labors of this Bureau for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1885. APPOINTMENT DIVISION. Statement showing the number of post-offices established and discontinued, the number of postmasters appointed, and the increase or decrease as compared with the previous year. It will be observed from the above statement that the number of offices established was 1,293 less than last year, and the number discontinned 374 less. The net increase in the whole number of offices for the year was 1,235. Arranged by sections, States, and Territories, the increase was as follows: It will be seen from the above figures that the greatest increase in any of the States and Territories during the year was 100 in Virginia. The largest increase last year was 156 in Texas, which State, during the past year, had an increase of only 77. The increase in Dakota for the year was 71, and in Mississippi 59. The only decrease was in Nevada. Comparing the number of post-offices in the different States, the order of the six highest on June 30, 1885, was as follows: Pennsylvania, 3,894; New York, 3,157; Ohio, 2,725; Illinois, 2,188; Virginia, 2,084, and Missouri, 1,990. The number of Presidential offices at the close of the fiscal year was 2,233, a decrease of 90 during the year. The largest number in any State was 213 in New York. Next in order were Illinois, 181; Pennsylvania, 155; Ohio, 132; Iowa, 121; Massachusetts, 118; Michigan, 103; and Kansas, 92. The greatest increase in offices of this class was 5 in Nebraska, and the greatest decrease was 12 in Michigan. The total number of money-order offices at the close of the fiscal year was 6,992, an increase of 749 over last year. Of the whole number of offices of this class, Illinois had 575; Iowa, 514; New York, 486; Ohio, 456; Pennsylvania, 389; Michigan, 336; Kansas, 317; Indiana, 305; Missouri, 300; and Wisconsin, 266. The largest increase was 37, in Illinois. The number of changes in postmasters during the last year was less than the preceding year. There was a decrease of 1,061, as compared with the previous year, in the number of appointments on resignations and commissions expired; of 65, on the deaths of postmasters; of 77, on changes of names and sites; and an increase of 297 on removals and suspensions. The number of postmasters who died during the year was 412, or 65 less than in the previous year. The total number of cases involving appointments of postmasters acted on during the year was 11,203, a decrease of 2,638 as compared with the previous year. The large decrease in the number of cases acted upon during the last year, as compared with the previous year, was due to the fact that very few changes were made in postmasters, and very few post offices were established in the months of November, December, January, February, and March. Further information relative to the establishment, discontinuance, and changes of names and sites of post-offices, and the appointment of postmasters, will be found in tables marked A and B, appended to this report. BOND DIVISION. To this division is assigned the duty of recording, in proper form, the appointments of all postmasters, whether made by the President or the Postmaster-General; the establishment, discontinuance, and changes of names and sites of post-offices, and the preparation and transmittal of the necessary letters of appointment, together with blank bonds and oaths to be executed by all newly-appointed postmasters. Upon the return of these bonds and oaths duly executed they are carefully examined and, if found correct, the bonds are submitted to the PostmasterGeneral for approval, after which the names of the sureties are recorded, the postmasters' commissions prepared and transmitted, and the bonds and oaths filed in their proper order. Of all these transactions full and complete reports are made daily or weekly to the various branches of the Department proper, and to the Auditor for the Post-Office Department. In addition to the foregoing is the preparation, examination, recording, reporting, and filing of all new bonds required for various causes, and a vast amount of correspondence with postmasters and the general public. The responsible nature of the work of this division becomes apparent when the fact is taken into consideration that an error made upon the records or reports, the careless preparation or examination of a bond, or failure to act promptly upon the application of a surety to be released from responsibility is liable to result in embarrassment to the Government. So varied and complicated are the duties in question that their proper performance requires not only a high order of clerical ability, and the strictest care and attention, but the observance of a thorough and complete system. To this end the clerical force of the division has been carefully organized and distributed, and to each clerk has been assigned specific and well defined duties. Upon the promulgation of the Postmaster-General's official order No. 120, under date of May 21, 1885, requiring every postmaster of the fourth class who had remained in office for five years from the date of the taking effect of his latest official bond to furnish a new bond, it was satisfactorily ascertained, by careful approximation, that about 65 per cent. of the bonds on file had been furnished since July 1, 1880, leaving 35 per cent., or about seventeen thousand bonds, to be renewed. Steps were at once taken to carry the order into effect, and before the close of the fiscal year large numbers of blank bonds were prepared for mailing. I cannot enter into further details under this head without anticipating my report for the ensuing fiscal year. The chief of the division calls my attention to the fact that the bonds of postmasters are now filed in frail wooden cases, and are therefore liable to damage or destruction by fire, and suggests that cases constructed of iron should be provided as receptacles for these important papers. In this recommendation I heartily concur. I submit herewith a statement designed to indicate the amount of labor performed in this division during the past fiscal year, as follows: Number of cases received upon which appointment papers, bonds, &c., were mailed.... 11, 203 Number of circular letters sent on appointments, establishinents, changes of 24, 017 67,081 Number of circulars sent to appointees delinquent in the execution and return of their bonds...... 1,922 Number of appointment bonds examined, indorsed, and submitted to the 9,437 Number of appointment bonds returned for correction. 2, 040 Number of appointment and new bonds filed... Number of circulars accompanying bonds returned for correction.. Number of new bonds sent upon requests from postmasters.. Number of new bonds required upon recommendations of post-office inspectors. Number of new bonds received, examined, indorsed, and submitted to the Number of commissions prepared and mailed to postmasters Number of post office inspectors' reports on responsibility of sureties received, examined, and filed .... 2,412 Number of notifications sent to sureties of postmasters' failure to pay amount due the United States.... 457 Number of blank oaths for assistant postmasters, clerks, and employés mailed Number of oaths of assistant postmasters, clerks, and employés received, examined, indorsed, and filed.. Number of circulars accompanying new money-order bonds.. 335 Number of circulars sent to postmasters delinquent in executing new bonds. 532 1,042 Number of commissioned postmasters reported to the Auditor.. 9,437 Number of circular letters sent notifying sureties of the death of postmasters. 400 400 375 Number of acting postmasters reported to the Auditor.. 375 Number of commissioned postmasters reported to the Third Assistant Post- Number of commissioned postmasters reported for publication in the "Postal Number of new bonds reported to the Third Assistant Postmaster-General.. 9,437 9,437 394 3,390 3,230 3,230 |