TABLE C.-Operations of the appointment division of the office of the First Assistant Postmaster-General, as to fourth class offices, for the year ended June 30, 1890, also postoffices in each State and Territory on June 30, with the increase over the corresponding number on June 30, 1889. 175 10 84 72 67 11 54 133 33 49 63 102 45 23 173 58 28 40 TABLE D.-Appointments made upon resignations, commissions expired, removals, deaths, etc., at Presidential post-offices during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1890. The most important duties are the adjustment of salaries of Presidential postmasters, or postmasters of the first, second, and third classes; consideration of applications for clerk-hire, rent, fuel, light, furniture, miscellaneous and incidental expenses for first and second class post-offices, and rent, fuel, and light for third-class offices; examination of the quarterly returns, or accounts of postmasters at offices of the first and second classes, before finally passed by the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post-Office Department; the regulation of the salaries and duties of employés necessary for the proper transaction of the postal business in the first and second class post-offices; the supervision and regulation of the box-rent rates and deposit for keys for lock-boxes, and the large and constantly increasing correspondence relative to the subject-matters stated. Additional duties have been imposed upon the salary and allowance division by the act of Congress which provides that clerks doing money-order business at offices of the first and second classes shall be compensated from the allowance for clerk-hire. The apportionment for salaries of money-order clerks at first and second class offices is now made through the salary and allowance division, and the commissions accruing on money-order accounts are returned under existing law as a part of the revenue of the Department. The act of Congress approved March 3, 1883, which requires an annual adjustment of the salaries of Presidential postmasters, to take ef fect at the beginning of each fiscal year (July 1), instead of the biennial adjustment as heretofore authorized, also largely increases the work of this division. The seventh annual adjustment of the salaries of Presidential postmasters was made upon the basis of the gross receipts which accrued at the respective offices for the four quarters ended March 31, 1890. The recent law providing for allowances for rent, fuel, and light for third-class post-offices, or offices whereat the salaries of postmasters are fixed from $1,000 to $1,900 per annum, has also greatly increased the work of the division. By the adjustment of the salaries of Presidential postmasters, which took effect July 1, 1890, 2,147 offices were assigned to the third class, being an increase of 114 offices as compared with the number of third-class offices July 1, 1889. Additional duties of an important character have been assigned to this division on account of the act of Congress approved March 2, 1889, relative to the classification and the fixing of the salaries of clerks attached to first and second class post-offices; and, also, by the act of Congress approved October 1, 1890, relative to leaves of absence of not exceeding fifteen days in any one fiscal year, with full pay, for clerks and employés attached to first and second class post-offices. The various operations of the Salary and Allowance Division during the past fiscal year are concisely stated in the following tabulated statement: Operations of the Salary and Allowance Division for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1890. Operations of the Salary and Allowanee Division for the fiscal year, etc.-Continued. Fiscal year 1889-'90. Items. Cases sent to Chief Post-Office Inspector for information.. sions... Fourth-class offices assigned to the Presidential class Special adjustments of postmasters' salaries... Aggregate som required to pay the above increased salaries for one year. Aggregate required to pay the salaries of postmasters at the above Presidential offices (118) for one year. 118 $131,700 118 131, 700 1 Aggregate salaries involved in the adjustments (2,858), as above Aggregate amount saved by salaries reduced and discontinued, as above... 1,500 2,888 4,785, 800 First-class post-offices (salary of postmaster $3,000 to $6,000 a year) 116 Second-class post-offices (salary of postmaster $2,000 to $2,900 a year). 550 Third-class post-offices (salary of postmaster $1,000 to $1,900 a year). 2,066 2,732 Total required for salaries of Presidential postmasters, as above (2,732), for one year.. Allowance for clerk hire reduced and discontinued. The letters received during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1890, numbered 34,268, being an increase of 942, as compared with 1889. In addition to the letters received, copies of the quarterly returns of the Presidential offices for the four quarters ended March 31, 1890, numbering 11,080, were received and considered, as well as the rosters of clerks and employés attached to the 102 first-class and 519 secondclass offices and the stations connected therewith. Forty-four thousand two hundred and ten letters were written, being an increase of 3,709, or 9.2 per cent., as compared with 1889. Twenty thousand three hundred and fourteen circular letters were sent out, being an increase of 2,329, as compared with 1889. Seven thousand six hundred and eighty-two allowances for clerk-hire were made, being an increase of 1,023, or 15.4 per cent., as compared with 1889. Two thousand eight hundred and ninety-five applications for clerk-hire were declined. Twelve thousand five hundred and ninety-one allowances for rent, fuel, and light for first, second, and third-class post-offices were made, being an increase of 5,189, or 70.1 per cent., as compared with 1889. This increase was occasioned by the general revision of the allowances for these items for the offices stated. One thousand five hundred and three allowances for rent, fuel, and light were declined, being an increase of 311, as compared with 1889. Quite a number of these applications were declined, for the reason that, under existing law, the maximum amount which could be approved for rent for an office of the third-class was $400, and the maximum sum which could be approved for fuel and light was $60. The requests for allowances in excess of the amounts stated could not be approved under the law. Thirteen thousand and forty-five allowances for miscellaneous and incidental items were made, being an increase of 2,977, or 29.6 per cent., as compared with 1889. Three thousand and twenty-two allowances for miscellaneous items were declined, being an increase of 376, as compared with 1889. One thousand and twenty-seven allowances for furniture were made, being an increase of 247, or 31.7 per cent. as compared with 1889. Three hundred and twenty-five allowances for advertising were made, being an increase of 75 as compared with 1889. Four hundred and seventy-four allowances for advertising were declined, being an increase of 142 as compared with 1889. One hundred and eighteen post-offices of the fourth class were reported by the Auditor whereat the annual compensation of the postmaster amounted to $1,000 for the four quarters, exclusive of moneyorder commission. Of this number 118 offices were assigned to the third class; the aggregate of salaries of postmasters thereat making a total of $131,700, The total number of salaries of Presidential postmasters adjusted during the year amounted to 2,888, and the aggregate amount involved for salaries in all adjustments amounted to $4,785,800. Forty-seven allowances for clerk-hire were reduced or discontinued, making a saving of 21,850; and 185 allowances for rent, fuel, and light were reduced or discontinued, involving a saving of $31,952. A tabulated statement is herewith respectfully submitted, showing the operation of the salary and allowance division for the fiscal years 1880 to and including 1890, with an increase of the work since 1880. Items. Operations of the Salary and Allowance Division. Fiscal year ended June 30 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. Increase 1890 over 1880. Allowances for miscella- 96 Allowances for stationery made (1) Allowances for stationery declined 19 207 Allowances for advertising made 21 368 218 232 240 207 ཚཚེ 534 855 2,501 1, 613 1,356 2, 130, 3, 131 2, 788 2,646 3, 022 2,926 166 117 258 543 647 578 523 654 748 780 1,027 861 596 337 244 915 779 595 720 9071 919 1,002 1,074 478 615 635 2,628, 3, 239 19 918 1, 128 228 89 278 426 459 516 493 445 |