A feature of the parcel-post system is the indemnity which is paid in the case of damage or loss to insured parcels. When applications for indemnities are received from the public they are investigated by the Inquiry Section, and when it is determined that payment should be made, the cashier's office makes the disbursement. Approximately 200 drafts are drawn daily to cover these cases.
Mention has been made of treasury savings certificates handled by the New York office, which in the month of July were sold to the value of about $600,000. These certificates, as the name indicates, while issued by the Treasury Department are handled largely by the Post-office Department as a convenience to the public and in the interest of the government to better promote the sales.
The large amount of one month's sales indicates the measure of service thus provided and the extent to which it is used.
Office of the Auditor
The auditor is the checking officer of all receipts and disbursements of the New York post-office. The position is held by Mr. Justus W. Salzmann, another postal veteran, and his corps audits the postal, money-order, and postal-savings accounts, prepares statements of these accounts for transmission to the comptroller of the Post-office Department, and verifies the money-order and postal accounts of mail clerks in charge of post-offices on naval vessels. He also audits the accounts of approximately 1400 post-offices in the State of New York known as "district offices," of which New York City is the Central Accounting office, and he corresponds with the postmasters of these offices in connection with the conduct of their offices.
The auditor also supervises the examination of financial accounts at the main office and at all stations, made by station examiners, corresponds with and prepares statements for the Commissioner of Pensions in connection with refunds under the Retirement Act, and with the United States Employees' Compensation Commission in connection with injuries sustained by employees while on duty. He has charge of contracts requiring expenditures, as well as correspondence relating to leases of post-office stations and to repairs and additional equipment required at these stations.
The organization of the auditor's office is divided into two sections, each under the supervision of a bookkeeper; one has charge of the general accounts of the New York office and the accounts of district post-offices; the other has charge of the auditing of the money-order and postal-savings accounts, the preparation and verification of pay-rolls, and second-class and permit-matter accounts.
The auditor has immediate charge of six station examiners who report on the financial accounts of all stations; they also investigate and report on the need for establishing and maintaining contract stations and attend to complaints received concerning the operation of such stations.
The auditor, as the checking officer of the New York post-office, audits receipts and disbursements totaling over $700,000,000 annually. The postal receipts for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1922, were $54,089,023.99, as compared with $52,292,433.91 for the previous fiscal year, a gain of $1,796,590.08.
The Appointment Section