Items of Interest December 5, 1903 ISSUE

Items of Interest

The long-expected report on the postal frauds have been made public, together with the President's comment upon it. The frauds surveyed occurred in the office of Assistant Attorney General, and in the office of the First Assistant Postmaster General, this latter including the supply division, the free delivery division, and the salaries and allowances division. Frauds were committed in the reckless purchase of supplies at exorbitant prices, out of which percentages were taken by the offenders. The department which was charged with legal action against fraudulent concerns using the mails took blackmail from bond, turf, and guessing swindlers. It is averred that political influenced demoralized the service.

The chief hydrographer of the United States Navy, in his annual report, says the office has in progress the preparation of a series of charts intended to cover every navigable portion of the world except on the United States coast, so that American vessels may be supplied with charts of "their own production for every region that a vessel may be called on to visit," and not run any risk in time of war of being unable to obtain such an absolutely essential requirement for the safe navigation of their vessels.

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