One agent in charge of the mail on board of each of the mail steamers on the routes between San Francisco, Japan, and China, between San Francisco and Honolulu, and between New York and Rio Janeiro.

He may establish, in connection with the mail steamship service to Japan and China, a general postal agency at Shanghai or at Yokohama, with such branch agencies at any other ports of China and Japan as he shall deem necessary. (R. S., §§ 4020-4023.)

He may employ as many route agents as may be necessary for the prompt and safe transportation of the mail, and he may appoint clerks for the purpose of assorting and distributing the mail in railway post offices. (R. S., §§ 4024, 4025.)

916. He may by letter, under his hand, to be filed with the department records, authorize any special agent or other officer of the Post Office Department to make searches for mailable matter transported in violation of law. (R. S., §§ 4026.)

917. He may establish and maintain, under rules and regulations, a uniform money-order system at all suitable post offices, to be designated "money-order offices."

He is empowered likewise to conclude arrangements with the post departments of foreign governments, with which postal conventions have been or may be concluded, for the exchange, by means of postal orders, of small sum's of money, not exceeding fifty dollars in amount, at such rates of exchange and compensation to postmasters, and under such rules, as he may deem expedient, the expense of establishing and conducting the system to be paid out of the proceeds of the money-order business. (R. S., §§ 4027, 4028.)

918. He is required to supply money-order offices with blank forms of applications for money orders, the applica

tions made thereon to be preserved by the postmaster receiving them for such time as the Postmaster-General may prescribe; also to furnish printed or engraved forms for money orders. (R. S., §§ 4033, 4034.)

919. He may cause new money orders to issue in lieu of those which have become invalid because of presenta tion beyond the expiration of a year from date, also because of more than one indorsement, and of those which have been lost. (R. S., §§ 4036, 4037, 4040.)

920. He may forbid the payment of a money order issued in favor of a person who he is satisfied is engaged in conducting a fraudulent lottery or other fraudulent scheme for obtaining money through the mails. (R. S., § 4041.)

921. The Postmaster-General is authorized to transfer money-order funds from one postmaster to another, and from the postal revenue to the money-order funds; and he may transfer money-order funds to creditors of the depart ment, to be replaced by equivalent transfers from the postal revenues. He may transfer to the postmaster at any moneyorder office, by warrant on the Treasury, countersigned by the Sixth Auditor and payable out of the postal revenues, such sum as may be required, over and above the current revenues at his office, to pay the money orders drawn upon that office. (R. S., §§ 4042, 4043.)

922. He is directed by law to require each postmaster at a money-order office to render weekly, semi-weekly, or daily accounts of all money orders issued and paid, of all fees received for issuing them, of all transfers and payments made from money-order funds, and of all money received to be used for the payment of money orders or on account of money-order business. (R. S., § 4044.)

923. At the request of the Postmaster-General, the law requires that an account shall be opened at the Treasury

of "money-order funds" deposited by postmasters to the credit of himself, and of drafts against the amount so deposited drawn by him and countersigned by the Sixth Auditor. (R. S., § 4045.)

924. He is authorized to pay out of the proceeds of the money-order business the cost of stationery and such incidental expenses as are necessary for the transaction of that business. (R. S., § 4048.)

925. He is required to place to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States, for the service of the Post Office Department, the net proceeds of the money-order business; also certain miscellaneous receipts derived from unclaimed property, fines and penalties imposed for violations of postal laws, and sales of waste paper or other public property of this department. (R. S., § 4050.)

926. He may advance necessary sums to special agents to defray the expenses of the investigation of mail depredations, the examination of post routes and offices, and of other like services, to be charged to them by the Auditor and to be accounted for. He may transfer debts due to the department from postmasters and others to such contractors as have given bonds with security to refund any money that may come into their possession over and above the amount found due them on settlement of their accounts; such transfers to be only in satisfaction of legal demands for which appropriations have been made. (R. S., §§ 4055, 4056.)

927. Whenever the Postmaster-General is satisfied that his department has received money or property stolen from the mail, or the proceeds thereof, he may upon satisfactory evidence as to the owner deliver the same to him. (R. S., $4058.)

928. He may dispose of any quarterly returns of mails sent or received, preserving the accounts current and ac

companying vouchers entire, for two years, and use such portions of the proceeds as may be necessary to defray the cost of separating and disposing of them. He may by regulations provide for the disposal of printed and mailable matter which may remain in any post office or in the department not called for by the party addressed, excepting where the publisher of any newspapers or periodicals uncalled for shall pay the postage due thereon. (R. S., §§ 4060, 4061.)

OFFICE OF THE FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL.

929. This is commonly called the Appointment Office, as it has charge of all matters relating to the appointment of postmasters and employees.

It is charged with the direction and supervision of the duties devolving upon the following-named divisions of the department, viz.:

1. Free Delivery.

2. Blank Division. 3. Appointments.

4. Bond.

5. Salary and Allowance.

These divisions transact the numerous and varied details of the business assigned to this office. The general duties of the same may be described in their order, as follow:

I. THE FREE DELIVERY.

930. This division, as its name imports, has charge of the free-delivery system. By a provision of the act of March 3, 1873, letter carriers may be employed as public convenience may require at every place containing a population of not less than twenty thousand within the delivery of its office. Receiving boxes, from which letters shall be collected at convenient and stated times by the carriers at

such places, are established at convenient points within the range of delivery of such offices. It is within the duties of this division to establish this system throughout the country, to superintend and carry it on, including the appointment and regulation of letter carriers, the allowance of expenses, and all the details required to secure its efficiency according to the spirit and intent of the law which designed the same for the convenience and comfort of the people.

II. THE BLANK AGENCY.

931. By a provision of the Revised Statutes the Postmaster-General is authorized to establish at Washington a Blank Agency for the Post Office Department. It is under charge of an officer provided for by law under the name of Superintendent of the Blank Agency. His duties or those of the agency are not defined by statute. They are, however, designated by the head of the department, and consist of the care and distribution of blank forms, wrapping-paper, twine, letter balances, cancelling stamps, and other articles similar in character, and the supervision of all matters pertaining to the same.

III. THE APPOINTMENT DIVISION.

932. This division transacts the details regarding the establishment and discontinuance of post offices, the change of name and site of those already established, the appointment of postmasters of the different classes heretofore described, of special agents of the mail service, railway postal clerks, route messengers, and of all employees of the department.

IV. THE BOND DIVISION.

933. This division issues commissions to postmasters; prepares and sends out for execution official bonds of post