The mountain Democrat., 1864-07-02
rae Subject OF Postal ReHOrms--Im-
POrtant Changes.

est commended from time to time to the
attention Of the American people, in the
way Of administrative reforms aud i'm
provements, nothing has, perhaps, mark
ed the progress Of the age more plainly
than the great advancement made in pos
tai matters. The new ''money order"
system, although long in use abroad, is
just about to be brought into use here as
q most beneficial improvement on the old
method Of transmitting small sums of
money over q wide extent of country,
WhSl4t ~ AAo other changes contemplated
or Congress at the suggestion Of the Post
master General, the enlightened friends Of
the Government will see that our progress
is encouraging in the attempt to keep in
the front rank Of an enlightened advance
ment
Amongst these changes. however, is
one which, in itself eminently a reform,
seems to have produced not little alarm
amongst the many poStmasters relied up
on for an enlightened cooperation in car
rying on the business of the Department /;
and the expressed fear is OH the score of
o possible curtailment Of their rates OF
compensation. Nothing is further from
such a result,as will be learned by brief
explanation of the matter in question. -
AS the case stands at present, fifty thous-
and folios Of transcript arc sent to Wash.
ington each quarter, from but five postof.
fees, TO enable the Auditor to keep the
Office accounts correctly. The reform in
question proposes to do away with all this
to So simplify the method Of doing bu.
Siness, that whilst all parties are saved
immense labor and perplexity, the com.
pensation Of the Postmaster remains the
same. But perhaps the best explanation
Of what is contemplated in the direction
indicated can be had from letter idre>s.
ed by the Postmaster General himself to
the Chairman Of the Committee on Post
Offices and Post Roads of the House Of
Representatives. We give an extract:
1.-The first seven sections refer to the
mole Of compenSating PoStmastcrS, a
subject which has heretofore claimed the
attention Of Congress, and one which
consider Of the first importance to this
Department. The following are among
the more prominent reasons which pre-
sent themselves to my mind in favor os
fixed salaries instead Of commissions for
PoStmaSterS:
"Cnder the existing law, minute ac.
counts arc kept Of the postage on all mail
able matter sent and received, paid ms
we'll as unpaid, involving the necessity Of
employing many clerks in poStofhceS for
this particular purpose, and also in the
office of the Auditor Of the Treasury for
the POstoffice Department, where the &C
counts Of PoSImaSters are examined
THUS, from Boston, New York, Phil
adelphia, Cincinnati and Chicago only
five post OfficeS-tiity thousand foii0s Of
transcript are sent to the Auditor each,
lnarter, the originals being KEEP, in those
Offices. The whole bulk Of accounts from
all the postotticeS can be reckonel by tons,
and they are mainly kept for the purpose
Of arriving at the allowances to poStmaS.
tcrS, which are estimated on the amount
Of postage collected. For any other pur.
pOse the accounts Of mlilS Sent and re-
ceived are practically useless. The great
mass Of mail matter is prepaid by postage
stamps, which are charged to PoStmas.
tiers, and for which they are held account
able. In this way TIE revenues Of the
Department arc sufficiently protected. If,
then, the compensation OF PostnaStcrs be
fixed, as proposed by the bill in question,
no accounts will be required Of mail mat,
ter prepaid by stamps. and the work in
oil the postofficcs will be expedited, with
. great saving Of labor and expense. The
accounting in the Auditors office of this
Department will be much simplitied, and
there will be no difficulty in holding
PostmasterS to strict responsibility each
quarter; whereas, now in the ordinary
course OF business, the accounts Of a
Postmaster for given quarter cannot be
adjusted until after the end Of the next
quarter.
"There will also he a considerable sa
wing in the items for blanks for poStof.
fees. The estimated cost Of paper and
printing next year is nearly one hundred
thousand dollars, while the proposed
change in the form of accounts will re-
Guire less than one half Of that expendi-
ture.
The present law limits the commits
SionS of Po>tna>terS to two thousand dol
lars per annum, and also forbids allow
ances from other sources beyond that
amount; so that, in fact, the POStmaSters
Of all principal Offices already have fixed
salaries, lin no case exceeding four thou
sand dollars per annum) though they car
only be paid after presenting voluminous
accounts on each and every letter mailed
and of numerous rates of commissions
differing according to- the character Of III
mail matter, and also according to amount
there being no less than ten rates. Othe
changes and credits in an account curren
number twenty five, making in all thirty
five heads Of calculation; whereas, by the
proposed new law, all accounts will b.
reduced to the simplest forms.
1.-THE rule for fixing salaries is such a!
to ensure ample justice to all offices; anC
the provision for revising the claSsi6ca
ton must have the effect to stimulate
Postmasters in performing their duties
lest they should suffer a reduction Of sal
ary for diminished business, whilst they
have the assurance Of proper addition
for an enlarged business.
"The reasons for special legislation in
the case OF the poStolfice at New York arc
obvious. Its net revenues to the Depart
ment are now at the rate of nearly one
million of dollars per annum-one hun.
dred per cent above every other office. -
The business connection with the foreign
mails alone entities that office to a srpa.
rate classification. while its other interests
and responsibilities are equally command
ing, and cntitle it to a corresponding dis.
tlncti0n in respect to emonmcnt."
These are interesting facts bearing up.
on the needed and contemplated reform
facts in which the people are v;taly in
tereSted-because the more simple the
machinery Of government can be made in
any Department.the nearer it Approaches