Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-06-07
Thessubj.ct Of Postal Reforms---IBpOrt-
ant Changes'

1 AILeuIOn Ol lub AmCAlg6A pNOPACg IA bhS
way Of administrative reforms and i'm
provementE, nothing has perhaps, marked
the progress ofthem more plsinly than the
great advance made in postal matters.
The new "money order" system, although
long in use abroad, is just about to be
brought into use here as most beneficial
| Improvement on the old method Of trans
mitting small sums Of money over wide
extent Of country, whilst in the other
changes contemplated by Congress at the
suggestion of the Postmsnter General, the
enlightened friends of the Government
will see that cur progress is encouraging
in the attempt to keep in the front rank Of
an enlightened advancement.
Among these changes, however, is one
which, in itself eminently q reform, seems
to have produced not q little alarm
amongst the many postmssters relied up
on for an enlightened co operation in car
rying on the business Of the Department;
and this expressed fear is on the score Of a
possible curtailment Of their rates Of COM
pensstion. Nothing is further from such
result, ss will be learned by brief ex.
pIansIIon OF the matter IN qu1Btfvz. As
tho case stands at present, fifty thousand
folios Of transcript are sent to Washing
ton each quarter, from hut tive pOstofhces,
to enable the Auditor TO keep the Office ao-
counts correctly. The reform in question
proposes to do GDay With all this to go
simplify the method Of doing business, that
whilst all parties are saved immense Ia
Dor and perpleI ity, the compensation of the
Pos;maJteT rtndiHI tie same. But perhaps
the best explanation Of what is contem-
plated in the direction indi Gated can
had from letter addressed by the Post
master General himself TO the Chairman
of the Committee on Post Offices and Post
Roads Of the HouEe Of Representatives.
We give an extract:
The first seven sections refer TO the
mode Of compenssting Postmssters, sub.
jeot which has heretofore claimed the at
tention Of Congress, and one which con-
slider Of the first Importance to this De-
psrtment. The following sre among the
moro prominent reasons which present
themselves TO my mind in favor Of fixed
salaries instead Of commissions, for Post
masters.
"Undsr the existing Law, minute ac.
counts are kept Of the postage on all mail
able matter sent and received, paid ss well
ss unpaid, involving the necessity Of EN-
ploying many clerks in post offices for this
particular purpose, and also in the office
Of the Auditor Of the Treasury for the
Postofice Department, where the accounts
of Postmssters are examined.
"Thus from Boston, New York, Phila-
delphis, Cincinnati and Chicsgo-only
i5e postof6ces-hfty thousand folios Of
| transcript are sent 10 the Auditor each
quarter, the originals being kept in those
Offices. The whole bulk Of accounts from
all the postofices can be reckonedSby tons
and they are mainly kept for the purpose
Of arriving at the allowances Of Postmss
ters, which are eItim1fed on the cmount Of
postage collected. For any other purpose
the accounts Of mails Rent and received
are practically useless. The great mass
/ Of mail matter is prepaid by postage
stamps, whioa are charged to Postm sters,
and for which they are held accountable.
In this way the revenues Of the Depart
ment are sufficiently protected. II, then,
the compensation OF postmssters be hxed,
as proposed by the bill in question, no ac-
counts will be required Of mail matter
PREPAID by stamps, and the work in all the
postofices will be -, with great
saving Of labor and expense. The account.
ing in the Au iitor's office Of this Depart
ment will bs much simplifed, and there
will b. no difficulty in holding Post
masters 10 strict responsibility each quar-
ter whereas, now, in the ordinary course
Of business, the accounts Of Postmaster
for given quarter cannot be adjusted
until after tha end of the next quarter.
t'There will be s,considerable saving in
the items Of blanks for post offices. The
estimated cest Of paper and printing next
year is nearly one hundred thousand dol
lsrs, while the proposed change in the
form Of accounts will require less than one
half Of that expenditure.
"The present law limits the commissions
Of Pestmssters to two thousand dollars per
annum, and also forhids allowances from
other souross beyond that amount; 60 that,
In fact, the PostmssteFs Of all the pfin.
cipal otiices already have fixed salarieP, Tin
no case exceeding four thousand dollars
per ann NJ though they can only be paid
after presenting Voluminous accounts on
each and every letter mailed, and Of nu.
merous rates Of commissions, differing 90.
cording to The character of the nail matter
and alec according to amount, there being
no less than ten rates. 0iher changes
aud credits in an account current number
twenty Eve, making in all thirty. five
heads Of calculation; whereas, By the pro.
posed new law, all accounts will he re.
duced TO the simplest forms.
HThe rule for fixing sslsries..is such as t.
ensure ample justice to all ofioes; and thC
provision for revising the Classification
must have the effect TO stimulate Postmas
| L. .fV.rr khatr I,,Hiaa laa Nhar
should suffer a reduction Of salary fer di
minisbed business whilst they have tn
assurance Of q proper addition for an en-
lsrged business.
i "The reasons for special legislation in tht
case of the PO5iOfice at New York are OBJ
/ vious. Its net revenues to the Department
: are now ct the rate Of nearly one million
Of dollars per snnum-one hundred pc
cent. above every other Office. The bust
r ness connection with the foreign mail
r alone eniitle that ofies to g separate elias
, sificalion, while its other interests and re
spOnsiblities are equally commanding
! and entitls il 10 corresponding distinc
ton in respect to emoluHent."
These are interesting facts bearing upol
the needed and contemplsied ed reform-fsct
, in which the people are vitality intereste
because the more simple the msshiner
, Of government can be made in any DE-
: psrtment the nearer it approaches tha
stRndsrd which, since the foundation G
republican institutions in this country
has teen the desideratum sought,
s To recur briefly. TIE contemplated n
r form proposes to divide the cOupensatiO
I Of Postmssters into Eve classes, the frs
e to receive not more than four and not les
g than three thousand dollars, and so o
i down to the fifth, which from the busines
6 done affords leas than one hundred dollar
T By increase Of business an office may B