The national Republican., 1866-12-04

and other large sums are paid for service On lines
tributary 10 the main lines 10 accommodate % yss
sparss settlements. From these, oompArstlvsly
email returns come back in the shape Of postal
rsvsnuss Yet these very agencies invite ssstle-
mont and sncourags enterprise In material dsvei-
opmsnt, 20 that there comes back to the people In
real wealth almost % many millions Of dollars %
the Government sxpsnds Thousands In this partie-
ular branch Of service. .H
Congress has wisely appropriated ave hundred
thousand dollars per year to pay for carrying malls
from Ban Francisco 70 China There 10 an excuse,
In sending mails, for paying this money to private
company In sid Of great commercial enterprise.
This money, % expended, will come back from the
China seas 10 goods and wares and merchandise to
our own markets, or, In seeking European mar
ksts, In transportation paid the continent.
Whether the people pay In postage stamps for
transmission Of letters through the malls or
whether they p X *. .nd. S psSs
the same. While Z. lavish expenditure Of pablo
money 10 to be syoidsd, there ought to be liberal
expenditure for extending mail facilities BY land
In another respect recommend more libsrality.
The clerks and employees Of the Post Once Do.
partmsnt have net been we'll paid for the services
they have performed. The salaries Of clerks In the
Post Office Department during the four Year, Of war
we're not increased while all the expenses Of living
were more than doubled. The salaries were hxsd
In timss Of peace and low prices. They were not
raised whom war raised prices. Clerks were com.
pelled TO run in debt and in many cases their fam.
lilies suffered from want. They worked faithfully
and skilfully and honestly In dischargins import.
ant duties for the Government. 1 submit that
they ought 10 have some reasonable allowance for
the past, and an increase Of salary in the future
Clerks in post ofcss, letter carriers, and route
agents are not paid what they ought to be paid.
Honest Industrious men are required for all these
duties, and they ought to bs paid fair and living
compensation for their labor. Thsir employment
Is uninterrupted, except BY sickness. The letter.
carriers claim peculiar confederation They travel
every day from early in the morning until late st
night, In heat and cold and rain and snow, all
through the cities distributing letters and papers
feel that the Government ought to pay al these
employees better. because they earn more, and b..
cause the Government can afford 10 pay more ]
plead the cause Of all these employees bscause 10
Just TO them that should, and earnestly ask per.
mission and means to pay them better.
magnitude that increased care and responsibility
fall upon those having the direct charge Of II; and
respectfully ask that authority be- given to sp.
point superintendent Of foreign mails, and an ad
ditionsl clerk for that branch Of the service.
also recommend that authority bs given to sp.
point superintendent Of the opening and di'tribu
The law regulating the franking privilege ought,
In my opinion, TO be amended. do not think the
privilege should bs abolished. think II neces
uty iof tno oiuerent uepnrtmonts 10 Woh - io'
Congress. But great abuses have grown up under
II. To avoid frauds and misuse OF the privilege,
I recommend such change in the law as to require
the written signature Of the person exercising thu
privilege upon the matter franksd; and to relieve
the heads Of departments and bureaus Of great labor
that franking clerk be authorised by law for eact
department Of the Government, with tho right Il
frank all matter pertaining to the department fol
which he Is appointed
Respectfully submitted:
ALEXANDER W. RANDALL,
| Postmaster General
| The PaEsrDRSr.