New-York tribune., 1874-10-28
POSTMASTERS' SALARIES.
APE THEY FAIRLY ADJUsTEDi

ARE THEY FAIRLY ADJUSTEDf
SINGULAR IRREGULARITIES IN THE PAY OF POST
MAsTERs-MANY IN SMALL TOWNS RECEIVE
MORE THAN THOSE IN LARGE CITIEs-MANY OF
THE SALARIES LARGER THAN THOSE OF THE
ASSISTANT PosTMAsTER- GENERALS A CLAIM
THAT THREE-QUARTERs OF MILLION DoLlAhs
CAN BE SAVED ANNUALLY BY PROPER RE-
ADJUSTMENT.
TO ne Editor Of The tribune
SIR: Our new Postmaster General has before
ia magnificent opportunities for REFORM And ths not
by adding teegraphy saving bank business OF any
other monstrous excrescence to the conduct Oh po0'
affairs but by economical reforms within the depart
ment ITSELF In the machinery already III 'ne 'on
troll of the Pos!masterGeneral, and Which, WIN i'S
necessary growth is enough for any one Drancn VI 0
Executive Department OF Government TO superlntenu'
purpose In this letter review but single prahon
of the business of the PcstOhce Department. anu "
point ont how it may be reformed with large annu"i
saving / refer to the pOstmasters OF these oniVo"
states apponted by the President, by ana Win tne
advice and consent of the Senate 1t Will Dc Iound tna
there Il there concealed very large Salary GRAD
There are three classes OF postmasters by executive
appointmen whose salaries vary from N'VVo 70 so'V~
annually. The total number OF these Ia the sa'es anu
Territories 1867 The amount Of the salaries IN tne
different cases the most unaccountable and
faptastic manner In some cases 1t is as believe, TOO
low but in most altogether too high 80 that graooa
tion of paw made on principles OF common sense
business wisdom, and fair play would result IN hahd
some measure Of economy. AS an illustration OF tne
haphazard In which theLe salaries are arranged
let me give few examples:from my own State, ILLINOIS,
The Postmaster at Chicago receives $1,000 year. In
point Of business transacted this Is the second post
Office in the United States The population OF the CITY
is about 100000 As Is well known 1t Is the commercial
center of the INTERIOR with railroads going everywhere
Postmaster has to give bonds IN an immense sum OIL
money. But the Postmaster at Bloomington, ahtue
| city OF 10000 people, also has salary VI
| $4,000 So does the Postmaster at Aurora
which is mere suburb Of Chicago and has population
of only about Gaena the home OF the PRESIDENT
and retrograding town Of 1000 inhabitants mas oe'
master whose salary is 5000 year, while the fost
master at Alton progressive place OF 10000 people, re
ceiyes only s. 800 The Postmaster at joliet place Vi
g. 900 people, has salary OF $370 year, whe no a'
Gaesburg with people, has s34Oo AT Joet Is the
penentary at Galesburg are several OF tue oes' us
tutious Of learning in the State with several hunueu
students nine months Of the year. might gave othef
EXAMPLES as strong as these showing the utter unrea-
sonabeness Of Postmasters salaries as compared "h
each other. And every one OF these PostnasterS tx
cep the one at Chicago receives more than REASON
able amount his services There Is not nrs|cass
| business man in Illinois who Will not say tha'
he can get thoroughly competent, prompt, honest'
live man TO take charge OF any posoce In the State
except Chicago for year. And yet there are Az
postofces not counting Chicago. In the state, the
salary each OF which is in excess OF that sum- oer
postmasters receive from $500 to $1,000 year, whose
places could be filed by competent men and sound ise
! publicans for from 81, 200 to &140O ayear
Ast is in Illinois, 1t is in other States. The Post
master at Buffalo, with population of 10000 receives
the same salary Postmaster at Rochester, with
| population Of 65,OO0 Many other anomalies equally
preposterous exist in the Empire State This fantastic
salary dance is strongly illustrated In New
Jersey The Postmaster Elizabeth receives salary
OF 1000 while he of Newark receives only $500 Yet
Newark is five times populous Elizabeth, and Is
well known as one Of the progressive manufactur-
ing cities in the United States. Jersey City, with its
people; Paterson with its $4,000; Trenton, with It's
25OO are all outranked In this respect by Elizabeth
These facts cannot be explained the rule OF common
sense just such things exist In nearly every State
of the Union and even in some OF the Territories.
The following table illustrates the grotesaue unfair