The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-20


which every transaction with such deposltor win
be entered, the clerical force at the central once
viii necessarily be proportioned to the
number OF depositors and not to the num-
Der Of repositories, and the largest pro-
pOrtionate force win be needed at the
commencement OF the business when 0fYices at
cities Of the largest population win be opened.
Exclusive OF ten first class post of1ces In cities Of
The largest population, there will probably be re-
qnred about thrty-dve clerks to every 100 such
onices-that Is to say, the dnties of the postal
savings business at each once will occupy
little over one-third OF the time OF
. clerk. leaving the remaining two-thirds for
other duties. In 0nnces OF the second class the
proportion would not exceed twenty clerks to
every 100 ofnces; in offices Of she third class to
every 100 Offices, and In all other money order
onices, over 170o In number, the post
masters would perform all the duties
required without clerical assistance in
consideration OF the threeeighths of one per cent
commission allowed them for such service. After
an experience Of one year with onfces OF the first
class the system could probably be extended
during the second year to all or nearly all ofces OF
the second class; during the third and fourth
years to those OF the third class and subse-
quently, as might seem expedient. to those Of the
lower grades For the business OF receiving and
forwarding for deposit remittances of postal
savings funds from othef repositories, it will be
necessary during the first year to designate the
following Arst class post ofces as repositories OF
the first ciass:-New York, Philadelphia, Chicago,
ST. Louis, Baltimore, Boston, CINCINNATI New
Orleans, San Francisco and Washington
1t Isl believed that In post of1lces ut which the
transactions OF the money order business require
the services Of chief OF division the postal say.
inno hnc vutfh
under the charge of such chief; that at the ma
ority Of the second and third class post ofces no
Increased force would be necessary, as the
money order and registry clerks could
easily perform all the additional labor
required, and for such service q portion Of their
salaries should be paid from proceeds Of the savings
business. the employment OF seventy clerks by
postmasters ut the 1913 first class Of1ces not emu
merated in the above table, whose aggregate
salaries would not exceed $4,000, would
meet all the requirements OF the postal
savings business at those ofaces during the first
year. For correspondence, examining and keeping
accounts, and for the other duties required to be
performed at the central Office there would be
needed, for the 20S first class of1ces % clerks,
messengers and laborers, or IA to each 100 Offices
For the next 600 ofnces, 80 clerks would be needed
or to each 100 Offices. For the next 800 offices
and for the remaining money order offces not
to exceed to each 100 Offices. 1t is believed
that the proposed allowance of three-eighrhs Of
one per cent on deposits, as commissions to post
masters, will cover all the necessary expenditure
for clerk hire OF the force required in transactng
postal savings business at repositories, leaving
the extra amount required to pay additional clerks
at the ten repositories Of the first class and the
employees at the central Office to be provided
for by special allowance. The above estimate Of
expenses Is considered to be little under nine
sixteenths of one per cent on the probable depos-
Its when In full operation but In order to cover all
possible expenditures OF the business 1t places the
limit OF such expenditures at three-ourths OF one
per cent on such deposits, leaving margin Of one
fourth of one per cent of the surplus
Of interest to be paid by the Treasury Department
to accrue as revenue for the service of the Post
Office Department..
At the close Of the year ending June 49, 1873
there were probably in the employ OF all the tele
graph companies 1850 persons, of whom 1000
were managers and operators. II the tele-
graph service Of the country were consolidated,
even in private hands, the number
OF employees could be greatly reduced
without impairing the efficiency of the
service, for the reason that duplicate sets
Of oicers operators, clerks, messengers, &c, are
maintained by the competing companies in many
places, where one SET would be sufficient If all the
lines were brought under one organization. Under
government management the telegraph would be
consolidated with the postal service. In cities
where the free delivery by carriers is established
messages arriving previous to the departure OF
rers on their regular routes could be delivered BY
them, and additional messengers would be needed
only to deliver messages arriving in the interval
between regular mail deliveries. There are now
In the employ OF all the telegraph companies as
messengers probably $500 persons, of which num-
Der fully threefourths at cities where the free
delivery Is now or win soon be established
II the postal telegraph were established and the
rates made uniform and payable by stamps a
much less complicated system OF accounts would
be required, and therefore only slight increase in
the present postal force in large offices would be
necessary to keep the accounts of the tele.
graph. At smaller Offices no increase would
be required for this work. In 1870 there
were in the United States SCOT post
or1ces near which telegraph onices were in
operation At 4,279 OF these post olces the annual
postal receipts were under 81, and for q small
additional compensation tie services of q skilled
operator as postmaster could be secured at many.
or, perhaps, nearly all Of these, who would be able
to perform the combined duties. At s72 OF the re-
naming ofnces the postal receipts are
less than $4,000 per annum, ana 1900
additional employees Of all grades could
undoubtedly perform the Geographic work OF
these. This leaves 456 onices, including all the
larger cities, Of which 1877 have over 10, 900 In
habitants each; an average of employees to each
OF these 45e ofces, which is large average, would
give 3,192. Adding to this the l,50O ad-
ditiona employees needed for the s72
ofnces above mentioned, and the total Will be
1902. The salaries OF these additional employees
of all grades on the Morse system will not aver
age over 5000 per year, which Is nearly ffty per
cent higher than the salaries now paid by tire tele-
graph companies, according to their published
figures. There are large number OF ofnces oper-
ated by railroad companies. These offices could,
no doubt, by an arrangement for commissions
on business similar to that adopted in
Europe be made available to the public without
adding to the NUMBER OF postal employees. BY con-