New-York tribune., 1874-10-28

That the Posmasters salaes except in the cities OF
more than 100000 population are greatly and eItrava
gantly exorbitant will be shown by comparing them
with the salaries of other officers in the depart
ment. speaking all the while, recollect, OF Post
masters appointed by the President.
Mr. Marshall First Assistant PostmasterG eneral has
a salary Of s3.5 year. He attends to the appoint
ment of 900 Postmasers The appropriations under
his charge than $12,OOOOOO for the current
fiscal year. Not than six Postmasers in the United
States have responsible positions than he, and
there laborious Yet there are 4o Post
masters who receive equal or greater pay.
The case is still stronger TO Mr.. R0utt the Second
Assistant He has charge OF all the
contracts carrying the mails There are 6252 con-
tractors for carrying mails within the United States
The appropriations under his charge for the current
year are about tooOoOoo No Postmaster has anything
like such great and responsible duties to perform yet
l4O OF them outrank him In pay.
Equally strong is the to Mr. Barber Third As
sstant He-has charge OF the stamps, stamped and
official envelopes, postal cards. newspaper wrappers,
ana advertising of the Department. The value OF the
stamps etc, sent out from his Bureau will amount to
nearly $4,000 900 during the current year. Yet he Is
outranked IN pay by 40 postmasters
But the illustration OF all is found In the
OF Mr. Bangs Superintendent OF Railway Mail Service
for the whole United States He has under his super
vision railway postoce clerks 9So route agents. oil
mail route messengers, 12S local agents. being total Of
ALPS men the country at large, besides his assistants
in his office here There were 67,734 miles of
railway postal service on the S0th OF June last All
these men, all these immense macbineres. are under
the charge Of Col Bangs 1t is to the general public by
odds the valuable branch Of the postal service To
conduct well and prOgressiyeyas has actually been
done-requres singular capacity, pluck and endurance
The requirements of post-office amount TO half
much Tho salary of this officer is s25OO year There
are 48 postmasters who receive precisely the same
salary each, and 800 who receive more.
There postmasers who receive equal greater
salaries than the Governors OF their respective States
OF these 10 in Connecticut the Postmaster C}ener
ais own State respectfully submit that he Of his
own knowledge of men IN that State, in 80 minutes
select 10 men who will efficiently fill these offices at the
same salary he received when he Governor and
that they will be decently grateful for appoint
ments, too.
Unless greatly deceive myself, the FOREGOING facts
make abundant proof Of extravaganza. There is here
IN the aggregate salary grab immensely larger than
IL ought be- else the ranking officers the Depart
uent and many Governors OF States paid salaries
dsgracefully small. No man in his senses will contend
that subaerns should receive higher pay than the field
and general officers But this nonsense has up
in the Post Office Departmental prodigous abuse How
be reformedt answer by the simplest possible
pau All there is to be done is to cut down the exorbi
tant salaries and IL the ncumbents do not like it and
resign. 70 put In good men In their places The thing
ought done precisely Messrs. A. T. Ste wart &
Co. any other Of your business firms would do
similar thing ia their establishments. When they do
termne the salaries their employees they
DO IL. IL there is objection they employ other compe
tent men at what they consider remunerave pay and
have serious trouble In getting them. They
guilty Of the business folly of paying 1900
year when they get another equally good la all
respects, for t2Oo.
Ehave put myseK 70 tue labor OF preparing tabular
statement sbow,ne the presen, salaries OF posmasters
sn~"'ntsd BY the President In the various States and