The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-16
POsTMAsTERs' SALARIES.

We see by the press dispatches that bill
has been introduced into Congress by Joyce,
| of Vermont, providing for a change in the
present method of adjusting the salaries Of
postmasters at fourth-class offices. In this
class are embraced all offices TO which
appointment Is not made by the President,
which, we learn from the report of the Post
master General, constitute more than SO per
cent OF the whole number, SO that the evil
this bill is proposed to remedy must be a
very considerable one. Under the existing
laws, this class of postmasters derive their
salaries almost entirely from the percentage
allowed them on sales of postage stamps,
while those of presidential offices, having
once been adjusted, remain unchanged until a
new adjustment is ordered. These last
receive salaries of from one to four thou
sand dollars, and are required to account for
all stamps sold by them at their face value,
and their salaries are neither increased nor
diminished by the sales made by them.
1t is otherwise at offices of the fourth class
A postmaster of this class receives 60 per
cent of the amount of stamps sold by him
each quarter up to 500 per quarter, 80 per
cent on all over 500 and up to $500, and 40
per cent on all over $500 per quarter up to
$1,000 or over, when the office becomes presi-
DENTAL and the salary is fixed under the
method of adjustment prescribed by law.
g That is, under the existing law" says the
Postmaster General, twenty-five out Of
every twenty-six postmasters may sell an
nually, in quarterly installments, postage
stamps to the amount Of $2O95, of which each
will receive 1898, and the government $1O97,
while in only one Office out Of every twenty
six do the entire proceeds from sales Of
stamps accrue to the benefit of the govern
ment."
The operation Of this method has proved
most disastrous to the government for a
number of years. The postmasters Of cities
state that they sell scarcely any stamps to
wholesale dealers, while the merchants finally
confess that they get their stamps entirely
from country dealers, taking them at par or
at a discount. In the majority of cases post
masters of this class are country store-keep-
ers and the opportunity afforded by this law
to turn an honest penny at the expense Of
the government is not foregone.
The temptations thrown in their way by
sewing machine agents, dealers in iewelry,
books, musical instruments, etc., who offer to
take pay in postage stamps at par are also
numerous and importunate. "The conse-
quence is, says the department., "and must
continue to be, SO long as the law remains I'M
changed, that the sales from these offices in
crease far beyond the legitimate wants Of the
people served by them, and they supply to
large extent our cities, while the sales from
the city offices correspondingly diminish, and
the net revenues of the Department are there
by reduced"
Mr.. Joyce's bill is intended to correct this
evil, and was evidently introduced at the sug-
gestion of Postmaster General Key-it is |
merely to allow postmasters of the fourth
class the commissions as now fixed, not on
sales of postage stamps, but on the value of
stamps actually Cancelled by them. This will
achieve the purpose Of the government and
operate an incalculable saving to the depart
ment by doing away with the antagonism of
interest existing between 1t and the post
masters Of this grade. There will be no
profit, and therefore no motive in selling
stamps beyond the necessities of the commu-
nifty served.