Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-07-17
Now Law for 4th Glass Postoff1ces
DAycnunrt Gazette

Inquiries are made by many post
masters at thesmallers, or fourth class,
offices rs to whether they are now to
count Cancelled stamps and report
the same to the Department as basis
for the adjustment of their salaries.
The answer is that they will receive
definite instructions on that point i'm
due time. The change NOW made in
the law is important. 1t puts an end
to the fraudulent sales of stamps, etc.,
by which the Post Office Department
has been made to suffer serious loss,
and under which the post offices of
the first and second class have been
deprived of their legitimate revenues.
The law as now in force provides:
"That the compensation of Post
masters of the fourth class shall be
the whole of the boX-rents collected
at their Offices, and commission on
unpaid letter postage collected, on
amounts received from waste paper,
dead newspapers, printed matter and
Irvine sold, and on postage stamps,
stamped envelopes, postal cards and
newspaper and periodical stamps cam
celed as postage on matter actually
mailed at their offices, at the follow
ing rates, namely: On the first 500
; or less per quarter, 60 per centum;
on all over 800 and not over $500 pei
, quarter, SO per centum; and on all
over $500 per quarter, 40 per centum:
the same to beascertained and allowed
by the Auditor in the settlement O.
5 the accounts of such Postmasters up
4 on their sworn quarterly returns: Pro
!. vided. that when the compensation o
!. any Postmaster of this class shall
, reach 800 per aanum, exclusive o
commissions on money order business
e and when the returns to the Audito
n for four quarters shall show him to b,
:, entitled to a compensation in eNcas
of that amount under section 2 of tn
o act of July II, 1876, the Auditor shall
e report such fact to the Postmaster Gen
Y eral, who will assign him to the prop
q er class and fix his salary as provided
by said section. Provided further
u that in no case shall there be allowe'
i to any Postmaster in this class com
q pensatiOn greater than $3.50 in an,
q one quarter, exclusive of money OF
= der commissions"
The act provides that Postmaster
s who shall make false returns to tn
Auditor for the purpose of increasin
y their compensation, shall be deeme
l. guilty of misdemeanor, and upon cor
= Viction shall be fined from $50 to $5Ot
q or imprisonment not exceeding on
y year, or both, in the discretion of tn
y court. The act forbids those entrust
nj ed with the sale of stamps, stamps
IS envelopes and postal cards "to dispos
of them in payment for debts or il
:. the purchase of merchandise or othe
n saleable articles, or pledge or hypoth
ii ecate the same, or sell CT dispose c
t. them, except for cash, or sell or dis
s pose of postage stamps or postal card
for any larger or less sum than tn
values indicated on their faces, or sci
), or dispose of stamped envelopes for
# larger or less sum than is charged
: therefor by the Post Office DSpart
, ment for the like quantities, or sell o
dispose of postage stamps, stampe,
1 envelopes or postal cards otherwis
t than as provided by law and the reg
: ulations of the Post Office Depart
ment," under the penalty statee
|abOye,