River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-12-01

y
inal waste of public money, swarmed
about the halls of legislation, and, in
the midst of the political excitement
and confusion incident to the admins
tration Of Andrew Johnson, were ena-
bled to lobby through many schemes
which the sober judgment of the coun-
try has since pronounced unmitigated
evils. IT was during this periad that
the practice of
STRAW BIDDING
unblushingly prevailed, and increased
largely the cost of the star mail service
in the western states and territories.
The combination Of contractors, who
then dominated the department and
defied the law, not only robbed the
government, but their evil influence is
felt to this day. The extension of the
mail service was unquestionably far in
advance of the actual needs of the
country. The enormous pay for fast
daily service over many long star routes
was in reality subsidy or bounty to
the proprietors of stage lines. The
excuse for these excessive expenditures
was that the development of the coun-
try was accelerated and civilization ad-
vanced thereby. Admitting this to be
true, for the sake of argument, it is
questionable whether the good accom-
plished in the remote regions of the
west compensated for the positive evil
which resulted. The responsibility for
this evil rests largely on congress. The
aggregate net reduction in the star and
steamboat service during 1881, is ST.
147, 757.
The following is the passage in the
report referring to the investigation of
the alleged.
ABUSES IN STAR ROUTE SERVICE
which was instituted by directions of
the late president, and is still being
prosecuted. The postoffice department
has co-operated, and will continue to
cooperate, with the department of JUS
tice in this investigation. No one who
has not been directly concerned in the
matter can fully appreciate the magni-
tude of thQ undertaking, the mass of
record evidence examined, the difficult
ties of personal examination in sparse
ly settled territories, and the results at
tanned by patient and intelligent labors
of the inspectors of this department.
There can be no doubt, from the facts
already ascertained, that the existing
statutes leave the way open to great
abuses, and that there is abundant
ground for asking judicial investiga-
ton of the transactions of the last few
years.
The one serious difficulty in the way
of bringing back the department to a
selfsustaining basis is the constantly
increasing cost of the railway mail SER
vice. This increase during the past
fiscal year was $487, 446. Mr.. James
thinks a great majority of the roads
are overpaid, and that the salaries of
postmasters in towns of ten thousand
inhabitants or less may be reduced.
In this way he thinks it will be posi-
BILE to reduce letter postage from three
to two cents within three years.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
Among other recommendation he
suggested that the widows and orphans
of men killed in the railway postal SER
vice, be allowed their salaries for a pc
so disabled on full pay for period not
exceeding one year. 1t IS recommend
ed further that railway mail service
clerks be divided into five classes, to be
paid respectively, $500, 5000, $1,000,
81, 200, and 81, 400 per year, and that
chief head clerks be allowed their
necessary travelling expenses
The whole number of persons en-
ployed in the postal service, June 80,
1881, pas 81, IA, of whom 44,512 were
postmasters.
FREE DELIVERY.
The number of delivery offices has
increased from 50 in 1872, to 101 in
1881. The system is believed 10 b. a
source of revenue instead of an item
of expense. The increase of receipts
in the free delivery offices for the last
year was II per cent. The report re,
commends an increase of the compen-
sation of auxiliary letter carriers from
$400 to 5000 fortheir first years service
in that grade, and after that to 500;
also to authorize the appointment of
substitute letter-carriers at post-offices
where their employment is necessary,
to be paid a nominal salary of 800 per
annum, and the pro rata compensation
of the carriers in whose places they
may be called on to serve.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
The report closes with an expression
in favor of civil revenue reform. APP
pointment by influence, it says, natur-
ally results in making the tenure of
Office not depend upon fidelity and eff
cheney in the discharge of official duty,
but upon the assiduous cultivation of
the favor of patron. Such tenure is
with the self-respect of
the incumbent, and the service must
suffer from the decline of
its morals. But the evil consequences
cannot be limited to the public service;
they affect all political action, the pu-
rity and vigor of the government, and
the national character of itself The
question, therefore, is one of far high
er importance than that of the compar-
alive fitness of clerks in the employ
ment OF the government, and really
concerns the character and success of
ropp hlicao institutions