The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-25
malton,. Hecommendations.

First AHSlbtant tohtmAsIef 6eueIaI haIT
TOMS report IL meeting with much COM
mendation from the pres and the public.
1t Is . very practical document and treats
matters in a business likeway. An anomaly
in our present postage rates is worthy Of
some attention. When It costs as much to
carry q letter from one block to another in
the came city as It does to carry the letter
10 San Francisco, Mr.. Hatton thinks the
time has arrived when the postage on local
letters, at offices where the carrier system
is in operation, can be reduced from two to
one cent. And, besides the gr, a di'parity
Of price in proportion 10 service, he gives
the very good reason that the local service
in cities now pays over q million dollars a
year in postage in excess Of the cost Of the
service. He adds the further inducement
that every new facility given to the local
service increases the volume Of Its business,
and we may add that while this pays the
Government we'll in the end in the mere
matter Of revenue, 1t also carries out n Of
the great purposes Of the Postofice De-
partmeut as q help and promoter oil inter
course among the people.
Asto the clerks he says, they are as a
rule "anderpaid," especially at the 'sepa.
rating otices.' 1t is a fact that these
clerks are very materially underpaid,
and we may repeat here what has
often been said from competent
knowledge on the subject, that they
are the hardest worked and least paid Of
the Government employee; certainly this Ia
the case as to employees contributing the
anne class Of service and incuring similar
responsibilities. OF the other class Of su'
bordinates, those in the Department al
Washington, such as the clerks who are the
heads Of the divisions, Mr.. Hatton speak,
in terms Of deserved and Just commenda'
tion-at least 1t is Just as to many Of them
: ofthese Mr.. Hatton says:
"such subordinate officers, who always
have opinions Of their own and freely ex'
press them, without stopping to first con
slider whether or not the opinions they hon
estly entertain are those Of their superior
officers, are the class Of officers from whom
a superior gets his best and most valuable
assistance. II Is from such s%ubordinates
that the head Of any Office gets the mosl
cheerful acquiescence when he assumes the
responsibility Of final decision which the
law places upon him"
Commenting on the feature in the report
which states that the removals and sus
pensions OF officers were fewer in the pre-
:cedingy year, an exchange says it is doubly
gratifying as there were comparatively few
in that year preceding. In no previous
year the First Assistant believes, have there
been fewer complaints Of incompetency o.
dishonesty among postmmters. All this Ii
very cheerful news to hear; and taking II
in It's proper connection with other news
we have from another Department. Il
shows that the wholesome influences o.
civil service reform is already at work. The
news from the other Department referred
10 is to the effect, that while there used to
be an average oftwelye vacancies a month
from resignations, removals, &C., there ia
now but an average Of two such vacancies
q month. Tho tenure is much more secure
among meritorious clerks, they have leaa
occasion to resign for fear Of being dis.
placed, or Of having their fairly earned
promotion denied, by the bringing in Of the
protese Of Congressman to push them from
their stools, or to take the higher places to
which they are entitled by intelligent and
faithful service.