The Portland daily press., 1885-12-26
COMPLAINING PARTIsANs.
Grievances and Desires of Third and
Fourth Class Postmasters

CHICAGO, Dec. pa circular was issued
here yesterday formally calling q national
convention Of third and fourth class post
masters, 10 be held in this city on February
Is, 1886, to discuss their grievances. The
circular declares;
'sThere is no way for third and fourth class
postmasters to escape from their present environ
ments except through the medium of a postmast-
ers national convention. Numerous PoStmasterS
General have recommended in their annual re-
ports the provisions were are seeking, but Con-
greSS has thus far done little or nothing Tor us,
and we feel that the time has now arrived when
vigorous action is absolutely necessary There
has been no feeling of hostility manifested toward
us, but Congressional aid is seldom or ever Sc
cured when there is no earnest effort made TO get
it. There has never been visiting poStmaSterS
committee in Washington soliciting favorable
legislation since the foundation Of the govern
ment and yet there is no class OF public servants
so Intimately associated with the business and
social life OF the American people as the post
masters of our country. 1t is beyond human com,
prehenSion why they have so long, so quietly ana
so humbly submitted to the inequalities OF our
postal laws. We have no fight with first and sec
ond class postmasters and wish them we'll, but we
submit that every advantage has been given them
in the way of large salaries and adequate help, in
the way of allowances for office accessories and
clerk hire, while we have been compelled to do
our own work and pay our own expenses
The thlrd-class postmaster is compelled to
give his cfice all his time and attention, and is
not permitted to engage in any outside pursuit
His income then, unless he happens to possess
other sources of revenue, mnst come from his
poStoffice. We can understand why all the eXpens-
es of first class postofice should be borne by
the government, and for that matter, those of the
second, but We do not comprehend why 1t should
step in and liquidate all claims of every kind for
Offices of those grades, while the man who runs a
third-class office must dip down deep into his
pocket and haul out his hard earned sayings and
turn it over for rent, light, fuel clerk hire etc.
until every dollar has slipped through his fingers
He is under heavy bonds, every hour OF his time
is given his office, and he performs actual ply
mental labor
fully Disseminated against by our lawmaking pow
er. Postmasters of the first and second class are
responsible of course, for the management OF their
Offices, yet every man who knows anything what
ever of Onr postal service is fully advised that
they are generally fgureheads, that they draw
liberal salaries while they perform but slight ser
vice, while we must work day and night for only
pittance.
'.Now then the time has arrived for cessation
borne sufficiently long. We have been driving up
the game while those gentlemen have been hold
ing the bag Postmasters General one after
another have espoused our cause and earnestly
yet it has, practically done nothing for us. An
act was passed March 8, 1885, giving the Post
master General discretionary power in the matter
of paying the rent of all third-class Offices but
such beggarly sum was appropriated for that
purpose that the law was imperative. The time
has now come for Congress to come out and show
its hand, and instead of limiting the expenditures
for rent light and fuelto $400 it should RAISE
it to S600,O00"
ances are not urged in spirit of nsubordination,
but simply as American citizens seeking justice
and right at the hands of the lawmak1ng power.
1t states that among the speakers who, 1t IS ex-
pected, will address the meeting are Senator Con-
ger of Michigan, Senator Wilson of Iowa, Henry
II. Bingham of Philadelphia, and FL. d. Money OF
Washington.