The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-12-22
THE PORTLAND POST OFFICE AND
TIE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.

Near the close of Postmaster Barker's adj
ministration four stamp agencies were
established in this city. That they hare
proved a great convenience to the pdblic is
clearly shown by the fact that at one Of
them alone the sales of :twc cent stamps in
single month have amounted to ten thous-
and in number The expense of these
agencies was Insignificant. being only 500
annually for the whole Of them or 1924
each. About week ago three Of them
were discontinued. The one on Brack-
EFT street still remains. No explanation
was given; it was simply said that it
was by order of the first assistant post
master general the natural inference being
that the postmaster at this office had nothing
70 IL the matter and was not consulted.
postmaster general abolished all
SAe agencies, the performance would
I Seen ezplainable on the ground that
E tlficial was of the opinion that no such
iaries were required in this city, and
Il been prompted by motives of economy
20 discontinue them. But to abolish three
and retain one was performance which
with our limited knowledge at the time
appeared incomprehensible.
Certain facts which have come to the sur
face since then seem to shed good deal of
light on the subject One of the sections of
the civil service law reads as follows:
Within sixty days it shall be the duty of the
Postmaster General y ~ to separately arrange in
classes the several clerks or persons employed,
or in the public service, at each post office or
under any postmaster Of the United States, when
the whole number of said clerks and persons
shall together amount to as many as fifty.
Rule adopted by the commission says:
The classified postal service shall embrace the
several pOsto1iceS where the officials are as many
as fifty.
At the close of Postmaster Bankers adj
ministration the total number of 'clerks OF
persons employed, or in the public service"
at the Portland postofice was forty-nine.
The appointment of three special delivery
messengers under the new law increased the
number to fifty-two, and consequently brought
the office within the provisions of the civil
service law, forthe sixth paragraph of Rule
Y of the commission provides that's
Whenever within the meaning of said act the
number OF clerks and persons employed at any
post office shall be as many fifty, any existing
classification of those in the postal service shall
apply thereto; and thereafter the commission will
provide for examinations for filling the vacancies
At said offices, and the Rules will be applicable
thereto.
That's with fifty-two persons in the service
at the Portland post office, a clean sweep
would be impracticable because vacancies
would have to be filed by competitive exam
ination which would be likely to put in as
many Republican clerks as Democratic But
by abolishing three of the stamp agencies the
number of persons in the public service was
reduced to forty-nine and thus the office kept
out Of the civil service law
The question naturally arises who insti-
gated this reduction of the stamp agencies
of course the first assistant postmaster
general issued the order, but did he do it on
his own motion or at some ones solicitation.
and if the latter, at whose request was it
done? And was the motive the saving of
S79 per year to the government or the
rescuing of the Office from the civil service
law that it might remain as fountain to
moisten the parehed Threats of the very
thirsty Democracy of Portland? And why
was it that the Bracket street agency was
retained in preference to the agency on Mum
joy? Did the assistant postmaster general
determine without suggestion from the
Portland office what agencies should be
abolished and what retained? Perhaps an
inquisitive Senate may ask some of these
questions when it reaches the case of the Port
land postmaster. The former postmaster was
turned out for offensive craftsmanship" 1t
is to be hoped that the present incumbent
has not begun thus early to develop symp-
toms of that disease.