The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-10
A NATIONAL CONVENTION
OF Third and Fourth Glass Post
Masters. To &c Held at Chicago.

OF Third and Fourth Glass Pos
Masters. To &c Held at Chicago.
On the 9TH of December last prelimi
nary meeting of the third and fourth
class postmasters was held at Chicago
and resolutions We're there passed call
ing National Convention to meet in that
city on the 18th of February, inst. The
object of the convention is to formulate
resolutions to congress asking redress al
the hnads of that body in certain exist
ing evils. The meeting unanimously re-
solved that there was no way for the
third and fourth-class postmasters to es-
cape from their present environments
EXCEPT through the medium of national
convention. Numerous Postmaster Gen
erals have recommended in their annual
reports the provisions the postnlasters
are seeking, but congress has THIS far
done little or nothing for them and they
feel that the time has arrived when wig
orous action 10 necessary.
Delegates are to be sent from each
congressional district throughout the
country, and the body will be large in
numbers and full OF intelligence.
This move on the part of the postmas-
ters is claimed not to be made through
the spirit of insubordination, but is
simply al appeal to congress for the en-
actment of certain laws granting them
fair and just compensation for the
labor they perform.
The third-class postmasters want the
government to pay their expenses for
rent, light. and fuel the same as it does
for Offices for the first and second grade.
Ever Postmaster General f1r the last ten
years has recommended that this be
done, but as yet congress has taken no
decided measures, and the result is that
the postmasters are still ont in the cold.
The fourth-class postmasters want the
law fixing their incomes so amended
that they may receive the first 800 re-
ccised far stamps sold instead of the
first $50 as ut present. Then the other
commissions can stay as they are.
The fourth class postmasters are paid
by u commission upon the stamps they
cancel, and when congress reduced the
rate Of postage upon first-class matter
from 3 to . cents, OF course that cut off
one-third of their incomes. In other
words their salaries were reduced 33t
per cent, while their labor was increased.
The reduction Of postage of second class
nattsr in the interest of the press from
cents per pound 10 one cent, threw
thousar u tons Of newspapers into the
fha< ri r:a1 l,p-o
press. At the old rate the government
could not compete with the express cont
panies, and now, since the new law
went into operation, the express compan-
les can not compete with the govern.
inent. This entails upon the postmas-
ters the labor of handling endless guam
titles of papers for which they receive
no compensation.
The issuing of money orders at three
ami one-half cents each is also a bitter
car:Se of complaint. They claim that it
dos not begin to pay for .he time and
labor involved in transacting the busi-
ness, and that the old law giving them
one-;hird the fees charged the public
shot:ld be restored.
The question of box rent is also a suo-
iect : agitation and will receive atten- /
ton during the convention. They as
sert that under the present law the post
master of the fourth class is debarred
from receiving a greater compensation
thaa 81, 900 q year, while those of the
5".F,!-class are cut off 1T $4,000. They
may invest all the way from $500 to
ST. GOO in beautiful boxes and other at
tractIye features, yet if, for example,
post master of the fourth-cl class is entitled
10 $3.50 per annum on his cancellation of
stamps, lie is debarred from receiving
more than $50 for his box rents even
though they may amount to $500, and
the entire surplus must be turned over
10 the government. Considering the
fact that the boxes are the private pro-
perty of of the postmaster, they feel that
the United States has no moral or just
right 20 the revenue from them, and
they want the law so amended that they
viii receive the income from that source.
The committees are making ample ar
fragments for the entertainment OF the
dec ates to the convention. The various
railroads through the country will offer
special rates to tho attendants, and the
ho;e,s OF Chicago, at least the Palmer
agj the Clifton, both celebrated through
OF, the country, have made . special
rae of $3.50 per day for the delegates.
The prospects are that the convention
Will be largely attended, and the post
masters confidently believe that much
good to them will result from the con
ven,ion. There are $1,000 postmaster.
OF the third and fourth class, all of whom