Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-03

am led to present the subject Il
Congress with much more earnestness
POSTAL TELEGRAPHY.
1.-THE correspondence OF the country i
to continue to be under the charge AM
protection of the Government, the vas
and increasing volume conducted b,
!elegraphy, and the right Of the presen
body OF the people to be afforded facili
lies for the best and quickest trans
mission at rates within the mean
Of all, will press this subject upor
the attention OF Congress with more ant
more urgency. The chief difficulties IL
the way are the great cost OF the presen
methods aud the absence of the safe
guards which, according to the theory o
the present mail service, should pro
tect the privacy of correspondence
1 have given the subject much
consideration, and l believe the
Inventive genius of this country has
reached the stage OF discovery in electric
science when these problems can be
solved. The subject is OF go great i'm
portance to the people, that l believe an
opportunity should be given for the pre-
sentation and examination of inventions
which have been informally presented tc
committees of Congress, the Department
and the public, and that a stimulus
should be given to inventors te
turn their attention to the improvement
of the old methods. recon-
mend the appointment of a commission
of competent and disinterested men
learned in science, who may examine
the inventions and invite others, who
shall be authorized to erect short ex'
perimental lines, and who shall report
to the President or to Congress the re-
suit of their investigations.
FOURTH CLASS PosToFFICEs.
have had the honor to recommend a
revision of the law regulating the COM
pensation of fourth class postmasters, by
which a compensation shall be per-
mitted, which was intended by the act of
Congress, fixing the standard. Through
all the reductions of postage rates the
amount OF postage received has furnished
the standard OF compensation of the
officials; they number 54,874. There
has been no readjustment Of the rate of
compensation in harmony with the re-
duction of postage rates. Increased
labor has been imposed by increased
business resulting from lower postage,
which at the same time, has reduced
compensation.
CLASSIFICATION OF CLERKS.
The attention Of Congress is requested
to recommendations of the First Assist
ant Postrn aster- General, regarding the
classification and salaries of the clerks
attached to the larger postotfices. While
the free delivery service, with its 35S
offices, has received marked legislation,
in the consideration of providing care
full classification and promotion OF car
riers, and providing substitutes for vaca-
tions and holidays, and Limitation in
the appropriation for but eight hours
service per day, at a total cost for that
service during the current fis-
cal year of about $1,000, 900,
there has been provided for the cost of
clerks in all the postoffices of the United
States but So, ,95O,OOO. The total increase
of the free delivery offices for the cur
rent year will not exceed forty.
RENT OF THIRD CLASS OFFICES.
An Act OF Congress approved July "a,
1883, authorized allowing for rent, fuel
and light for thirC-class postoffices, as
frequently recommended by the Depart
ment. On the 1st of July, 1888, 1908
offices were assigned to the third class
list, and under the operation OF
the existing law, eighty additional
offices were assigned to the third class
from October /, 1888, making the total
number $685. The limitations of said
act, by which the maximum annual rent
for an office for the third class was fixed
at $500, and the maximum allowance
for fuel and lights at $50, should
in my opinion be repealed, as the best
interests of the service require discre-
tionary auth ority in the head of the de-
partment to fix this allowance, as having
regards to the local needs.
FRANKING PRIVILEGES.
The Postmaster. General calls atten-
ton to frankipg privileges, and recon-
mends its revision, with penal
ties for it's violation. He care
fully reviews the statutes, and points
out their want of uniformity.
Following is his closing paragraph on the
subject: eff franking privileges were
abolished ard a regular allowance for the
purchase of postage stamps made instead
every Senator and member OF the House
of Representative would be placed
upon an exact equality, no one could
make use of the mails beyond his own
allowance, and no unauthorized person
could make use of the mails to forward
unofficial matters. The Agricultural Col
lege, now enjoying the franking privilege,
might be furnished through the Depart
ment of Agriculture with free penalty
envelopes"
THE GOVERNMENT AND RAILROADS.
The Postmaster General calls attention
to the fact that the law reposes no au.
thority in any official of the Government
to compel the owners of railroads to re-
ceive and carry mails of the United
States and says it is in urgent need OF
revision. He says public opinion
and sentiment are the only forces
to which the Department can now
appeal to secure improved mail
facilities when amicable negotiations
fail; that the only existing law provid.
ing an alternative in case of refusal Of
any road n W under contract with the
Government to take the mails, is for the
Department to send them forward by
pony express.
A recommend is also made that
at the termination of the existing con-
tracts for the manufacture OF postage
stamps, postal cards and stamped en-
envelopes, the Government take the
work into its own hands.
Those New-FangledS Sunday Schools
CHICAGO, December 2.-Three hundred
persons held meeting at Aurora Turner