St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-29
The Postmaster General Sends
Some Pointed Sugges-
lions to Congress.
Consul Blackjack Sheds Some
New Light on Samoan
Affairs.
Commissioner Oberly Blames
Agent Gregory for Pine
Deppedations.
Natives of Alaska Are as
Moral as Some Loud
Mouthed Americans.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 2S.-The
postmaster general has sent, in reply TO
the request of the house committee Oh
postoffices and post roads, his opinion
on house bill 12,lO9, which requires
railroad companies to carry the mails at
the rates OF cOmpt nSati0n fixed by law.
In his answer the postmaster general
points out the present condition OF the
law under which any railroad company
NAV refuse to take the mails and by
which the departing Mt can secure their
carriage by contract only. he COM
mentS as follows:
With rapid facilities necessity 10 the mail
service, with the whole subject of legislation
exclusively within the jurisdiction OF the
congress, with the power and duty &c leg1S-
late clearly apparent venture to suggest
that tn e present condition OF the law under
which the service NAV be stopped at the
caprice of carrier constitutes reproach 10
a government established to promote The
public welfare.
The committee this afternoon unani-
mOuSly voted to report the bill. 1t pro-
videS that if any railroad company shall
refuse or neglect to convey any mails
upon any tram upon which tIe post
master general may require such serV-
ice, or willfully refuse to obey any law
respecting the transportation OF the
mails, it shall be liable to penalty not
exceeding LOCO for each day in which
such refusal or neglect shall be per-
sisted in. The postmaster general will
tomorrow communicate to the commit
tee his views upon the proposed hori-
zontal reduction of compensation to
railroads for carrying the mails. He
will advise against the proposed meas
inn al
and to some extent unfair. The post
master general has sent to Chairman
Blount, of the house committee on post
offices and post roads, a proposed plan
for the classification of clerks in all first
class and SecUnd-clasS pOStotficeS. The
plan is submitted at the request Of the
committee, it having under conSidera-
ton bill for more equable and effect
i've classification of clerks in postoffices
of the classes named. Under the pro-
posed plan the salaries of assistant
p0stmaSters at frSt-class postOfficeS
cannot exceed so per cent of the
salary of the postmasters at their
respective offices, and are to be graded
in even hundreds of dollars from $l,500
to not exceeding $1,000, except the as
sistant postmaster at New York city.
whose salary is fixed by this classified
lIOII q GO.'JUU. Dt vi
tendentS of mail and superintendents of
delivery cannot exceed 45 per cent of
the salary of the postmaster, and are to
range from 1900 to S2.7OO. The saIar-
les of the superintendent of registry
and superintendent of money order di-
visions cannot be greater than 35 per
cent and 40 per cent respectively OF the
postmaster, or exceed 100 and 81, 400
respectively. AS to the superintendent
of the registry divisions. exception is
made in the cases of the officials in New
York, Chicago and Washington. where
this officers salary is fixed at 10 per
cent of that OF the postmaster. All
subordinate Offices and clerkships are
also classified and the salaries attached
TO them adjusted. The general effect
of this classification of the present force,
it is said, would be to increase the ag
gregate of salaries by about $300,0U0.