Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-22

There is a bill before Congress max.
ing provision for the classification and
compensation Of postoillcc clerks, which
is right in the line of q long-needed re-
form and ought to go through. This
bill, which has been reported favorably
by the committees on postoflices and
post roads in both houses, specifies the
salaries 10 be psid-hitherto largely
matter Of chance or favor-and pro-
vides that promotions shall be made
from the service, instead Of, as is now
allowable, from the outside. The clerks
are TO be apportioned into two classes.
Second-class clerks shall hereafter enter
the service on a salary of 5000, to be in
creased 800 per year until the pay
reaches 5000, the maximum for clerks
of this class and, of course, only to be
reached after three years service. First
class clerks are to be divided into five
grades, with salaries ranging from $1,000
up TO maximum of Sl,400 All ap-
pointments TO the frst-class shall be
made from the second-class, and all pro-
motions within the first.class shall be
made from the next lower grade, upon
basis of efficiency and length of service,
under such rules as the postmaster.
general shall prescribe.
The postoffice clerks, THE GAZETTE
is informed, are the only Federal en-
ployes who do not receive their pay on
a definite and classified schedule. They
are asking in this bill to be placed on
similar footing with the letter carriers,
who were years ago placed upon def
mite and determined scale of salaries.
In the service, as at present conducted,
clerk in one office may get double the
pay of clerk doing the same grade of
work in another office; q clerk may do
higher grade of work than his neighbor
for less pay, or a man who has spent
years in the service may receive poorer
wages than a political favorite who Is
newly appointed and knows nothing of
the work. Furthermore, the fact that a
certain clerk is receiving $500 this fiscal
year is not guarantee that he may not
be cut down to $500 next year-if the
office in which he is employed does not
fare well in the allotment of the appro-
priation.
The evil of this lack of system begins
with the appropriations. The Postmaster
General sends in his estimate to Congress.
In the nature of the case, this estimate
lacks the eXactitude of a computation
based upon properly classified and |
regulated system of compensation. Con-
gress, as rule, cuts down this estimate. |
Tine resulting appropriation, obviously
an uncertain quantity, is parceled out |
TO the postmasters by the chief Of the |
salary and allowance division. Each |
postmaster naturally hustles to get as
big a slice as he can. Some get more
than they need; others are forced to put !
up with less. After the fund has been
allotted, in this unsystematic way,
among the postoffices, the postmasters
divide the same among their clerks.
The division may be fair and impartial, |
and it may not. Manifestly, there Is a |
great deal of uncertainty inseparable
from such method-or lack Of method !
of doing business, which the enact
ment of the pending bill would have a |
tendency to remedy. The need of a
thorough reform in this line has been
pointed out by every Postmaster General
for the past 10 years. The pending bill,
it viii be seen, asks for assured salaries
mot dependent upon appropriation
scrambles, the favoritism of the post.
master or the political pull of the clerk
land for the opportunity 10 advance in
grade by devotion to service.