St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-31
KIEFER TELLS WHY
THE POSTAL CLERKS. BILL Is
DELAYED.
The Congressman Addresses the
Postal Clerks, Giving Them
Good Advice Thereon.

congressman klefer, Oh the invitation
OF the st. Paul branch of the Postal
Clerks association, met with them at
the United States district court room in
. the Federal building last night, to talk
over with them measure for coli
gressional action in which all pOstoffice
employees are vitality interested. The
object of the meeting was to learn from
Col. kiefer the status of the bill brought
. before congress to classify post
office clerks and fix their salaries,
on basis similar to that Tor letter car
riers and railway mail clerks. This bill
Is now in the hands of congressional
COMMITTEES, and came up Aug. 5. when
Mr.. Dunphy, of New York, had it in
charge. There was not quorum pres
ent, so no action was taken. Among
the opponents of the measure are Mr..
Kilgore, of Texas: MIR. Williams, of
Mississippi. and Mr.. Dockery. of Mis-
souri,. The st. Paul postal clerks de-
sired to learn just how their bill stood,
so that they could instruct their dele
gate, P. NJ. Maroney. who will attend
the National Association of Postoffice
Clerks, that convenes at Boston, Mass,
Sept. 10.
Congressman Klefer came at once to
the point, speaking IN substance as
follows: '4
Your bill is now on the list and must
naturally remain there until the next
session. 1t is really in better position
than if it had passed. Its opponents are
chiefly among the Southern congress
men. Your committee can now work
better than before, as they know
who are The enemies and who
are the friends OF the measure. The
latter must be won over. The bill is in
as good position as it ever has been.
We will certainly be able to pass it
before March 10 next. We hope the
coming election will somewhat affect
our friends in the South and have
favorable influence OIL opposition to the
bill. AS to Mr.. KIlgore's opposition. L
am confident he is merely trying to
make for himself a reputation by OPP
posing everything. That's all there is
to it.
Quite number of questions were
prepounded to Col. Kiefer. A sum-
mary OF his answers is as follows:
1.-The bill can be added to or detracted
from by amendments when it is before
the house. 1t stands far in the rear of
other bills, but this cats no figure, as il
can be called up, on OCCASION 1t has a
great many friends. L would advise
you to make as little change as possible,
not to do anything that might tend to
hamper the passage of the bill"
Postmaster Castle spoke in this strain:
IL feel deeply interested in this meas
ure. 1t is an act of simple Justice to
poStOff1ce employees. and will tend, in
my opinion, to increase the efficiency of
the service. think the real benefits to
be derived by having such measure IN
force will so tend to increase revenues
that the increase in expense On account
of pay rolls will be amply covered.
Postofflces have all developed locally
that is, there is no uniform system.
one postmaster. Then an assistant
was added, and little by little tine
service has grown here to
| Its present proportions and
without any conerency. Take
Minneapolis, for example. There is no
similarity as to the number employed,
no general system, and no comparison
between the Minneapolis postoffiee and
that of st. Paul is possible. Every
thing is conducted on the arbitrary
basis, without any consideration of real
HdNC dohCu tUE
| priatlOns. much less than really seemed
necessary, and have seen even that
arbitrarily cut in two. 1t is so all over
| the country. l do not believe in the
| policy of making the department neces-
| Sarily self-sustaining and in making it
| even help out deficits in other depart
ments with its revenues. As now
| conducted under civil service rules,
| it is business institution. Its en-
| ployes are, ill instances, poorly paid
II can see the reason for SOuthein
| opposition to the bill. Their cities
there are smaller and fewer than in the
| North, and they cannot understand the
| necessity for this measure. There has
been an enormous Increase Of postoffi ces
| in the South, particularly in Georgia,
/ Alabama. North Carolina, South Caro-
| lima and Mississippi. Their population
is certainly not increasing any more
| rapidly than that of Iowa or Nebraska
| The bill calls for an increase of about
| $780, 600, and, if passed, will become
T effective July l, 1895. 1t is recommend
ed and Endorsed by the postmaster gen
eral. and Is the first measure of its kind
| i'll the department to receive official in
( dorsemeut.
[ There are about sixty first and 200
| second-class postoffices in the country.
| From these come tWo-thlrds of the de-
| partmenps revenues, and this sum
| helps out the smaller offices i'm their eX-
IL N,