The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-21
FIX THEIR OWN SALARIES.

permitted to draw any amount
that pleases them, but they make
the returns to the department with
out supervision, on which returns
their compensation is based. The
postmasters who are paid in this
way are the "fourth- class" post
masters-tfe men whose compen-
sation is less than $1,000 per annum.
When the compensation of post
master reaches $1,000 a year, his
office is raised to the "Presidential"
class. The fourth class postmasters
are appointed by the postmaster
general without the "advice and
consent" of any one. Postmasters
of the first, second and third classes
are appointed by the president and
confirmed by the senate. At the
beginning of this year there were
$3.50 post offices in the United
States, and of these G5,382 were
of the fourth class.
The postmaster appointed by the
president draws fixed salary. At
one time all of the postmasters drew
fixed salaries. But the sudden
growth of very small towns made
re adjustments of salaries at these
towns SO frequent that congress
determined on an elastic compen-
sation, to be proportioned to the
business transacted at the office.
According to this arrangement, if
the business of an office was twice as
heavy in the latter part of the year
as it was in the first part, the post
masters compensation would be
increased proportionately. At first
this sliding scale of compensation
was based on the sales of stamps.
But this offered many temptations
to dishonesty. Postmasters would
sell large quantities of stamps at
discount so as to realize COM
mission on them. They would use
the stamps in making purchases,
and then credit their offices with
the sale of them. IL particular they
would send the stamps to news
papers to pay for subscriptions,
which they solicited; and there was
a standing advertisement in most
of the big newspapers some years
ago Offering stamps for sale in any
quantity. No doubt some of the
newspapers sold stamps at dis
count.
The new system gives the post
master in the country office a
commission on the amount of stamps
which he cancels. That is, he is
paid according to the amount of
business which goes through his
office. But in supervising the re-
turns from $4,000 offices the post
office department must rely on
the honesty of the postmaster. 1t
cannot keep force of inspectors
at work overseeing the cancellations
at the small Offices. The postmaster
keeps an account of the value of
the stamps he cancels each day,
and makes returns under oath to
the postotfice department. His COM
pensation is calculated on the basis
of the business reported. If the
cancellations for quarter (three
months) amount to $50 or less,
the department pays him a COM
mission of 100 per cent. On the
next 500 the commission is 60
per cent, on the next 5000, 80
per cent, and on all above that,
40 per cent, until the percentage
aggregates $3.50. Theoretically the
amount of business at a post Office
fixes the postmaster's compensation,
practically he fixes it for himself.
In addition to the income from
cancellations the fourth class post =
masters have a small income from
the sale of waste paper and dead
printed matter and from box rents.
Under the law of 1888 the fourth
class postmaster furnishes boxes for
the post office, which are turned
over to his successor as the property
of the government. The box rents
belong to the postmaster.