The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-22
DELEGATES FROM ST. PAUL TO
THE BALTIMORE CONVENTION
RETURN.
ALL ARE WELL SATISFIED
CREATIONS AT THE MEET
ING, TOO.
A NEW CLASSIFICATION IDEA.
1t Is Definitely Observation-Disclosures
Fund for Postoffice Employees
FavorabIy Considered.

Probably the most interesting annual
convention in the history Of the Ma
tional Association Of Postoffice Clerks
has just closed at Baltimore. 1t was
attended by about 500 delegates from
every section OF the Union, and those
from Minnesota were: M. R. Farrell
and Miss Leone Rich, of st. Paul, and
D. e. Sullivan, of Minneapolis. The
delegates from this city have returned
from the meeting, and yesterday Mr..
Farrell, superintendent of the stamp
department of the postofice, talked en-
tertainingly about the more important
questions which the convention dis
posed of. To a Clio b e reporter he
said:
Unusual enthusiasm was manifested
at the Baltimore meeting because that
city is the home of the postmaster gen.
| eral. The association was organized
| about fourteen years ago, and it now
has a membership of $4,000, represent
ing 800 branches scattered throughout
the United States. Its general purposes
vice and the elevation of employees, and
| it is made up wholly of postoff1ce clerks.
THE most important measure dlSpcs-
ed Of was the classification bill. AS
amended, it includes all officials and
clerks in the service below the grade
! OF postmaster, and provides that the
assistant postmaster and second aSs1s-
| tant, in Offices where such officers are
| employed shall receive, respectively,
80 and 80 per cent of sum equal to
the amount paid to the postmaster for
his services. PoStmaSterS' secretaries,
i'll cities where there are such, shall re-
ceive salaries ranging from $1,000 to
s. 500 per annum, at the discretion of
the postmaster. Salaries of cashiers,
auditors, superintendents of mails,
superintendent of deliveries, superin-
tendents of registry, and superinten-
dents Of the money order division, shall
be 45 per cent of the sum paid the
pCstmas ter under whom they serve. I he
assistant supcrirtendents of mails, de-
| livery registry and the money order
divisions, are to receive compensation
| ranging in amounts from S1,7G0 to ST.
400 per annum; superintendent of the
stamp divisions, 35 per cent of the post
masters salaries, and so on down the
list. The minimum salary to be paid
persons in the clerical service shall be
5000 per annum, and the maximum
81, 200. graduated by yearly increase
in paying in sums of S100 until $1,000
is reached, when the clerk must serve
for two years before receiving further
advancement He must also work for
two years at 81, 100 before being pro-
noted to the 1920 position. Add tic nal
classes of clerks, to be appointed after
special competitive examinations, at
salaries Of 81 800 and 81 AGO. are provid-
ed. This bill is in accordance with the
provisions of the measure congress
adopted at IFS last session.
prior to 1888 cur positions were the
prey OF spoilsmen, and to the Pendle-
ron civil service act is the existence of
our association now due. We now
have 1000 employees in the postal ser
vice protected by civil service rules,
and their places are secure just so locg
as they perform their services salts
fuctorily. The aggregate compensa
ton paid in the executive civil ssrvice
Of the United States during the year
ended June So 1896, was approximate
ly $100, 900.
THE annual report of the president
showed that the association had Sc
cured mary reforms in the service.
The charge made by surety companies
| is 81 per $1,000 for letter carriers
bonds, while the clerks are compelled
TO ray from four to five times that
amount. The secretary had tried to
remedy this discrepancy, but thus far
had failed. The president congratu
lated the association upon its pre- gress
in all branches of its work
Mr.. Farrell also called attention to
the plan adonted for pensioning off
clerks in the service. As adopted by
the convention it provides that per
cent of the salaries of all persons with
in the classified service shall be with
held to constitute a civil service re-
tirenent fund, to be deposited with the
secretary of the treasury A particu-
| lar bureau with a chief drawing a
salary of 1880 year from the fund
will be established, with authority to
retire persons who have been in the
service fer twenty years, either with
| their consent or compulsorily for dis
ability, Upon pensions amounting to
| rs Fer cent of the highest salaries such
persons had respectively received.