The times., 1901-05-17
FORCED SALES OF STAMPS.
Efforts TO Check Abuses I'm the
Smaller Postoffices.

William NJ. johnson, First Assistant
Postmaster General. yesterday issued an
| order designed to prevent clerks in post
offices and superintendents In charge from
encouraging the purchase Of stamps and
postal cards by outside persons. The PEN
atty for violation of the order is removal
! from office The abuse is somewhat prev
| alent in the vicinity of every large city.
| but particularly New York City. The sale
of stamps to business firms within the
| territory of the city Offices by agents of
postoffices in small places. it is estimated
has grown TO an aggregate annual sale
| of $4,000 worth of stamps.
| The advantage gained by the forced
sale of stamps lies in increased salaries
| for the postmasters and in largely in
creased allowances for clerks anc other
office expenses. Postofices are divided
into classes as follows: Those with annual
receipts above $4,000, in the first class;
| those with annual receipts above IS, 600,
in the second class; those with annual re-
| ceipts over 1890. in the third class: all
| others in the fourth class. An Office Of
| the fourth class which could arrange a
| single sale of 5000 worth of stamps
would on the showing of its total receipts
be thus advanced to the third class with
all the special privileges that the advance
would involve.
1t is believed that not few suburban
| offices have relied on such methods TO
retain their present rating. But in cases
where extra stamp sales could not pos
sibly have advanced the postoffice in
classification the postmaster could find a
sufficient inducement for irregular stamp
sales in the proportionate increase of his
salary provided by law. In Offices of the
fourth class a graduation prevails which
briefly grants the postmaster the first
1920 of his receipts and about so per cent
of all the remainder
In third class Offices the postmaster
whose annual receipts do not exceed s. 600
is paid $1,000; when the receipts reach
s., 400 his salary is increased to 81, ,1G0, and
so on until an Office which reports total
receipts between 5000 and $500 Jays the
postmaster 81, 800.
A similar graduation exists in offices OF
the second class, where the salaries range
from S2,G00 to s., 500. At certain points in
this table the increase of salary carries
with it allowance for assistant postmas-
ters, free delivery, additional clerk hire,
and other legitimate expenses of large
offices.
In the first class the salaries advance
by jumps of 500. except in several very
large offices, which are subject to spe-
ciaI acts of Congress 1t follows, there
fore, that postmaster at fourth-class
Office might easily increase his salary
from $3.50 to $1,000 per year by selling
single order of 5000 worth of stamps.
In order to obtain purchases such post
masters are believed to offer their stamps
at a discount BY selling 5000 worth of
stamps for 81 750-a sufficient inducement
to procure purchaser under almost any
circumstances-the postmaster would still
clear a profit of $3.50. On this principle it
is accepted that most of the stamp sales
Indicated have been made.
A phase of this same abuse of the postal
regulations is not covered by the changes
i'm the regulations ordered yesterday
Large manufacturing firms, particularly
those doing extensive advertising, So
licit the establishment of fourth-class
office near their works, have one of the !
proprietors appointed postmaster, detail !
a force to perform the duties, and credit |
the salary paid as so much postage OBJ |
tanned free.