The age-herald., 1901-03-31
Fourth Glass Officials Lot Not
 Often a Happy One
MUCH WORK AND LITTLE PAY
Mail Brings Him Woe--His Varied and Sundry Duties-Humors of the Rural SerVIcc--Usually
 Storekeeper.

Few people know just exactly where a fourth-class postmaster gets his pay His patrons more often than not, know the least about the matter, and not many others know that, humble as the fourth class office is, it serves the greatest num- Der of people in the United States There are 10000 of these offices while there are just 45O0 of the third, second, and first class, or salaried offices. The lowest sal ary paid there is 5000, and the highest salary is SS0O0 a year. The fourth-cless offices must rustic for their own pay Somtimes that is as low as S1 a month and sometimes as high as S60 a month that is, some offices send out just that amount of conceded letters each month but the fourth-class postmaster is not all lowed to keep the S60 a month; not at all He keeps just $16.33 Ia as his own clear cash, and every dollar over that he di- vides up with Uncle Sam, giving him 10 out of every 100 cents, until his office gets to the importance of canceling over S39 a month, then he must hand over 60 cents out of every dollar instead of 40. Out of what is left he pays his office rent, his light and fuel bills, and his clerk hire when sick or absent The department furnishes nothing; not even the box, ex- cept what stamps postal cards, and other stamped paper he needs.
 Very few fourth-class offices caneel stamps to either the great or small amount I have named, says q writer in the Indianapolis News. The majority of them range from $S to S2o a month When an office averages about BIO month then it becomes a money-order office and while it's revenue toward the postmasters pay is not perceptibly increased by this addition, his bond and responsibility are.
 Stopped Official HustIing.
 Some years ago a fourth-class postmas- ter was allowed a percentage on all stamps he sold above the cancellation. but it was found that he hustled around and offered inducements and a share of the proceeds to those who would buy many stamps from him. and the depart- ment shut down on him Now if he sells $2 worth of stamps a day, but only can cels on letters 10 cents worth, 10 cents is all he gets for that days work. The re- malnder of the $2 at the end of the quar- Ger goes to the department.
 The fourth-class postmaster is brought fin closer relationship with his patrons than the postmaster of a salaried office, and trials and tribulations are about the extent of his pay for this. He is expected to be ready for social chat with them, 70 answer all queSIloHSt lu NiIlt HdHNt letters for those who cannot write or have left spectacles at home. to advise them as to the best papers or magazines for which to subscribe, and so on and so on. Besides this he is to blame for all the mail lost or delayed; there are always one or more women who accuse him of opening their letters there is the pomp ous citien who is very certain that he Is careless with his particular mail, and the old fellow whose family take just one paper. and that a monthly. and every day the old fellow would ask if that "dod-rotted book of hisn had come yet?" and though it never missed showing up at the appointed time, and he took home every copy of it, he would declare that it was the beatenest thing to miss he ever seen, and he'd be blamed if he'd ever take it again.
 In the majority of these offices strict ness. is the rule. The fourth-class post