Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-13
MR.. BEAVERS REPORT
ANNUAL REPORT OF SALARIES
AND ALLOWANCES.
It Shows the Increase in the Business
of the Post Office De-
partment.

| ing the fiscal year ended June 80. 1902, the
division received 152. 157 letters and sent out
communications aggregating 33OS, an in
crease over the former year Of almost q
per cent.
The following statement summarizes the
work Of the division during the year: AL
| lowances for clerk hire made first and Sec
ond class offices. 81, 44O, 100; clerk hire con-
| tinued from last year. s12. 5SS. 800; separat-
Ing clerk hire made third and fourth class
offices. $169. SIS; separating clerk hire con-
tinued from last year; $3.50. COZ. Total. $18,-
19117. For clerk hire reduced and discon-
ttnued. 1921, 100; for separating clerk hire
reduced and discontinued, $6O,O16-$291 ,118.
Total annual allowances for clerk hire at
first, second. third and fourth class offices
June 30 1902. $15,S3S, O01. Temporary
clerks on vacation, s149. 469.n
assistant postmasters. 81 $3.50. 200; assistant
postmasters reduced and discontinued. $40,-
200 Total, 81 $1,000 For rent fuel and
| fees. s254, O63 rent, fuel and light continued
| from last year, $2.047. 1871 Total $23O1. $50.
For rent, fuel and light reduced and dis
continued. $4,000. Total. 1921. 191. For
miscellaneous items and furture made first
| and second class offices. s255 .539 40: for can
ceiling machines made first and second ella IS
| offices, s19s. 90; for advertising made
first and second class offices. $50, S53.6 SO; for
/
service, s9,99a.31; post offices and stations
In leased buildings. s., 359; amount involved
for rent of leased buildings, S2O7. 439; rosters
of clerks at first and second class offices APP
proved. 1882.
Presidential Post Offices.
The number of presidential post offices,
first class, was 242, with an aggregate sal
airy list of $s5o100: second class, LILO, with
salary list of s., 603 800; third class, 3.431.
with salary list of s4.924,OOO. The total
number of offices was 4,7S3, paying aggre-
gate salaries of ss.377SOo. The aggregate
receipts from the 4,7S3 presidential offices
were SOS, 2S3, 191
During the past seven years the number
of presidential offices has increased from
3 .4O2 to 4,7S3 second-class offices advanced
to first class, "a in 1902. against in
1895; third-class offices advanced to second
class, 10 in 1902, as against 26 In 1895;
first-cass offices relegated to second class
in 1895, g. as against 2 In 1902; second
class offices relegated to third class in 1895,
SO; in 1902, 3; third-class offices relegated
to fourth class in 1896 40, and in 1902, II.
These figures need no criticism" Mr..
Beavers says. They show that there is a
steady and unprecedented growth in the
postal service.
The department has always endeavored
to secure postmasters whose friends would
not sacrifice the public interest for the
postmasters' private gain. and whose com
pensation would be regulated by the bust
ness that properly belonged to their Of
fees
Many violations Of this rule have been
followed by the removal of the offending
postmasterS. but there is ample evidence at
hand to demonstrate that quite number
of postmasters particularly those at post
offices contiguous to great business ana
commercial centerS) are actively engaged
In the irregular sale of postage stamps.
Many of these postmasters enjoy liberal
salaries and clerk hire and miscellaneous
allowances, when. as matter of fact, their
post offices do not actually perform the
amount of service commensurate Herewith.
'SOme of the larger post offices are now
provided with printing plants, and II the
postmasters thereat were required when In
receipt of their supplies of postage stamps
to imprint or surcharge same With the
name of their post offices, the stamps would
not readily meet with sale elsewhere. 1t
was at first proposed that the stamps
should be Surcharged or Endorsed at the
place of manufacture. but objection was
then made that 1t would require too much
The plan l have outlined would entirely
overcome the objection made
Some Recommendations.
Mr. Beavers recommends that an appro-
priation of s21 500 900 be requested to cover
compensation to postmasters for the fiscal
year ending June 30. 1904 and that Gas pro-
| ton thereof saved by consolidation of post
offices under the law be made available for
the payment of salaries of superintendent
and clerks at stations established in lieu Of
of the post office thus discontinued.
Continuing, ne says: Il desire again TO re-
new with Increased emphasis, my recon-
mendaton of the necessity for reclassif1-
cation of clerks in first and second-class
post offices. The very generous appropria-
lions made for the past four years by Con-
gress have enabled the department to In
crease the salary of every low-grade meri-
torious clerk, and today these clerks are re-
ceiving about as large annual salaries as
they would receive had they been employed
under any proposed classification bill. The
service has grown so rapidly. however. that
the department has been Obliged to augment
the force by the employment of many add
tional clerks of the lowest grade, SO that the
average pay for clerks in the postal service
Is practically no better than it was four
years ago.
On July I last every known capable and
energetic clerk receiving salary of $500.
S400 $500, $780, S7OO, $500 and $780, who
had been one year in the postal service or In
these grades for similar period. received
substantial Increase in his salary (S1OO be-
ing the mnimum).
out of about 10 900 promotions made by
the department to date. more than IL 900
clerks were promoted in the lower grades.
In experience Of more than twenty three
years 1t can be asserted without fear Of
contradiction that the postal service at this
writing Is on most substantial basis; the
clerks a rule are willing, efficient and
well satisfied, and the mails are better and
| more intellgently handled than ever. In
the larger first class post offices the clerks
are not working in excess of eight hours.
and in New York and Chicago, where for
some years past more or less congestion
had existed the malls are being dispat ched
earlier by several hours than heretofore.
with the increased business however,
| it will be difficult. If not impossible, to
maintain these conditions without in
creases. This estimate provides that all
clerks in second-class post offices receiving
annual salaries of less than $500 be given
annual increases until $500 Is reached. and
all clerks in frst-ciass post offices receiv-
ing annual salaries Of less than 81 900 be
annually increased until 81 600 is reached.
The bill also fixes the minimum at second
class post offices at $780, and at first-class
post offices at $500 per annum. The aver
age post office clerk Is certainly the peer Of
the letter carrier. and this bill simply pro-