The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-30
REDUCTION OF SALARIES Some Postal Employees
 Are 0verpaid. VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW Development in Investigation
 Now Going On. Most of Excessive Allowance, It is Alleged, Occurred During Ad-
 ministration of George W.
 Beavers, Who Resigned.

Washington, May 29.-As result of the thorough overhauling of the rosters of the postoffices throughout the country. Postmaster General Payne today an- ducing the salaries of assistant postmas- ters at the following second class post
 offices to 50 per cent of the salaries of the respective postmasters:
 Cairo. H.; Clarinda, Ia.; East St. Louis, Ill.,; Flushing, Fredonia and Geneva. N. Y.: Freehold. N. J.: Warren. Pa; flag erstown, Md; Portsmouth, N. H.; Stam- ford Conn.,; Stevens Point. Miss, and Ponce and San Juan. Porto Rico.
 He has found thirty-six officials in the postal service who hold offices under des- ignations not authorized by law and d. rected that their positions be changed to conform to, the law governing them. They were in the following offices:
 New Orleans. New York, Boston. Brooklyn. Buffalo, Cincinnati. Detroit. St. Louis. Washington. Chester, Pa; Los Angeles, Louisville. Nashville. Newburgh, N. Y.; Utica and Chicago.
 Among these designations not author ized by law are superintendent of sta tions'' (although there Is a superinten- dent for each separate station), "auditor of stations," inspector of stations.' etc. Violations of the law which would fix the maximum salary of clerks in second class postoffices at S,o00 a year, except in the cases of assistant postmaster will be corrected at Leadville, Col; New Brigh- ton, N. Y.; Tarrytown, N. Y.: San Juan. P. R.
 The investigation disclosed eight post offices at which in all thirteen clerks receive more than the salary to which their designated positions as assistant superintendent" entitle them. and in these cases the Postmaster General has direct ed that the salaries be accordingly re- duced. This order affects two positions fir Louisville, Ky, two in New York City, one in Brooklyn, one in Philadelphia, one in Detroit, four in St. Louis and two in Boston. The maximum salary of these positions by law is stated percentage of the salary of the postmaster.
 The Postmaster-General has directed that such of these changes as involve of the violation of the law shall take effect next Monday and changes made to conform to the rules snd practice of the department will be operative July l, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
 Made By Beavers.
 Nose of these excessive allowances ere made during the administration of George W. Beavers, who suddenly resigned his position as superintendent of salaries and allowances immediately after the investigation of affairs of the postoff1ce began.
 sarsrel A. Groff, who was arrested Wednesday for complicity in the Machen bribery case. appeared today before United States Commissioner Taylor and his bond of $5,OOO for his appear ance June g. when he and his brother will be given a hearing. Alvin W. Chapin went on his bond.
 The rolls of tha third aootnAHoo the lowest of the Presidential grades, are now under investigation and the au- thority for the compensation of the em- oloyes of every third class postoffice in the country is being carefully examined.
 Postmaster General Payne made the statement regarding the changes announced today:
 'In the case of the fourteen officers where the assistant postmaster is paid n excess of 50 per cent of the salary of he postmaster the action was made to 'ecure uniformity. The law provides that n first class postoffices the assistant post | masters salary shall be not to exceed 50 per cent of the postmaster, but that 1t | ioes not apply to assistant postmasters n offices of the second class. It is believ- ed that the basis of compensation should De uniform in all offices of first and sec ,nd class. The toal amount saved to the government by this order will be $2500O ! year. The seven offices where there appear to be eight persons who are re- ,eiving more than the law allows for the positions which they occupy. there may oe some explanation of this fact, but in my event an order has been issued re- iucing the compensation to the amount authorized by law. Tn seventeen offices here are persons employed under desig- nations not known to the law There is 10 doubt of the activity and the efficien- y ow these persons. but that they are properly employed but wrongly classi- | led"