The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-06-28
THE POSTMASTERS.
MUCH DESERVING, FAITHFULLY SERVING, POORLY PAID
GLASS;
More Secure Tenure of Office Established Probability
Further Advance in Ths and Also in Saaries-Some Official
Tribulations, With an Admixture of Fun.


/ The Postmasters Of fourth-class Of
fees are permitted and encouraged by
the Department to organize for the bet
} terment Of the service and the improve
ment OF their own relations thereto.
This class Of postal officials. the mos
numerous of all, and in many respect!
as deserving as any, have been the las
! to form National Association. There
are $4,000 of them. II they come to
gether, by judicious representatives, IL
the proper spirit, and act with conserva
! tive wisdom, their influence in favor O
better methods must be very great. In
deed. 1t is already seen.
The Department and the people hay.
viewed with alarm the conduct Of som.
OF the associations of the postal EN-
ployes, which have shown a disposition
to use political pressure on Congress
men to secure an increase of salary
etc. But the Department has thus fal
sustained he Postmasters in every laud
able effort they have put forth for tht
general good. Postmaster-GeneraI Cor
telyou has recognized and applaudet
their Association.
4 That the Chiefs of the smaller Office.
are In good faith intent on the advance.
ment OF the ses"tce may be seen from
the proceedings OF tine last annual meet.
ing OF the Texas State Association. The
Convention discussed papers bearing o.
improvement under the following cap
tions:
1 "Star route service"
Methods Of handling mails"
Effect OF thorough knowledge of pos.
tai housekeeping accounts. especially
How may we induce rural carrier!
to become Of more benefit to the peo.
ple?"
About the same time the Iowa Post.
masters met at Des Moines, and speech.
es at their banquet dwelt on these top
lies:
i Benefits derived from an organiza.
ton"
Postal Savings Bank and Civil Ser.
vice."
"A Model Postal Service; or, how we
can assist in making our system the
best In the world"
! Penny postage: LOSS of cancellation
by mailing on trains and how to remedy
1t: excess postage and how to account
for It."
"Rurai delivery-(a) How can We
make 1t more beneficial? (b) Effects OF
contract service. (c) How to keep uI
an interest during the Summer monti1sss :
Good things caught at the Postmas-
ters' Meeting at Washington, d. c.
| 1.-The needs Of the League"
| One modest suggestion dropped al
these gatherings has reference to the
extension Of the "merit system" to these
Offices as decided benefit to the pub
Ilic-more. perhaps, than to the incum-
bents.
Tenure Of once More Secure.
| Executive orders have made the ten
ure OF Office more secure. thus taking
an important step toward extending
some form Of Civil Service regulations
L. 81
fees. The merit system Is peculiarly
adapted to the Improvement Of this
branch Of the public service. The ad-
mission to these Offices through COM
petitive examination Is impracticable In
many cases. But a non-cOmpetitive ex-
animation. to demonstrate the posses
sion of at least rudimentary qualifica-
tions for deciphering addresses, correct
ly forwarding the mail, keeping ac-
counts and making reports, should in
| every instance precede an appointment.
| The illiterate Postmaster is a detri-
| ment to the system, humiliation to his
fellow-Postmasters. a disgrace to the
community and vexation TO the De-
partment. But he Is even now far too
to be abolished.
/ Then IL the tenure Of Office shall be
| made dependent on efficient administra-
ton, as evidenced by the Incumbent s
record at the Department and the gen.
eral satisfaction. of the patrons Of the
office, there will be established prac-
| tical "merit system" covering 10000
positions which have, until recently,
been the unquestioned prey of the
spoilsmen.
| Faking News.
Some Of the Washington correspond
ents are Industrious fellows and fond of
feeding the readers Of their papers with
sensational news. When they cannot
find it they resort to the simple process
of making it.
Some months since there was set
afioat a story that at Cabinet meeting
| 1t had been decided to extend the Civil
classes. 1t had every semblance of truth
and was elaborated and supplemented
from day to day with new details.
Inquiry at the Department, however.
proved the story to be entirely without
foundation. other than that the merit
cussed, and will no doubt operate to a
considerable extent for the benefit of
Postmasters especially those of fourth
class offices; that is, the Postmaster who
| has a good record to show will not be
tumbled out unceremOniOusly to make
room for another. Merit will count, and
| 1t will take strong pull to oust good
man with a good record.
| There is no doubt a disposition on
the part Of the present Administration
to draw the Postmasters under the shell
tering wing of the Civil Service, but
what form the final measure will take
| Is still undecided. A new code of Civil
Service rules will be required for the
special conditions which surround the
IPostmaster's office. But the problem f.
not beyond the possibility of solution.
and where the disposition to accomplish
such a result exists way will unques-
tionably be found to bring 1t about.
| Another claim, presented with equal
lcircumspectiOn, is for a more adequate
compensation for the work performed
| in these minor but Indispensable Offices
At least 10000 of them pay less than
500 year; very few pay over $500.
The very best pay nearly $1,000. The
compensation Is based on a percentage
OF the postage stamps Cancelled" at
each Office. No clerks are allowed, and
/ the expenses OF rent. light, heat. etc.
are paid by the Postmaster.
One official, In q newspaper article.
/ compares his condition with that OF the
! Department clerks at Washington. They
work seven hours day and receive
from SIS to a16O month. He works
IA hours q day. and gets an average of