The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-09-04
SALARIES GRADED.
An Increase Is Given To Each
Rural Mail Carrier.
And All Of Them Are Paid Accord
ING to the Length! of the Routes
They Serve.

ING to the Lengths of the Routes
They Serve.
There seems to be a general mis-
among the postal en-
ployes as to the effect of the new sal
ary schedule for rural carriers, which
was adopted July l. In this State
there are several routes of less than
the ststrdard length-24 miles or up
wards-and the carriers thereon have
in some instances gotten the impress
sion that they would be entitled to
the full raise-from s720 per annum
to s900-made by the new schedule.
In order to settle all questions on
the point, Congressman Lever early
this month wrote to the superlnten
dent of rural delivery, in Washing
ton, requesting a construction of the
law. The reply goes into the matter
at some length. 1t is as follows:
Hon. A. F. Lever, Peak, S. G.
Dear Sir: The receipt is acknowl-
edged of your letter of the 5th in
stant, addressed to the suDerinten-
dent of rural delivery, inquiring as
to the attitude of the department in
the matter of the salaries of those
rural letter carriers, who, up to July
the 1st, 1907, were paid the maxi
mum salary, which under the law
could be allowed to rura! carriers,
s720 per annum, although serving
routes of less than the standard
length on account of having been in
the service June the goth, 1904, when
the maximum salary was increased
the length of the standard route
raised from 20 to 40 miles.
In reply, l have to say that the
schedule of salaries adopted by the
department, effective the 1st Of July
contemplates the payment of the
maximum salary authorized by con.
gress to carriers serving routes oi
"a or more miles, and a proportionate
increase to all carriers serving routes
of less than that length. The arrange
ment of the new schedule is the re-
suit of careful deliberation by ex
perts, and is undoubtedly the most
equitable adjustment possible, based
upon the intent of congress as shoWI
| by the records, namely, the allow
ance of an adequate compensation fol
service performed, as recommended by
the department.
Under the recent adjustment of tne
l37,731 routes in operation, on June
|30, 1907, the carriers on 1858:
routes are receiving 5000 per annum
on 1916 routes, 1854 per annum; or
4,O75 routes, $50 per annum, anc
on 1884 routes, S720 per annun
leaving the carriers on but 1000
routes below the grade of s72O pei
annum.
The idea of the department ha:
been to make the readjustmept con
form to the intention of congress tha
carriers shall be enabled to properly
maintain their equipments, and II
THAT view it is manifestly essentia
that carriers on routes of "a or more
miles should be given greater com
pensation than those serving routes O.
LESS mileage, some of which 1t l:
practicable to cover with one horse
while on all routes Of p or more
tsary.
Readjustment on basis thai
would give all carriers, who up te
July 1, 1907, received S720, a salar!
| of $500 per annurn, or bonus foi
having been in the service prior tc
July tie 1st, 1904, would necessitate
complete change in the basis 0!
adjustment. and according to the re-
cords, would be contrary to the evi
dent intent of congress, and it would
then be necessary under the appro'
priation available to pay many car
riers now serving routes Of "a OF
more miles less than 5000 per an
mum, and those on shorter routes
who have entered the service since
July ], 1904. materially less than
the amount embodied in the new
schedule.
For your information, there is en-
closed herewith copy of the sche ed
ules governing the salaries of rural
letter carriers.
Very respectfully,
A c. Conrad,
Acting Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General.
Schedule Of Salaries.
Following is the list of salaries ef-