The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-12-02
VERY FEW DEMOCRATS
NOW HOLDING OFFICE
Many Republicans Are In Bad Humor
Over the Presidents Order, With
Fight Ahead over
Appropriations.
BY wArTERsoN sTEALEY.

washington, December 1--(Spectal.) -
Fifteen thousand fourth class postmast-
ers in the states embraced from Maine
to California inclusive and lying north
of the Ohio river were today blanketed
under the civil service by executive or
der. It is announced that the order is
of an experimental nature and that If 1t
is successful it will be placed in oper-
alton in other states. There are about
75,O00 fourth class postmasters in the
United States This order affects one
fifth of them. 1t was stated today at
the civil service commission that the
group of states selected offered more sue
cessful results. Many of the postoffices
of this class in the south and west pay
very small salaries often amounting to
only a few dollars a year and it is fire.
quently the case that the department has
difficulty in finding anyone to serve.
Within a few days the civil service
commission will be sending out the reg
ular examination blanks to postmasters in
Indiana and other states affected for ex-
animation of applicants for postmaster
These examinations will be conducted
precisely as those for rural free de-
livery carriers.
Life Positions.
The order of the President means that
all the postmasters of the fourth class
now in operation are given life positions
removal only resulting through mscon-
duct. The postmasters have for years
been the spoils of both parties and IL
is estimated that IS per cent of the
postmasters placed under the civil ser
vice by the order today are republic
cans.
The democrats who have been retained
in office owe it solely to the fact that
their offices did not pay enoughste in
cite the cupidity of republican ap-
plicant
Republican members of Congress who
are in the city hold different views of the
effect of the Presidents order. The new
republican members are especially up in
arms against it. They have Just been
elected to congress and have friends in
every village whom they had hoped to
ward. Their predecessor had put in his
supporters and they wanted to do the
same thing. A few of the old stagers are
heartily glad the President has taken
the course be did. The appointment of
fourth class postmasters has caused them
continual trouble and having gotten in
their friends in nearly every instance
they are satisfied with the Presidents
action keeping them there. The new or
der will require a large additional ap-
preparation for the civil service COM
mission and it is over this that the strug-
gle will come. Every year the same un-
successful fight is waged the regular
appropriation usually being knocked out
at first and finally re-inserted. The in
creased appropriation and the fact that
Congressman now forced to give up
most of the only patronage possessed by
them insures warm fight over the ap-
preparation this winter.
With the success of the new order as
sured it would be quite year before
it becomes effective in the southern
states.
Protection In Mines.
! j. H. Richards of Idaho the mining
expert, believes the government should
supervise the mining of coal. He puts
it thus:
affairs have now reached a stage when
there must be something done to pre-
vent as far as possible the great loss of
life in our coal mines. 1t is surely
case of must. The farmers have govern
ment aiG in the department of agricul-
ture. Why not the miner, through the
bureau of mines?
''The farmers have been benefited to a
remarkable degree by such a move, and
there is not the slightest doubt that the
men who toll underground would be
equally helped by government assistance.
The mine operators must not object
either. BY the establishment of a bureau
of miners there is no intention to inter
fere with the operators in the manage
ment of the mines; it is only to help
them and the miners in making investiga-
tions and studying conditions, with view
to providing remedies.
"rhe measure providing for the creation
of such a bureau has already passed the
House, and has gone through two read
ings in the Senate. President Roosevelt is