Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-10
POSTAL BUSINESS GROWING
Increase of Twelve Millions Over
Previous Year.
FOURTH CLASS MEN FORWARD
Retention of These Officials Favored
when They Are sRtisfactOry-
Many Are Advanced Notch
in Grade.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9-As a business in
stitution, the Postofflce department next
to the United States treasury, is the great
est in the government According to fig
ures submitted by Charles p. Grandfield.
first assistant postmaster general, for the
fiscal year ended June 80, 19o9 made public
today in his annual report, the gross rev.
enue of the postal service reached the
enormous total of s2OS562, 1888, an increase
of t12,0ss .720. or 6S1 per cent. over the pre-
ceding year.
There were 1902 presidential postofflce on
July /, 1903. or this number 39S were first
class, an Increase of IA; 17O7 were second
class an increase of 112; and 5,O5 were
third class, an increase of 2S0. The total
increase in the number of presidential post
offices was S56. There we're 1,44 postofflces
established during the year and 2,0Q We're
discontinued, leaving total of 6O144 post
offices in operation on June 80, 1902 Dur
ing the year 1925 postmasters were ap-
pointed at presidential offices. At fourth
class offices 9161 postmasters were ap-
pointed
Salaries for POstmasters.
Concerning the routine of his bureau, DR..
Grandfield says:
"The annual rate of expenditure for the
salaries of presidential postmasters on July
1, 1902 was as follows First class, ST. 4OS, COO;
second class, $4,O12, 400; third class, S,S44,SOO;
making a total of $12,765,S 800.
At the close of the fiscal year there were
1878 assistant postmasters at first and sec
ond class Offices an increase of 116. The
number of clerks at first and second class
offices increased from 2S,220 to 1880 and
the carrier force at city delivery offices
from 26,s52 to 1890. being a net increase
of LILO clerks and 1,26S carriers.
The retention of fourth class postmast-
ers during satisfactory service has become
the established practice of the department,
and the policy Of recommending the reap
pontment of presidential postmasters, who
have proved efficient has been followed
consistently, with highly beneficial results.
1T is recommended that the law be SO
amended as to provide for the advance
ment of an office of the fourth class tC
the presidential class whenever the com
pensAtion of the postmaster amounts tc
81, 900 and the gross annual receipts tc
81, 800 for four successive quarters. The
offices that would be affected by such Q
change in the statute are mainly those To-
Gated at summer and winter resorts. where
large business equivalent to that of q
| pfeSlQentldl OlIice iS tihhbaSlSu uuiihB OA'
or two quarters.
Provision for Assistants.
I'm a number of cases at rapidly grow
ing offices the salary Of the assistant post
master ls actually less than that allowed
TIE principal clerks, due to the operation
of the law governing the promotion o
clerks and carriers and the fact that thu
appropriation Tor assistant postmaster
for the current fiscal year does not pro
vide an adequate number Of positions II
certain grades. Rhere should be a maxi
mum and minimum salary for assistan
postmasters fixed by law and sufficien
latitude allowed in the appropriation ac
to prevent this anomalous condition.
I'm some sections Of the country espec
tally in the mining regions Of the west
1t has been difficult to make appointment
to the clerical and carrier forces at tn
initial salary prescribed by law. Wage
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