The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-20
GO
DIRECT TO TAFT
Will Urge President to Extend
Civil Service to All Fourth
Class Offices.
SHOW THE NEED OF REFORM
Convention Deals With a Va
riety of Topics on Its
Opening Day.

/ Opening Day.
| Sentiment in evidence yesterday AZ
the convention Of the National League
Of Postmasters will materialize Mon
day, when a delegation from the league
viii present a petition to President
! taft asking that all fourth class post
, masters be placed on the civil service
classified list c. A. Stillfngs. editor
| Of the Postmasters' Advocate. teie-
xraphed President Taft for an appoint
/ ment for this purpose yesterday.
I The names OF 10000 postmasters
from States south OF the Ohio River
| and west OF the Mississippi have al
ready been signed - tho document,
and the end OF the campaign 10 not YET!
Before the work is completed II 10
, hoped to have the signatures Of 30 per
cent of the $1,000 fourth-c!ass, post
masters attached to the petition.
Beginning with tho address OF Pres
ident c. o. Barry yesterday morning
almost every speaker made some ref
erence to the proposed reform. The
matter will receive more detailed at
tention In papers which will DO pre-
scented to-day. and resolutions will
doubtless DO adopted before adjourn
ment tomorrow.
Results Satisfactory.
Mr. Stillinss. who is slated for an
address to-day. outlined the plan of
procedure last night. He mentioned
placed the fourth-class postmasters OF
fourteen States on the civil service list
in November. 1908. The results have
been satisfactory to the Post-Ofnce De-
partment. and the ofncials believe bet
ter service may be obtained by the ex-
tension OF the reform.
! In addition TO requesting the clAssi-
ication OF the fourth-class offices. the
league will ask that fourth-class post
| masters be paid according to the
amount OF mail they handle.
las conditions now stand said Mr..
Sttli!ngs. fourth class postmasters re-
| ceive pay in proportion to the amount
Of stamps sold. This rule was 4s.Ab-
lished twenty-nine years ago. During
tn. time that has since elapsed the mali
order business has developed to such
| an extent that postmasters handle .
far greater amount OF incoming than
OF outgoing mail Therefore il 10 I'M
fair TO ask them to accept pay pro-
portional to the amount OF stamps they
SELL 1t IL often the case that a rural
mail carrier. working under q fourth
| class postmaster. receives more salary
than does the postmaster himself.
As to Second-Class Mail.
The newspapers came in for their
share Of criticism. In a paper devoted
age" F. G. Ely. OF Davisburs. Mich.
censured the papers for not folding
their mailed copies properly and stated
that postmasters often were forced to
devote a large part OF their time to
the correct folding OF newspapers
mailed out In discussing Second
Glass Nail" william Clifford. OF Thorn
| ton. Texas. produced . mass Of figures
to show that second-class mail matter
does not bear its proportional share OF
postal expense.
1T is clear" he said. that the per
ca pita profit Of 70 cents on frst-ciass
matter and the per capita loss OF "a
cents On second-class matter are al
most an Offset, or. in other words. that
every man. woman and child 10 taxed
20 cents by way Of their letter postage
over and above the charge for carrying
their own letters. In order to meet
the deficiency arising from underpaid
second class matter"
He went on to state that, in his
opinion. every periodical ought TO be
required to furnish a higher class Of
reading matter In order to compen-
recommends the abolition OF the free
in county" privilege extended to
newspapers the establishment OF
penny postage and the use Of stamps
by government departments and on
Gals. 1.
Hfts Cnoe1uDul0uo 01aeka.
In his address At the close OF yes
terday's session George Daniels. In
charge At St Louis. scored
tho interruptions QuackS who vtcttmize
the public By msAus OF exploiting
stocks and other bogus ssour1tieA
Mr.. Daniels outlined the methods BY
which the post-ofnce inspectors detect
such dishonest deals and punish the
Offenders Often. he said. the senti-
ment of the press and the public 10
against the department In its efforts
to carry on such work. The discovery
Of dishonesty among postal employees
also received attention in his address.
In an address on the selection and
| Training OF . Clerk o. W. Curtis.
OF Swanton, O.. described the ideal
postal clerk a. . man possessing
honesty, energy and integrity. To
. these qualifications he said that the
postmaster must aid that OF courtesy,
through training. He spoke OF the
great part which courtesy plays In
the work OF the average post-omce.
and showed by several Illustrations
the effects Of courtesy and tact. Mr..
Curtis stated that two OF the most
frequent questions asked . postal en-
ploye are: What salary does the post
master here getr' and when does
| his term expire?~ The proper reply
/ for these questions, he stated, -: The
! postmaster always draws his own
salary ana pays me what I receive: I