The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-12-05
CLASS
POSTOFF|CES
TERMS OF REGULATIONS PRO-
MULGATED REGARDING FU-
TURE TENURE OF OFFICE.
(By V. Merkle.)

Washington, Dec. i.-Under terms
of regulation promulgated regarding
future tenure OF fourth-class post
offices, postoffice inspectors, civil
service employees, and the postmas-
ters themselves will lose their jobs
il they permit either the question
of politics or of religion to enter
into their selection of minor Off
cials
The selection of fourth class post
masters, whenever vacancy oc-
ours, is left with the postoffce de-
partment. At first this looks like
"A covert political move. But, to
meet this, the regulations make un-
usually stringent regulations re-
garding political and religious influ-
ence.
Offices having a compensation OF
$500 per year or more are to be
treated like other classified service
positions for which examination is
necessary. For office of lower pay
the following regulation is made:
Appointment to offices having an
annual compensation less than $500
shall be made in the following man
ner: When a vacancy has occurr-
ed. or is about to occur, in any Of
flee the postmaster general shall
direct a postoffce inspector to visit
the locality and make selection and
recommendation for appointment
from among the persons filing ap-
plication, such selection and recon-
mendation to be based upon the
suitability of the applicant and his
ability to provide proper facilities
for transacting the business of the
office. The inspector shall make his
report in duplicate and accompany
such duplicate with list of the ap-
plicants. Such report shall include
a statement of the qualifications OF
each applicant and of the reasons
for the selection and recommenda-
ton. The postoffice department
shall transmit to civil service COM
mission one copy of each report,
showing its action thereon
This places the selection of fourth
class postmasters to fill vacancies
entirely within the postoffice de-
partment.
It is a matter of common knowl-
edge that there is political influ-
ence even within the civil service,
although it is reduced to mini
mum. Probably the same degree
of influence will be manifested in
the postoffice department.
The decision of President Taft to
place all third and fourth-class Of
fices in the classified service, ex-
cepting those in Alaska, Guam, Por-
10 hlCu, IldWdll anu pdiiOet' VII 'iiN
eve of a democratic administration,
has stirred up any amount of trou-
BILE in the smaller towns. More
than $4,000 postoffices are included
in this order, and those previously
issued in Ohio, Illinois, Massachu-
setts and a few other states.
The new regulations provide that
postmasters shall take no active
part in politics. In every hamlet
in the land this means political rev.
olution, as the postmaster is invari-
ably the bell wether Of the domi-
nant party, and looks after the pre-
cinct and ward organizations with
much care.
The regulation, if literally obeyed,
will remove the postmasters as a
numerous and dominant figure in
county and state conventions. One
class of federal office-holders, the
class which made up many of the
republican conventions held last
spring, will be eliminated.