Evening journal., 1914-04-23
New News Of Yesterday
How the New York Post
masters SalaryWaS Raised
By HOLLAND.

a Republican, was reappointed postmas-
ter of New York CITY by President Cleve-
land early in his first administration,
was once asked what the salary Of post
master of New York City was. He re-
piled that it was $4,000, and that if Gen.
Grant, when President, could have had
his way the salary would have been fixed
at $4,000.
Early in President Grants second
term he asked Roscoe Conkling, then
United States Senator from New York.
TO call upon him at the White House.
He said to Conkling, when the Senator
was shown into the Presidents Oilices
Senator, / understand that a bond Of
s600,0OO with securities for double that
amount must be given before a man can
qualify as postmaster of New York, and
i find that the salary Of the Office is only
$4,000. II seems TO me that this is
woeful discrepancy. The government
ought not to place a man in an Office
and require a bond of 81 100000 and
then pay him only $4,000 salary"
Senator Conklng said that the heavy
bond was required because the postmas-
ter of New York was responsible for a
great deal of money.
81 am going to recommend to Congress
that it increase the pay of postmasters
in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chi
cago and st. Louis. These postmasters
are not paid enough" declared the Pres
ident.
President Grant did make this recon-
mendation. but Congress ignored It.
have
the matter taken up again at the next
session of Congress. IL was, and, chief
w through his efforts, aided by William
s. Holman. then a member of Congress
from Indiana. the salary OF the New
York postmaster was raised to $4,000.
Mr.. Pearson said in further eNplana-
tiOn:
"You know that Congressman
Holman was often called the watch
dog Of the Treasury Many persons
thought of him as a cheese-paring
statesman. But Senator Conking
would never permit any one to speak
disparagingly of Judge Holman to
him. For he was accustomed to say
Judge Holman, to my personal
knowledge, is watchful only that he
may prevent wastefulness. l don
believe that there is a member OF
Congress on either side Of the Capt.
tol who would more gladly assent TO
fair appropriation and fair payment
for services given by officers Of the
government than Judge Holman.
General Grant felt. and I did also.
that the government did not pay the
postmaster at New York an adequate
salary. especially in view of the fact
that a bond Of $1,2O0,00O was exacted
OF him. / was confident that l could
persuade the Senate to increase the
New York postmaster's pay to at
least $4,000, but / was in some doubt
about the ability to get that resolution
through the House. l went to Judge
Holman and said that I would like to
have a conference with him. He was
courteous enough to give me all the
time l asked. / showed him what the
money responsibilities Of the New
York postmaster were, and observ-
ed his astonishment when I told him
that the government exacted a bond
Of S1,20O,000 before man could
qualify as postmaster of New York.
Judge Holman instantly said that the
salary was not such as the govern
ment should pay to a man of whom II
exacted such a great responsibilities
and of whom it demanded a bond OF
SL200,O0 He said that the govern
ment could not afford to be unfair,
He pledged himself to give hearty
support to the resolution to increase
the pay of the postmaster, and he was
faithful to that pledge. Without his
aid the measure could not have been
adopted. Let no man say sneeringly
to me that Judge Holman is a cheese
pairing statesman
copyright. 1914. by j. f.. Edwards