The Washington herald., 1914-04-23
HISTORY BUILDERS.
How the New York Postmaster's Sal
ary Was Raised.
Written Expressly, for The Herald.
BY DIR. 4. j. EDWARDS.

4 dfy W dc lNatoCds
written Expressly, for The Herald.
BY DIR. Il. J. EDWARDS.
The late Harry Pearson, who, although
4 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 postmas-
ter of New York City was. He replied
that IL was 5000, and that II Gen. Grant.
when President could have had his way
the salary would have been fixed al
$1,000
| 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 Office: Senator, 1
understand that a bond of $4,000 with
sureties for double that amount must be
given before a man can qualify as post
master of New York. and find that the
salary Of the Office Is only 1900 II seems
to me that this Is a woeful discrepancy.
The government ought not to place a man
in an Office and require a bond Of H,O0.-
600 and then pay him only 5000 salary" !"
Senator Conkling said that the heavy
| bond was required because the postmas-
| ter OF New York was responsible for a
great deal of money.
II am going to recommend to Congress
| that II increase the pay of postmaster OF
New York to $4,000. and I am going to
recommend an increase Of the pay Of
postmasters in Boston, Philadelphia. Bal
| timore. Chicago. and st. Louis. These
postmasters are not paid enough" de-
clared the President.
President Grant did make this recon-
mendation. but Congress ignored II.
Senator Conkling was anxious to have
the matter taken up again at the next
session of Congress. II was, and, chiefly
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 5000
Mr.. Pearson said in further explana-
ton:
You know that Congressman Holman
was often called the watchdog OF the
Treasury Many persons thought of him
as a cheese-paring statesman. But Sem
ator Conkling would never permit any
one to speak dIsparagingly Of Judge Hol-
man to him. For he was accustomed to
say: Judge Holman. to my personal
knowledge. is watchful only that he may
prevent wastefulness. / don't believe
that there is a member Of Congress on
either side % the Capitol who would
more gladly assent 10 fair appropriation
and fair payment for services given by
officers OF the government than Judge
Holman. Gen. Grant felt. and did also.
that the government did not pay the
postmaster at New York an adequate sal
ary. especially in view of the fact that a
bond Of 81. $1,000 was exacted of him.
was confident that I could persuade the
senate to increase the New York post
masters pay TO at least $500. but I was
in some doubt about the ability to get
that resolution through the House. I
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 / asked. I showed him what
the money responsibilities of the New
York postmaster were. and I observed
his astonishment when I told him that
the government eXacted a bond OF 81, 800
co before a man could qIalify as post
master Of New York. Judge Holman in
stantly said that the salary was not such
as the government should pay to a man
OF whom 1t exacted such great response
bilities and OF whom il demanded a bond
Of 81. .2o0n0o. He said that the government
could not afford to be unfair. He pledged
himself TO give hearty support to the
resolution TO increase the paw Of the post
master. 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 r. 'cheese-paring statesman "
Copyright, 1914. by J. z. Edwards All rights re
ssrved.)
Tomorrow DIR. Edwards will tell
%How Wall Street Napoleon Met His
waterloo