The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-04-30

QUITS HIS JOB
l. q. Clark at Wiscassett, Me-, Gives
Reasons for Resigning Good"
Post Office Job
A MANY COMBINATION AFFAIF
Average Post Office Consists OF Bank
Express Office and Freight Shed
With Same Old Salary

Wiscasset, Maine. B. Clark, the
postmaster, has resigned. This is not
material but the public pronunciae
mento regarding the resignation Is
unique.
.At the time took the Office" says
Postmaster Clark, 1T was considered
a political plum, and it was good
lob, but today 1t Is a job that the more
man knows about the less he would
want, for it has been bedeviled for
the past two years, until today 1t Is
bank. express Office, postoffice and
a freight shed, all combined, with the
same number of clerks and the same
of old, when the office
had 80 per cent less responsibility, SO
per cent less work, and the cost OF
living was 60 per cent less.
Il have often thought that 1t was
great pity that man with brains
enough to conceive the central ac-
counting system didn't have enough
left over to regulate the compensation
of the postmaster and clerks in the
central accounting office. have
written letters enough to Washington
in the past six months to paper the
White House, but they have made no
impression on the great heads OF the
Post Office Department. So have
come to the conclusion that the only
relief is in death or resignation, and
1 prefer to resign, as my disposition
at present is not good enough to take
into the great. beyond
1--WE poor devils in the postal SER
,x;oo hove ooo ooncn1ofion. No have
been saving Uncle Sam a bunch O..
money by being patriotic, and work
ing for starvation wages so that ne
might pay the baggage masters on the
railroads, and the common Jumpers in
the shipyards, many of whom are not
worth 81 per day in any spot or place
and are under no responsibility what
soever- wages ranging from $25 to $50
per week.
"When postoffices were distributed
in Lincoln county, they were sown
broadcast, and all took root and flour
ished, so that this office under the
central accounting system, fell heir to
SO offices, many more than many of
the first class Offices have in other
counties with a large force of clerical
assistance. sp%
"My first assistant shas been in the
service at this Office for thirteen years
and is drawing just living wages.
"My second assistant, in connection
with her other duties in the office, has
handled the war and thrift stamp
business for the past year. Including
the district office sales, this has
amounted to over 100000, and she Is
allowed by the department the enOr-
nous sum of $23.33 per month, and
board is ranging at present from So
per week up. am making her salary
attractive enough from my own pocket
to keep her, because she is a very
competent and conscientious clerk Do
you wonder that have turned gray
and lost my disposition? ri
Girls who have been working for
Mr.. McAdoo at the railroad office who
are no more competent or smarter
than my clerks, are pulling down from
800 to $17O per month, and that is
the very thing that is making clerks
in the postal department dissatisfied,
with their jobs. Who wonders that l
long for the tall timber and the voice
of the chipmunk again?
"Just a last word relative to the.
parcel post system, which has been
with until the limit at pres,
ent ranges from an eye stone to a 30
dozen case of eggs and atzpresent the
3O-dozen cases are moving forward
briskly. AS this office does not afford