Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1908 — The New Postmaster Ruling. [ARTICLE]

The New Postmaster Ruling.

I The decisive action of President Roosevelt and the civil service commission in putting all fourth class

postoffices in this and certain ether states in the civil service, causes at once the inquiry as to what aie meant by fourth class postoffices. Most people know this in a general way, but a brief recital of the basis of classification of all offices may be worth while. Beginning with the highest class: First class offices are those where the gross receipts are $40,000 per annum or more. These offices pay a salary of from $3,000 to $6,000, except where by special provisions, as in the case of New York, Philadelphia ahd Chicago, a higher salary has been provided, the cities mentioned paying SB,OOO. Ft. Wayne, a first class office, pays a salary of $3,600. Second class postoffices are those where the minimum gross receipts per annum are SB,OOO, and the minimum salary is $2,000, and the salaries are grades from this on up to $3,000. Third class offices include all those where the gross receipts are over $1,900 a year and the salary SI,OOO or more.

The salary of the fourth class postmaster is based on the receipts from box rentals and a certain commission on stamp cancellation and other small items. Whenever these commissions aggregate over $250 on each of any four consecutive quarters the office is removed from fourth to third class.— : ~~

Indiana has 13 first class offices, 69 second class and 139 third. These 221 offices are called presidential offices. There are 1,084 fourth class offices, which are affected by the civil service ruling and thus removed from the patronage system. Of the 1,305 postoffices of our state, 1,076 of them are money order offices. All postmasters in offices of the fourth class, may now hold their offices during good behavior, and Inasmuch as no complaints have ever been made by the patrons of these particular offices in this county, it appears the fourth class post masters of Jasper county have a life time job. Their successors, whoever they may be, will be required to take a civil service examination, but will not have to be worried about what their congressman may or may not recommend. These offices can no more be regarded as being part of the pie counter

Rensselaer and Remington belong in the list with the third class offices. Wheatfield, DeMotte, Fair Oaks, Parr, Virgie, Alx, Gifford, Newland, McCoysburg. Pleasant Ridge, Pleasant Grove, Laura, Stoutsburg, Tefft and Surrey are fourth class offices that will be affected by the new routine and by the provisions the present postmasters have a life lease on the jobs if they are real good.