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Show PATRONS OF FOl'RH CLASS POK'p-OFFICES POK'p-OFFICES SHOULD KNOW THIS The post office is the one branch ot the Government service with which everybody is directly concerned. concern-ed. It is the people's business, and its patrons pay for its conduct in postage, the rates being fixed by Congress. The postmasters in the small communities of the country are known as fourth class. There are about 36,000 of them. They are not paid salaries like all other Government Govern-ment employees, their compensation is based on percentages of the value of stamps cancelled on matter mailed mail-ed out from their offices. The incoming in-coming mail is many times greater than the outgoing and makes the great bulk of the postmasters work, but they receive no pay for its handling. A singular condition exists in this branch of the service. The fourth class postmaster is required to furnish fur-nish quarters for the office, heat and light it, and from a survey of the country, the national League of District Dist-rict Postmasters ascertained that 21.S per cent of the compensation of the fourth class postmasters is expended for these items. A bill is now before Congress that provides for the payment pay-ment yearly of an amount equal to 2 0 per cent of their compensation as allowance for rent, fuel, light, and equipment. The fourth class postmasters claim that it is an injustice to require them to donate, out of their very meager salaries, the things necessary to conduct con-duct the Government's business. The people living in small communities commun-ities are entitled to good postal service. serv-ice. Few, if any, know the conditions condi-tions under which this service is rendered. ren-dered. The salaries of these fourth class postmasters range from a few dollars up to $1,100 a year. When 21. S per cent is deducted from this for the upkeep of the offices, it appears ap-pears that the . Government is not dealing justly with the rural communities. com-munities. Congress alone can remedy this, and the National League of District Postmasters is urging that august body to enact the bill now before it! The postmasters are appealing to the public to ask their Senators and Con- , gressmau to enact mis mil. iturai carriers are now given an allowance of 4 cents a mile for equipment maintenance. main-tenance. Granting the fourth class postmasters this allowance would only restore to them what they have already spent to maintain postal service serv-ice in rural communities. The bill now before the House Post Office Committee is known as H. R. 4040. |