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Show oOHH PATRONS OF U. I PQSTOFFIGE SHOULD UNDERSTAND The post office ij the one branch of the Government service with which everybody is directly coneerend. It is the people's business, and its p-atrom? pay for its conduct in postage the rates being fixed by Congress. The postmasters in the small com munities of the country are known as fourth class. There are about 36,-000 36,-000 of them. They are not pa.ld salaries, sal-aries, like all other Government employees em-ployees their compensation is based on persentaijes of the value of stamps cancelled on- matter mailed out from their offices. The incoming .maiil is many time-s greater than the outgoing outgo-ing and makej the great buik of the postmasters work but they receive no pay for 'its handling. A singular eomlillo'n exists in this branch of the service. The fourth clasi postmaster is required to fur-iri-li (.'U'ar'.ers for the olfice, hent and I ht it, and from a survey of the country, the national League of District Dis-trict Post mast ens ascertained that 21.8 l'er cent of the compensation of the fourth cln.-.s postmasters is expended ex-pended for these items. A bill is low before Con-gre that provides for 'ho paymer; yearly of n!a amount equal, to 20 per cent of their compen-saton compen-saton as allowance for rent, fuel, ight and equipment. The fourth class postmasters claim fhat it Is an in jus! lee to require them 'o donate ort of the'r very meager fil irios, the things nece-iary to conduct con-duct the Govern. men't business. The people living in small communities are entitled to good postal service. Few, if any know the conditions under which this service is rendered. The salaries of the-e fourth class post masters ira'nge from a few dollars up to $1,100 a year. When 21. 8 per cent is derlwted from 1 lnls for the upkeep up-keep of the Government is not. dea' ing jiMtly with the rural coininun it ies Congress alone eah remedy th!s, and the National League of District Postmasters is ury-'ing that august body to enact this hill now before It. The postmasters are appeallM;; to th'i ; uhlic to ask th :r Senators and Congressman Con-gressman to e-iart 1 h 3s hill. Itur'il carriers are now iriven an allowanee of 4 cents a mile for equipment maln-'enenanee. maln-'enenanee. Ortn'ing the fourth ela - nos'masters this allowa1 ire would r-nly rf 'tore to tliern what they ha' already "pent to maintain postal service in rural eoni mtin it ien. The tell now before the Hons-: Post Office ('(Hiiujlttcr- j) l.nov.n a) H. P. 4'i4'i. |