Post  Office  Department. — The  Post  Office  Department  is
under  a  Postmaster-General  and  four  Assistant  Postmasters-
General.  Postmasters  whose  compensation  is  less  than  one
thousand  dollars  are  appointed  by  the  Postmaster-General,  and
may  be  removed  by  him.  In  all  other  cases  the  appointment,
which  is  for  four  years,  is  made  by  nomination  of  the  Presi¬
dent  and  confirmation  by  the  Senate.  Postmasters  of  this
class,  which  numbers  over  four  thousand,  are  paid  salaries,  as
are  also  the  clerks,  assistants,  etc.,  in  large  offices.  The  other
postmasters  (those  who  receive  less  than  f 1,000)  are  paid  by
the  rents  from  boxes,  and  a  commission  on  other  office  receipts
and  upon  the  stamps  cancelled.  Prior  to  1864  all  the  post¬
masters  received  their  compensation  in  this  way.  The  amount
paid  for  the  transportation  of  the  mail  is  larger  than  that  paid
to  the  postmasters.  In  only  a  few  years  has  the  income  of  the
Post  Office  Department  equaled  or  exceeded  the  expenditures.
As  the  population  of  the  country  becomes  more  dense,

1  Farrar,  page  346.
122


THE  CONSTITUTIOK


1.  VTQ.  7.
the  relative  cost  of  transporting  the  mails  may  be  expected  to
diminish.
Rates  of  Postage. — Mailable  matter  is  divided  into  four
classes  ;  namely,  first,  letters  ;  second,  regular  publications  ;
third,  printed  books,  circulars,  pamphlets,  etc.  ;  fourth,  mer¬
chandise.  (1)  Letters — postage  two  cents  for  each  ounce  or
fraction  of  an  ounce.  On  drop  letters,  two  cents  at  free  de¬
livery  offices ;  one  cent  at  other  offices.  Postal  cards,  one

cent.  (2)  Regular  'publications,  issued  as  often  as  four  times  a
year — for  publishers  and  news  agents,  one  cent  a  pound  ;  but
free  to  subscribers  within  the  county,  at  other  than  free-de-
livery  offices.  For  all  other  persons,  one  cent  for  four  ounces.
