The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-07-03
THE POSTAL SERVICE.


Efficiency OF the SerViee--WOFk
aud PLAY OF the EmplOyes--SOb-
riety and SteHdineGS Recon-.
mended--POAt IOflce Accom-.
mOdatiOnS.
WASHINGTON, July 2.-Ths Postmas.
ter General has been interviewed upon
the results oihis late tour OF inspection,
and is apparently much gratifed with his
trip, and what he has seen and learned.
He states that he met some 800 or GOO
Postmasters, besides 200 or 800 other
Post Office employees, and expresses him
self as pleased with their general appear
unce, They, as an intelligent body OF
men, gave him much information
in regard to the practical work
ings Of the postal service, the POstmas-
tiers being unanimously in favor OF rising
the rate Of registration from eight to ten
cents. The Postmaster General made an
order to that effect upon his return. He
was astonished at the magnitude Of the
service, and immense bulk and weight Of
the mails in the Western and Middle
States. On the longest routes between the
East and West from eighteen TO twenty
five tons OF mail matter are carried dali
ly and handled in postal cars. The trans
fer at Chicago from road to road
Is sometimes as much Us 100 tons
per day. The postal clerks in the rail.
way postotfice cars in divisions west Of
the Alleghenies aSOrt and handle 10000
900 letters per month, an amount Of
work which would be impossible to do in
the postotfice, The mail service is bet
ter than the railway passenger service,
for letters reach their destination as
quickly in all cases as passengers, while
transfers Of the mails are sometimes
made in cities from train 10 train when
passengers fail to do so, and thus the
mails sometimes are in advance Of pass
gers. On one route from st, Louis to
Fexas an average Of I'VE tons per day is
carried. The Postmaster General Is OF
opinion that the clerks in the postollices
receive less compensation for the work
they are required to do than any other
men in the service. He thinks the pay
Of letter.carriCrs Is fair, though they
have to work very hard, and that the pay
of railway postal clerks Is good, and that
while many Of them are overwOrked
some are not. 1t il a very difficult SER
vice to adjust equiIably, but many in this
branch are required to be on their feet
from twelve to fifteen hours day, while
the cars are in rapid motion, in the heat
and dust, asserting the malta severe test
OF physical enduranco-and these men
could not stand it II they were
required to do it all the time. As rule
the pay OF the clerks in the posLOtiiCe is
very small, and many good clerks, receiv-
ing from $500 to 5000 per annunl, are re-
quircd to wOr K from ten to twelve hours
per day, a great contrast to the clerks in
the department at Washington, who are
paid from 81 200 to $500 per annum,
and only required to work six or seven
hours per day. These postoitice clerks
are very intelligent class OF men, and
generally sober and industrious, and as
the Postmaster General met them in lit.
tie assemblies OF 100 to $50, he told them
that sObricty was hereafter to be an es.
sential element in the requirements for
postoiiCe duties, that none but sober and
steady men would be retained in any
branch Of the service, and that this would
include all the officers, from superintend.
ents to asserting clerks on railways, and
pOstmasters to porters in postotfices. 1t
appears the free delivery system has oh.
Waited the necessity for postOtlices in cen.
trail locations, and the Postmaster General
thinks that plain buildings in less expen.
sive situations, with plenty Of light, air,
&C., would answer all the requirements
quite "a we'll as the costly structures now
being erected. The portion OF the public
building In which the Pittsburgh Office is
located Ia totally inadequate TO the needs
OF the service. The office is dark, crowded,
and inconvenicnt, with poor ventilation,
and the letter cases are crowded together
like 80 many sheep, and therefore 1t is
impossible to do irst.Class= wOrk in such
a place. II is a matter Of pride that the
city Is served a. we'll ms II Is under such
circumstances. The offices at 81. LOUIS
and Cincinnati are very dark, hot and
close, and large portion OF the clerks
are compelled to work by gaslight during
the day, with the thermometer standing
among the ninetIes; but new buildings
are being erectedat each OF these places.
At Chicago the Office is made up Of three
stores under q new hotel, which Is at
present unoccupied There Is plenty Of
room and light, aud ii Is very good and
accessible. The rent Of this Office, with
all the necessary rooms for the complete
working OF the business machinery, costs
$4,000 per annnm. While II has no
style and Is very unpretentous, II is quite
adeuuate for the wants Of the service.
The new offices al the smaller cities like
Cleveland, Milwaukee and indianapolis
are models Of convenience, and arc light,
airy and roomy. The free delivery sys.
tenn il pushed 10 more successful result
at the West than at the East. Atmany Of
these offices only one or two hundred boxes
are rented, the bulk Of the letters being be.