Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-06-07
Women in English POstOfliceS
The visitor in England, who vi

money. order, or send a telegram, is
directed to special department,
which, to his surpriae, he finds Off
cered by young, and sometimes,very
pretty girls. Such bureau is known
as the receiving-house. Its director
receives from the government an an
nual stipend Of thirty pounds, but a
percentage on the proceeds of all let
ter and revenue stamps sold by him
constitutes the main source ct com
pensation. He is likewise paid six
shillings week for attending to the
telegraph business connected with his
Office, and penny extra for each dis,
patch. To assist in the performance
of his complicated duties he is allowed
to hire one or more young women.
These female employees must have re-
ceived fair education, must present
the best testimonials in regard to their
previous character, and undergo a
course Of special training which is
completed in an examination to test
their fitness for the place.
The pay assigned to these young
women, who often belong to the up
per-middle class, and sometimes to
distinguished, though poor, families,
is, relatively to the labor exacted, very
small. They earn eight shillings a
week besides their board. and in re-
turn for these appointments they are
expected to exhibit unremitting dill
gence, strict conscientiousness and in
flexible probity, 1t is right to add
that the expectation is seldom cisap-
pointed. They are incessantly en-
ployed during working hours,
which last from eight o'clock in the
morning to eight at night, almost
without intermission, with difficulty
securing time to eat their meals. The
duties imposed on them are manifold.
These includes the sale of stamps, tn e
receipt and disbursement Of money
upon postal orders, the reception and
assortment of letters, the working OF
.-- .~.~e-.I' '---'.' L.co,>;.,o. ~ oo-
counts in the savings banks, which
have been made feature Of the Eng
lish postal system. Every mistake is
vigorously censured, each fault IN tele-
graphing is punished by the deduction
of one shilling from the offenders
pay, any deficit in the cash-box must
be made good by the person in
charge, and as very considerable sums
pass through their hands every day,
these Iema.e clerks need have to be
expert cashiers.
J An acquaintance with foreign Ian
guages is not obligatory, although ii
is highly priced by the post-of1ce au
/ thorities. That degree Of culture
however, is seldom found except
among the young women appointed
directly by the government. Appoint
0 ees of this class receive during the
= first year the same salary of eight
shillings a week, but this is speedily
L raised to twelve, then to s;:::teen shil
lings, and finally to a po"nd, whel
they attain the post OF ".aperntend
: ent." We may add that they get ex
v ira compensation tor every hour o
work beyond the normal term. Nat
u urally those who work by the week ii
y the receiving bureau, liable as the,
u are to be dismissed at any moment
are eager to secure permanent plcc
'r under government. An appointment
l. is not easily had but once obtained
81 the future is free from care, since
reasonable pension is assured atte
e twenty or twenty five years of service
~ 1t is worth noting that the age Of ar
plicants must not fall short of twent
nor exceed thirty years Z; oder person
are summarily rejected
No one can refuse respect and sym
a pathy to these hardworklng wome
y who observes the smoothness, rapidit
f. and fidelity with which they common
ly execute their tasks. The most il
1- teresting time for visit to the recei,
ing room of an English postoflice
a toward evening, when the varie
t. dress and demeanor of the throngin
customers, drawn from all soci:
NJ grades, present curious, lively pit
'r ture, and the patience Of the femal
clerks is subjected to a severe strail
'e In the midst of packing and countiu
III letters -official documents must b
sorted out and their aggregate il
g. scribed on a separate memorandum
We is doubtless annoying to be tease
with idle questions, and it must be e'
'e asperating, when the telegraph han
mer has begun to click ard you al