The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-14
THE LETTER CARRIERS.
Their Reasons for Asking the Same Privileges
Accorded Other Employees.


Accorded Other Employees.
Special to the indianapolis journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12-The letter-carriers
throughout the country, through their executive
committee, making an earnest effort to Sc
cure the passage of bill by Congress to allow
them thirty days leave of absence each year,
with pay. In the memorial presented to Con
gress on this subject the executive committee
says:
'The letter carriers are the only class of an
nual government employees who do not receive
regular leave of absence each year. all others.
even down to the laborers that scrub the floors
in the departments, being allowed a leave of alb
sence with pay: and when the hours of aborious
service exacted from the letter-carriers each day
are considered, and the constancy of the service
required of him are known. it win not surprise
our friends that we ask this annual respite from
labor without the loss of pay to which we are
now subjected if away from our duties for even
part of a day.
''Some carriers have to leave their homes as
early as o'clock in the morning to make early col
lections for the morning mails and all must leave
their homes by about o'clock in the morning to
arrange their mail for the first delivery and are
continuously employed, with scarcely time to get
meal, till late in the evening; and when the
laborious nature of our duties is considered,
the continual tramp, tramp, tramp, with heavy
loads upon Or shoulders, through all weather,
and so constantly that no holiday or Sunday
are we entirely exempt from duty is it surprising
that we sigh for some relief and look with some
thing of envy upon all other employees when we
see them enjoying their leave at the expense of
Ito them generous government
There can be no doubt that, looking upon the
question in the light of justice, we are entitled
to the same privileges as others are in this mat
ter, and the government cannot justly deprive us
of this leave if they grant it to all others 1t
would be denial of equal rights and privileges
which lie at the very foundation of govern
ment which recognizes no privileged classes, but
is pledged to the great principle of equality of
rights to all.
THE only difficulty in our case is that ours is
no sinecure position. There are duties, and very
aIduous ones to be performed and they must be
layed, and this prevents the duties of a carrier
absent on leave from being performed by his as
sociates-even if they could find the time and
physical endurance necessary for their perform
ance. A man cannot be on his route and an
other carriers at the same time, and therefore
extra men must be employed and paid to per-
form the duty of an absent carrier. This is the
reason why the Postoffice Department cannot
grant us the leave of absence we ask and the
justice of which the department has already con
ceded. 1t remains for Congress, in their gener
osity and sense of justice, to make the necessary
provision to carry out the object of this bill and
if the wishes of the public who are aware of our
laborious duties, and who appreciate our services
are respected, we have doubt as to what the
actions Of Congress will be in this matter"