The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-08-15
sunday work in Tie Postal service

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. 1.-THE
question of Sunday work in Govern
ment postal service is seriously engag
ing the attention of Post Office officials.
The question is not new to the depart
ment. Fifty years ago it was consid
cred, and since that time various rul-
ings and orders relating to Sunday
work by government postal employees
have been made. These orders have
been as different as they have been
numerous, no two of them being alike,
With the growth of the postal service
Sunday work has increased, and how
to avoid working on Sundays, and at
the same time supply the demands of
the public, is a problem which to-day
seems to be no nearer solution than it
was years ago or at any time since the
question first attracted the attteniOn
of post office officials. There seems to
be direct conflict between the religious
and business elements of the country
in urging settlement of this question
The former have demanded through
petitions, letter and appeals, that Sun
day work in the postal service should
be reduced TO minimum. while
the business element have con
stantly urged increased postal facilities,
regardless of whether the work was
performed on Sundays or week days.
This question of Sunday work was
prominently brought to the attention
of post officials during the administra-
ton of President Cleveland, and when
Mr.. Villas was postmaster general.
congress had passed a law providing
that lettesS having a special delivery
stamp on them should be Immediately
delivered ON their receipt ut any post
nHiRn in tho ITnifn6 Sfuf WhPrQ the
free delivery system w"a iii operation
This was construed by MIR. Villas to
mean that this class of letters should
be delivered seven days of the week ion
| Sundays as well as on week days., and
| he issued instructions to that effect
| Then there Immediately arose clamoT
| from religious bodies throughout the
country against the dissertation of the
| Sabbath, and petitions and memorials
| piled into the post Office department
| 10y the thousands, asking that the
| instructions be revoked. On the other
| hand, the business men of the country
heartily supported the innOva-
ton. The sentiment against Sunday
work WAS so strong, so respectable and
so earnest, that President Cleveland
took the matter under consideration
and the instructions of Mr.. Villas were
withdrawn, and postmaSterS left tC
their discretion In carrying out Cht
special delivery law on Sundays. II
remains in that condition to-day. In
some cities this class of letters are uO'
delivered at all on Sunday, i'll other!
only during few hours of the day
and in no two cities are the deliverie:
made at the same hour. This whole
question of Sunday work-special let
ter delivery, window letter delivery
railway postal car work, star route
and steamboat rOutes-will be takeI
up and considered by Postmaster Gen
eral Wanamaker in all its differen
phases on his return from his vacation
Postoffice officials look forward to it
settlement with interest, but, becaus
of the conflicting interests involved
hardly expect a solution of the ques
ton that will be satisfactory to the re
ligious element, the business elemen
and the government itself.