The Grenada sentinel., 1889-08-17
CAPITAL NEWS.

IS SUNDAY WORK IN THE POSTAL SERVICE.
: WASHINGTON, Aug. 12-The question
e of Sunday work in the Government post
al service is seriously engaging the at
l. tentiOn OF post-office officials. The ques-
d ton is not new to the Department. Fifty
e wears ago it was considered, and since
that time various rulings and orders re-
j lating to Sunday work by Government
), postal employees have been made. These
!. orders have been as different as they
5 have been numerous, no two of them be-
ing 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 ques-
ton first attracted the attention Of post
Office officials. There seems to be di-
rect conflict between the religious and
business elements of the country in urg-
ing settlement of this question. The
former have demanded, through petit
tiOus, letters aud appeals that Sunday
work in the postal service should
be reduced to minimum, while
the business element have con-
] SIhHlIl ui5tu Increased postal
facilities regardless OF whether the work
was performed on Sundays or week days.
This question Of Sunday work was prom
| inently brought to the attention of post
office officials during the administration
of NJ. Cleveland and when Mr.. Villas
was Postmaster General Con sress had
! passed q law providing that letters hav-
ing special delivery stamp on them
| should lie Immediately delivered on their
receipt at any post-otiice in the United
States where the free delivery system
was in operation. This was construed by
Mr.. Villas to mean that this class of let
tiers should be delivered seven DAYS in the
week Ton Sundays as we'll as on week
days., and he issued instructions to
that effect Then there Immediately
arose clamor from religious bodies
throughout the country against the desc
Grafton of the Sabbath, and petitions and
memorials piled in to the Post Office De-
partment by the thousands asking that
the instructions be revoked. On the 9TH
er hand, the business men of the country
heartily supported the innovation The
sentiment against Sunday work was so
strong, so respectable, and SO earnest,
e4Ae' L bHluSuu NlOFtlduu lOOh lllt ludltBT
under consideration, and the instructions
Oh Mr.. Villas were Withdrawn and post
masters left to their discretion in carry
ing out the special delivery law on Sun
days. Itremains in that condition to -dav.
In some cities this class Of letters
are not delivered at all on Sunday;
in others only during a few hours
of the day, aud in no two cities are the
deliveries made at the same hour. This
whole question Of Sunday work, special
letter delivery, window delivery, railway
postal car work, star.route and steam
boat routes, will be taken up and consid-
cred by Postmaster-G General Wanamaker
IN all its different phases on his return
from his vacation. Post-office officials
look forward to its settlement with inter-
est, but because of the conflicting inter-
ess involved, hardly expect solution Of
the question that will be satisfactory to
the religious element, the business ele-
ment and the Government itself.
DEsERTIoNs FROM THE ARMY.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12,-Army officers of
late have been looking into the causes
which decimate the army. Late sta.
tistics show that desertions are on the in
crease. During the six months ending
juno 30, 1889, the records show an in
crease of 25S over the number reported
for the corresponding period of last year.
For the first six months of the present
year there were 1,461 desertions, against
l,2O9 for the same period of 1883. Fully
-eighths of the desertions took place
during the first year of enlistment The
importance of these figures is appreci-
ated by General Schofield and Adiutant-
General Kelton, each of whom have given
the subject much thought and discussion
lately and some plan of action which
will look toward the modification of the
existing Articles of War will receive
their earnest advocacy and be presented
to Congress.
The numerous desertions, especially
from the larger army posts, are the
source of much anxiety to the officials in
the War Department. and they will
strike at the root of the evil if such
thing is possible. Quite number OF
officers believe that one of the best ways
to break up desertions in the army
would be to put a stop to the soldier do
ing SO much extra work. When a man
enters the army he expects to be-
come a soldier. When he finds that in
addition to his duty as a soldier he has to
do all the work around the garrison and
officers quarters, the soldier feeling dies
out and he deserts at the very first op-
portunity-generally in the first year of
his enlistment. A decrease in the mum.
Der of useless calls now prevalent at
army posts will also, it is said, result in
fewer desertions.
NO YELLOW FEVER AT TAMPICo
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1l.-Surgeon- Gen.
eral Hamilton of the Marine Hospital
Service has received the official report Of
DIR. Combe, who was sent to Tampico,
Mex, to investigate the reports of yellow
fever at that port. DR.. Combe reports as
follows:
called upon the United States Consul, who |
emphaticaly denied the report that the disease
prevailed there, as did the profession. / was |
shown the hospitals, civil and military. lex
amined the records and made as thorough an
examination as possible. On all sides l was
met with the assurance OF the non-existence Of
yellow fever, In any Of Its forms, in this section
of the country. The members of the Board of
Health here say that yellow fever has not
been seen here, to their knowledge, since the
epidemic OF 1878 and 1879 when it was import
ed from New Orleans. AT present there is not
q suspicion Of sporadic case of yellow fever
in Tampico. This is surprising, us this city Is
in constant communication with Vera Cruz
where the disease is said to annually prova
Malaria abounds here, owing to the negligence
among the natives and lower classes, who
saperstitiousiy fee from medical attention and