Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-02
PENSIONS DEMANDED
For Families of Railway Nail Clerks
Killed in Service.
TIE LATE TERRIBLE DISASTERS
On Railroads Have Called Public Attention
to This Subject.
CONGRESS- WILL BE PErlrIOyED 70 ACT
rrnox A srAyy connxsroxprsr., /,

IYnoH sTAfT coRRKsPoNDEET.I
WAsHINGToN, May lone thing which
the Postofice Department will certainly
urge on Congress next winter will be the
pensoning Of the families Of employees who
lose their lives in the railway mail service.
This is all the talk at the department now,
aud public sentiment has been excited to
such pitch by the recent loss of life as to
make the demand for such action general.
Assistant Postmaster General Bell, who
has supervision Of the railway mail service,
is heartily in favor Of the pension scheme,
and will recommend 1t in his next report to
the Postmaster General, who will in turn
transmit it to Congress-.
Speaking of the matter to-day, Mr.. Bell
said: 'The terrible accident on the Laks
Shore road, followed by the recent one on.
the Metropolitan branch, in which dis
asters seven postal clerks met death, has
been a great shock to me. / take a per-
sonal interest in my men, and everyone Of
them has warm corner in NV heart.
Finest in the Service
"The clerks killed on the Lake Shore
were the finest in the service. It 10 neces-
sary that they should be, in order to handle
a run that is practically from New York to
San francisco. They met death in the dis
charge OF their duties, bravely a. soldier
on the field of battle, and vet there 10 no
help for their afflicted families unless the
dead men belonged to the benefit association,
which is . great tax on the members. In the
past two weeks the association has had eight
assessmentsto pay, an expense which FAM
lily man cannot afford.
"Read the reports of this Office. Year after
year earrecommendations have been made re.
questing Congress to provide for this most de-
serving class Of employees in the Govern
ment service. Bills have been presented,
placed on the calendar, and that is the last
heard of them. Members have many in.
terests 10 look alter, and in the hurry TO
push measures benefting their constituents,
they unwittingly lose sight of this matter.
Last session I went to both House and Sem
ate committees with a carefully framed bill.
Recognizing that the public is strongly OPP
posed 10 anything approaching q civil SER
vice pension list, this bill called only for
the payment of o years salary TO the heir or
heirs OF postal clerk killed by accident
while in the discharge of his duties, making
the maximum sum 81 900.
Urgent Call for Relief.
81 said to the committees: Gentlemen,
if there is any clause in this bill objection-
able, name 1t and / will eliminate the OBJ
lection. II you doubt the advisability Of
the measure, proof unauestioned will be
furnished, showing its necessity If Con-
gress were in session now, with the fate Of
these brave boys fresh in the public mind,
that bill would be passed without delay or
hesitation. My next report will call for re-
lief in the strongest possible fashion, and
the question at issue will be presented in
way that will make opposition impossible"
The only parallel to the cause of the postal
clerks is in the llfe-saving service, and in
this when member of the crew loses his
life, his family. if be has one, receives GER
tain portion OF the salary which would have
been earned during the esrfollowing death,
but the process of adjusting these claims is
very slow, aud often special appropriation
by Congress must be awaited. W..
To be just Congress should provide an
ample fund, from which all such claims
should be promptly paid as soon as they are
properly audited. LIGHTNER.