Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-17
LETTER CARRIERS DISMISSED.
Little Detective Work shows That sor
Have Been Doing Wrong.

A Little Detective Work shows That some
Have Been Doing Wrong.
There is decided sensation at the city post
once. Fourteen letter carriers have been
suspended for fifteen days and three have been
told that their services were no longer required
under any circumstances. This is the result
OF the action of the free delivery division of
the Post Office Department and not of the Off
Gals at the local Office.
-Four reasons are given for the suspension
and discharge of the carriers-loitering while
out on routes, skipping boxes, drinking while
on duty and in uniform and diverting the sup
ply OF car tickets into other than the legitimate
channels. some of the carriere are charged
with only one of these offenses. while it is un-
dersfood that several take in two or three or
even all Of them.
WHAT LED TO THIS ACTION.
The discoveries that led to this wholesale
action on the part of the department came
about IN rather a curious way and indirectly
through the workings Of the eight-hour law
Letter carriers come under the provisions Of
that law and 1t is necessary TO arrange their
trip schedules with reference to the time limit
Tor the men insist that their working time shall
De eight consecutive hours They are paid for
all overtime and in a large city like Washing
ton, where many Of the routes are long wav
from the office, this overtime pay runs way up
into the thousands every year
The officials in the free delivery division have
been for some time past of the opinion that
there was more being paid out for overtime
than was absolutely necessary. and il was de-
cided to try few experiments in detective
work. As usual with all experiments of the
government they were tried on Washington,
although It was recognized all along that any
irregularities that might exist here were small
ss compared with some other cities.
LITTLE DETECTIVE WORK.
A man was sent out from the department o.
tensibly as a repaire- of letter boxes. but in
reality for the purpose Of shadowing the car
riers. His apparent labors gave him an excel
lent opportunity to watch the men, and il was
on his report to the superintendent of the free
delivery division, and transmitted to the Post
master General, that all the trouble arose
He made the best of his opportuni-
ties, and soon found that some Of the
men had little way Of dropping into res
taurants or corner groceries and there dallying
with the liquids. Others, a few only, for, in
fact this sort of men is very rare on the carrier
force in Washington, would loaf along their
routes and. as a result, would not only have
comparatively easy time of ii, but they would
also have good large bill for overtime work. for
which the government would have TO paw A
few were found to skip boxes on their collection
routes, matter that would soon have decided
effect on the efficiency Of the post office. and
others were found who were in the habit of
knocking down" few car tickets
cRIBBING CAR TICKETS.
Men whose routes are at a considerable dis
lance from the Office are supplied with car
tickets SO that they may ride and get to their
routes in about half of the time. But il was
very simple matter to pocket a ticket, walk.
use up more time and then have bill for over
time And this is just what was done in a few
cases: These are all comparatively small trans
gressions, Of course, and reflect but little on
the general efficiency and standing of the force,
which ranks among the very best in the country.
The punishment that has been melted out is
somewhat in the nature of q warning and il ia
probable that an account of the occurrence
will be sent to all the large Offices in the coun-
try to be pasted up where all the carriers may
read and ponder.
Postmaster Sherwood had nothing to do with
the dismissals or suspensions He is now work.
ing hard for his men and hopes to have the
three who were removed granted the privilege
Of resigning.