Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-26
THE LETTER CARRIERS
Still Hopeful That Congress Will Increase
Their Salaries
What Secretary Victory Of the Ma.
tionuI Association Says of the
Justice of Their Claim.

The letter carriers in this city and
throughout the country are still hopeful
that something Will be done at this session
Of Congress toward the passage of the
bills pending in the House and Senate to
increase their salaries. Friends of the car
riers are doing all they can to get considera-
ton for the bills. and say there is an as
sured majority for the measures in the
House If they could be gotten before that
body.
Secretary John F. Victory of the Ma
tional Association of Letter Carriers said
to Star reporter today:
I'm the event that meritorious legislation,
pending in this Congress, becomes a law,
the Post Office Department will at once be-
come self-sustainirg &, and with the regular
annual increase of revenue will soon become
certain and permanent source of income
to the government. Deducting the cost of
the carriage in the mails of government
matter from its expenditures, the depart
ment could today show wherein IL earns a
revenue for the government The letter
carrers-among the hardest worked and
poorest paid OF government employes-de-
serve considerable of the credit for the
present admirable condition OF the postal
service. ard Congress should permit them
to enjoy more fuzzy the fruits OF their good
behavior, their industry and their faithful
service.
not commensurate with the Importance, the
arduousress of his work. and the risks of
his business.
The carriers are employed only in cities.
where il VIII be generally admitted, the
cost of living is TIE greatest. Their outfit
costs about so year. In very great
majority OF cases they are married and
have families. The postmas:ers expect the
carriers to keep themselves neatly clad in
UNIFORM, and the government expects them
TO maintain and educate their families and
| is nv Thas, A..
nify their position as the most popular and
most useful of government servants, and
mus meet the expectations of the people to
Whom they are an everyday evidence Of the
| benencenCe of our government.
Under the act of May ~, 1888 their
DAY work Is limited TO eight hours but the
law has been construed to mean that their
services may be scattered over the entire
tWenty-four. As rule, they begin work
very early in the morning and with short
ana frequent intervals of rest, they usually
end their work late in the day These ne
RODS of rest from work, known as swings
are ordinarily of no advantage to the car
rier. In some instances as much as eight
cen hours eIapse from the time the carrier
commences his days work until he has
finished the same. severe weather NAV de-
lay the railroad train, but nothing interferes
TO delay the work Of the carrier In the post
once sunday Is considered very much the
same as an ordinary work day. The car
rlers also have to work on all HOLIDAYS
Ihey are among the most trusted servants
OF the government and rarely abuse the
confidence repoSed in them As class thew
are exceptionally honest and energetic in
the performance of their duties thus maxi
ing Tor the two great aims of the postal
service, CELEBRITY and certainty. They are
exposed to all kinds Of weather end to the
risks attending frequent travel through the
most miserable and jnost dangerous sec
uos OF large cities 1t takes a good man to
do such work well, and they should get a
good mans salary. Good wages will al
ways command good service, and good
service should always command good
wages.
For the letter carrier there IS no oman
! avenue of promotion in the postal service;
he has nothing to look forward to but his
salary, nor can he grow very old In the
| service; age units him for his iaborious
| duties.
The knowledge he acquires in the ser
| vice is Of absolutely no Use to him in any
other walk of life. The experience of the
| higher-salaried clerks in the various de-
| partments may be utilized in private en-
| ploynent. 1t is not Sd with the carriers
experience. In neerly all other branches
of the government service employees are
granted an annual vacation of thirty days
with pay. The carriers vacation is but fif-
teen days. Other employees are allowed
| thirty days annual sick leave. If the car
rier for any cause loses an hour or trip, a
deduction from his salary is made. Injury
from accident while on duty is in no way
compens 3ted for. Other employees work but
six and ore half hours day-from 3 to 4,
| with half hour for lunch-and the limit
| of their selGries exceeds 5000.
THE system would be benefited by the
| proposed charge. Under the existing law
| the salary of the carrier begins when he
receives appointment a regular carrier
at 5000 year, and can never reach a point
beyond 1000 a year. Before mis- appoint
| ment as a regular carrier he has to serve
| a substitute carrier for several years at
| a salary of 81 per annum and the pro rata
compensation of the carriers whose routes
| he may be required to serve During this
period of substitution carriers earn but
| precarious living.
Under the proposed change the begin
rer would have before him the certainty
| of reaching 500 per month, provided he
| rendered faithful service, and the certain
| ty of retaining that fair salary during good
| behavior.
The proposed higher salary would be
worth working for, and II would be a very
| great inducement TO good men to enter the
| service and remain there"