New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-08
TER-CARRIERS' CLAIMS.
THEIR DEMANDS UNDER THE EIGHT
HOJRLAN IN EXCESS OF SS000,0OO.
r,>Ar. srrT1EMENT BEFORE THE END OF THE
PRESENT FISCAL. YEAR EXPECTED-NEED OF
GREATER CARE IN LEGISLATION AS
WELL. AS IN ADMINISTRATION
OF THE LAW.
Icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE


Washington Sept THE hope IS expressed by
officials OF the Postonlce Department and the De
partmeut Of Justice. who have charge OF the mat
ter that the last Of the etter-carrieFs elght-hour
claims under tho If May "A. 1855, will be finally
admdcated and paid before the expiration OF the
current fiscal year i which time more than 5000
900 VIII have been discussed for the henent o.
claimants and claim agents on this account Ihis
Is a large sum, but Il is estimated by onielals o.
the Government who have cOgnizdnce OF the mat
ter than K does not exceed 80 per cent Of the total
o. the claims fled ~hich therefore must have eX-
cecded SNWD(f4.
=, brief review OF the history OF these claims VIII
OF interest. and It may suggest to some states
men in Congress tho dcsirIhiIi;y ana "itdom O.
exercising more care ia matters Of l"gs'"'lon' as
well - impress or sorae administrators o. me ID"
The absolute and Imperative necessity o. is prompt
ana rigid enforcement. The law on "hirn the ict'''
carriers Claims arc based was enacted IN u" III
session Of the L;h Congress and approved by Presi-
dent Cleveland on Nay q. 1875. Ii pro'ided tha'
hereafter eish; hours shall constitute d" "orh
for ietercarriers in cities or postal dist''ts eo
nectc! herewith for which they shaH receive .''e
same pay as is now paid for days WorK Oh "
greater number o. hours. i any letter-carT'ei i
employed a greater number OF hours ner day thah
eight he shall be paid extra for the same in pro-
portion 10 the salary 70" fixed by law.
Congress realized that tie enac tment OF this Ia"
would entail large additional eXpctse' ana the APP
propraon for the free delivery seryce for the next
e
about - per cent. compared Win norman III
crease OF or . per cent o. course. however II
was not then ioreseen that Congress Would De COM
peiied 10 appropriate more than SVNep "Ithh III,
next ensuing nine years to pay iette' '"iii'' VIE
claims for overtime under and ny virtue u ''''"
August l. lSas instructions we're is;Hcu py o oH
postn.aSier-General requiring postmta teIs 10 az
Just their schedules of collections ana dtnNeiiei n;
which had become operative more than Two months
before. This found eXceehlhgly u',i 49, w.,
sib.e without an increase OF the number oi car
riers In most Of the offices the carriers had peen
emp. owed more than eight hours day' III some
cases as many as eleven or twelve hours; under a
Department regulation which pI,St!%eH ma oilec
riers shall be employed IN the delivery hhn Tohtc-
ton of mail matter, and during ne intervals Se
tween their trips may be empioyrI III 'e dCct but
not M s3 as cl nhansr AS ''e '''''1'''' '
The instructions OF August !, 1855 seem 10 have
heen a dead letter. Carriers continued 10 oisIlo-
ute mail for the boxes and general delivery IN me
carriers ana thus work ID overtime In due season
thcy 50 began TO HE claims LOT PdEifr U f s
time services rendered, and IN Mumptr ol as,
suits brought against the Ohlted STATES ~
the Court OF GAINS 10 ,nIGIc s "s HAN courp in
favor OF the claimant the United States cirritI D!
WheIa he igdsneat was Sthrrncj In April. 1873
the Postmaster General discovered that, IN sle Oh
offices generally " r stil allowing carriers 10
make overtime, and that the tota! Liability thus In
CURED, according TO the decision OF the supreme
Court. amounted TO more than <E0Vp year lie
forbiddng postmasters. under pain OF removal, 10
allow the carriers to work overtime On any pre-,
the forbidden practice was finally stopped only by
an order excluding letter-carrers from the post
offices except when engaged in receiving and ar
ranging the letters, etc, for their respective routes
In the mean time claims had continued to accu-
mulate under the stimulus OF the courts decision
and the encouragement Of friendly ana enterprising
Washington claim agents. one firm being Under
tainers and contracts for fat contingent fees from
about nine-tenths Of the several thousand claim.
unlike many other claims against the ! nited
beyond fair or honest propcrtons ana acCordlhsy
the Postmaster General invoked the aid OF tn At
missioners who were experts In the postal service
appointed by the latter. and the work OF In,
with such success that the officials express the
opinion that, unless some other uniaVorabIe court
been closed by the end OF this fiscal year. Accord
ing 10 the last annual report OF the Attorney-Gen
ne ' Claims had been brought to suit more than
eight thousand of which had been passed on by
mander had been investigated by the comms.
soners. The total amount OF the judgments IN the
derstood the claimants received somewhat less than
wo-thirds the remainder being expended for at
But the end OF the litigation Is not yet in sight.
Under the law and according 70 the decision OF me
work of letter-carrier. and ey'n If he be Ie2ured
TO work less than eight hours he is entitled 10 pay
for the fun time While he %2Ff s more aa e
contention is now made in behalf or the Claimants
that "a DAYS work" means eight consecutive hours,
and that II a carrier Is on duty say IRON 10 "
o'clock a. IN. and from TO O'CLOCK D. m ne is en-
Wh Ed he R Ray DIR n6t by his von but BY
that Of the Government several Su'io nave uceh
have Vet been tried. Suits have also been hegun in
behalf Of substitute eticr-,arricrs VINO nav beTn
rmnloyed-in some cases only Two hours q day. In
their behalf it IS contcnded that they are entitled
iOrP any nart OF which they were actually engaged
In collecting and delivering the mails.