Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-08
LETTER CARRIER SERGEANTS
Postmaster Gordon's Report on the System in
Chicago
He Says That 1t Can BE Declared a
Pronounced Success After Il Test
of Three Months.

Postmaster Gordon of Chicago has SUBJ
mitted tc Mr.. Heath, first assistant post
master general, his reports on the carrier
sergeants' system, adopted in Chicago
under his direction To summarize the ser
geants have a general supervision over the
carriers, and perform work which would
otherwise come under the superintendent.
He says in the report that after three
months test of the system of inspection
by the carrier sergeants, it can be fairly
called a pronounced success. Broached as
a theory, he states, the system has stood
the strain of practical experience and fully
demonstrated its right to a permanent place
in the free delivery service system.
During the third month of the test four
sergeants We're employed, and their work
was confined in the main to the rearrange-
ment- OF districts in fifteen carrier stations,
preparatory to the addition OF new car
riers. In the early part OF the month they
were employed in planning out a new down.
town carrier station.
1t was found that this substaton could
accommodate eight carriers. without addI-
ticual expense. Close calculation made II
evident that eight carriers on the ground
could give seven trips day, as against
six trips given by ten carriers comii g from
distance. In other words, eight car
riers, costing 5000 year. would give
service under the improved system, which
would otherwise have taken twelve car
riers at a cost Of $4,000 year. Pract1-
cally the effectiveness of the service was
Increased by four men. Two men were
actually saved, which Is regarded as re-
markabe showing Sixteen districts were
examined and redistrioted and better serv-
ice secured through the carrier sergeant
system.
A supplementary report to the other Is
added. 1t gives additional reasons favoring
the adoption of the carrier sergeant syS-
tenn as a permanent branch of the free de-
livery service Concerning the dement's of
the system the report states, there are two
principal objections which will probably
be raised against the establishment OF
permanent grade Of carrier Sergeants. One
of these Is the expense. The other Is that
sergeants are spies. Expense, 1t Is shown,
Is actually reduced by the Introduction of
the carrier sergeant system. The superin-
tendent and foreman are supposed to look
after the work Of the carriers in the field.
but 1t Is practically impossible to do this.
as their duties are too much taken up in
other directions. From time to time vari-
Gus plans have been tried for the better
supervision Of field work. and have been
abandoned. No plan as yet tried has met
with anything like the success OF the car
rier sergeant system.
Respecting the number of sergeants re-
quired the report states one to every 100
or $50 carriers in large cities would be suf-
ficient. Where there are less than fifty car
riers the use of sergeants Is not recon-
mended at all. Sergeants have become
necessity in great cities. because of the
difficulty of supervising officers obtaining
exact Information about the habits. abili-
ties and personal conduct Of the men under
them. In small cities 1t is easily possible
to know this.
In regard to the objection being put for