The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-25
Business of the Department In
creased Six Millions.
PERRY HEATH'S REPORT
(PosToFFICE CLERKS SHOULD RE
CELvE BETTER TREATMENT.
Vacations and Shorter Hours and a
Graded System recommended
Extension of the Free Delivery
Observation-Disclosures of Post
Offices Is Desirable.

Washington, Nov. 24.-First Assistant
Postmaster General Perry Heath has
completed his annual report, except the
portions relating to military postofices,
at the army camps, and in the Antilles
and Philippines and the rural free de
livery service, both of which await fur
Their advices
The general business of the depart
ment shows an increase of over $6,OOO,-
600 during the fiscal year. In all de-
partments Of the business the prosper
Gus times have made themselves ap-
parent. This year there We're 27,19S,OIS
domestic money orders issued, against
Is. 1853 055 last year; the amount carried
was $191, 1854, 121, against STA, AS. 676.
There We're 2,35S new money order Of
ices established.
The recommendations for congress
sional action are numerous and inter-
esting. Mr.. Heath recommends that
clerks in postoffices be classified and
placed upon a fixed scale of salaries,
similar TO that of letter carriers, so as
to give fair prospect Of advancement
and certainty Of compensation. At
present there is no rule or system for
the grading of clerks at postofhces 1t
is contended that an efficient postoffice
clerk is the peer of a, letter carrier, and
there Should be no discrimination in
the pay or privileges accorded TO either
GaasS. The hours of labor of a letter
sslrrier are limited by the law to eight
hours a day, and he is allowed fifteen
days leave of absence per year. Post
office clerks have nc limitation on their
hours, and no vacation without loss Of
salary. An appropriation of $4,000 is
required for the employment Of substi-
cute clerks to allow vacations. An APP
preparation Of S1l, 800, 000 an increase of
GOO over this year, is recommended
for the next fiscal year for clerk hire.
Congress having appropriated 100000
less than the department estimate for
clerk hire during the past fiscal year,
considerable embarrassment has en-
sued in meeting emergencies incident to
the great increase Of public business.
The consolidation of postoffices is
again recommended. Congress is asked
to repeal the law forbidding the aboli-
ton Of a postoffice located at any coun-
ty seat by a consolidation of postoffice.
The abolition of small poStoff1ces con-
tiguous to a large Office having free
delivery and the establishment of sta
tions and sub-stations in lieu thereof,
Mr.. Heath says, has been found to re-
suit not only in a vastly improved pub
lie service, but in a substantial saving
in expenses, and he desires authority
to continue this plan.
Authority is asked to make the clerk
hire appropriation apply to all classes
of postoffices. AT present an allowance
for clerk hire can only be given to first
and second-class pOstmasters. Many
third-claSs postoffices which only es-
cape by a few hundred dollars of re-
ceipts from being included in the sec
ond-class, have so much business that
* is impossible for any one person to
properly attend to it, and the postmas-
rers are constantly, compelled to pay
for such clerical help as they need out
of their own salaries.
There are 1910 third-class postoffices,
T9e second-class and 176 first-class. One
result claimed is that it would remove
the temptation for postmasters to pad
i 1eir receipts or to fraudulently in
Z crease their apparent revenues so as to
get into the second-class.
Free delivery was extended during
the fiscal year to fifty-nine offices. Ad-
ditional offices entitled to free delivery
number ITO. During the current fiscal
year service has been established at
thirty-four Of these Offices leaving
seventy-six to await the consideration
of the department.
The first assistant postmaster gene
raj recommends a modification of the
eight-hOur law, as applied to letter car
riers, so as to provide for eight hours,
hours on Sunday within the eight-hour
limit as are absolutely necessary for
the requirements of the service This
recommendation is in accord with the
views expressed by the convention of
postmaSterS. recently held at Detroit
and it is believed its adoption would
meet the approval of the letter car
riers themselves.
Mr.. Heath recommends an additional
grade of carrier TO he known as car
rier sergeants, in all cities having fifty
carriers or more, and that these posi-
tons be assigned by competitive exam
ination among carriers who have served
five years or more. The duties of these
sergeants would be to supervise the
work OF the letter carriers on their
routes and to investigate complaints
He asks an appropriation for salaries
Of carriers at established offices for the
next fiscal year of SO, 697, 200: for the
salaries of letter carriers at new offices
$50 600; for horse hire allowance, $410,-
geo; car fare and bicycles, $195. 600; all
other incidentals, SI50,000, making a
grand total for this service of S14, 512, 200
~ recommends 6. repeal. of the law
rSquring the use of the present form
OF money order, in the interest of safe
ty and simplicity. and also authorize
ton for the use of postal check, pay
able to bearer.
A detailed report of the operations OF
the rural free delivery viii be presented
within a few days. Congress increased
the appropriation for this purpose from
$4,000 to $3.50. coo, and Mr. Heath rec
ommends, in view of the success of the
extension of the service and the salts
faction it has given, that an appropri-
alton Of 100000 be made for rural free
delivery during the next fiscal year.