The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-25
MANY REFORMS SUGGESTED
CLERKS CONDITIONS SHOULD
BE IMPROVED.
Rural Free Delivery Has Proved a
Success and Its Extension Rec
commended by the Post
Office Authorities.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24-F'irst AS
sistant Postmaster General Perry
Heath has completed his annual re-
port. except the portions relating to
military postofffces at the army camps
and in the islands of the Philippines
an3 the rural free delivery districts,
both of which await more advices.
The general business of the depart
ment shows an increase of over Sc 000,-
600 during the fiscal year. In all de-
partments of lthe business the prosper
Gus times have made themselves ap-
parent. This year there were 27,79S,-
07S domestic money orders issued,
against % 169 .055 last year; the amount
carried was 5191, 54,121 against STA
4S26 76. There were 1858 new money
order offices established.
The recommendations for Congress
sionaI actor are numerous and in
teresting. Ny. Heath recommends that
clerks in po;stoffices be classified and
placed upon. fixed scale of salaries.
similar to that of letter carriers, so as
to give a fair prospect of advancement
ana certainly of compensation. AT
present there is no rule or system for
the grading Of clerks at pOstofices 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
class. The hours of labor of a letter
carrier are limited by law to eight
hours a day and he is allowed fifteen
days leave CT absence per year. Post
office clerks have no limitation on their
hours and no vacation without loss OF
salary. An appropriation of $4,000 is
requested for the employment of sub
stitute clerks to allow vacations. An
appropriation of S11, 500, 600, an increase
of $780, 600 over this year, is recon-
mended for the next fiscal year for
clerk hire. Congress having apprOprt-
ated 5000, 900 less than the department
estimate for clerk hire during the past
fiscal year, considerable embarrass-
ment has ensued in meeting emergen-
cies 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
county seat by a consolidation of post
offices. The abolition of small post
offices contiguous to a large Office hav-
ing free delivery and the establish
ment of stations and sub-stationS in
lieu thereof, Mr.. Heath says, has been
found to result not only IN vastly
improved public service but in substan-
tial 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 pOstOtiices. At present an allowance
for clerk hire can only be given TO first
and second class pOstmasters. Many
third class poStOfflceS 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 it
is impossible for any one person to
properly attend to it and the postmas.
anil tn for
such clerical help as they need out of
their own salaries. There are 2910 third
class postoffices, 100 second class and
176 first class. One result claimed is
that 1t would remove the temptation
for pOstmasterS to pad their receipts or
to fraudulently increase 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 10. 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 Cen
eral recommends a modification of the
eight-hour law as applied to letter-car-
riers, so as to provide for the eight
hours for six days work and only as
many hours on Sunday within the
eight-hour limit as are absolutely nee
essary for the requirements of the SER
vice. This recommendation is in ac-
cord with the views expressed by the
convention of postmasterS recently
held at Detroit, and it is believed it's
adoption would meet the approval Of
the letter carriers themselves.
Mr.. Heath recommends an additional
grade Of carriers to be known as car
rier sergeants. in all cities having fifty
carriers or more, and that these posi-
lions be assigned by competitive exam
nations among carriers who have
served five years or more. The duties
of these sergeants would be to super
wise the work of the letter carriers on
their routes and to investigate COM
plants.
He asks an appropriation for salaries
Of carriers at established offices for the
next fiscal year Of $12 697 200; for the
salaries Of letter-carriers at new offices,
$50 600; for horse hire allowance, $40
000 car fare and bicycles, $19500O; all
other incidentals. S150000, making
grand total for this service of $14,512,-
200
He recommends a repeal Of the law
requiring the use of the present form
of money order in the interest of safety
and simplicity, and also authorization
for the use of a postal check payable
to bearer.
A detailed report Of the operations of
the rural free delivery will be presented
within a few days. Congress increased
the appropriation for this purpose from
$50 900 to $150,000 and Mr.. Heath rec
ommends. in view of the success it has
given, that an appropriation Of $500, 900
be made for rural free delivery during
the next fiscal year.
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