Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-12-01
ON POSTAL MATTERS
Perry S. Heath's Recommendations
for the Good Of the Service.
FIvORS CLASSIFYING NAIL CLERKS.
Consolidation Of Post O6lces Rec"mmeno-
ed-Asks Authority to MAKE Clrrk Hire
Amply to Third Class Of'icss-More
Money for Rural Delivery.

ed-Asks Authority to Make Clrrk Hire
Amply to Third Glass Ofhcss-More
Money for Rural Delivery.
Washington, Nov. 25.-First Assist
ant Postmaster General Perry s Heath
has completed his annual report, ex'
cept the positions relating to military
post offices at the army camps and in
the Antilles and Philippines and the
rural free delivery service, both OF
which await further advices The
general business Of the department
shows an increase Of over $4,000, 600
during the fiscal year. In all depart.
ments of the service the influence OF
prosperous times has made itself ap'
parent. This year there were s7,7sS,'
O7s domestic money orders issued
against IS, 169,055 last year; the
amount carried was Slsl,S54, I'LL
against STA, 4Ss,676. There were ?, S5S
new money order Offices established.
The recommendations for congress
sional action are numerous and inter-
esting. Mr.. Heath recommends that
clerks in post offices he classified and
placed upon fixed scale OF salaries
similar to that of letter.carriers, so as
to give fair prospect OF advancement
and certainty Of compensation. An
appropriation of $4,000 is requested
for the employment Of substitute
clerks to allow vacations. An appro.
priation of $l1, 800, 1000, an increase OF
$500, 900 over this year, is recommended
for the next fiscal year for clerk hire.
Congress having appropriated $aOO, ooo
less than the department estimate Tor
clerk hire during the past fiscal year.
considerable embarrassment has en-
sued in meeting emergencies incident
to the great increase in public business
The consolidation Of post offices Is
again recommended. Congress is asked
to repeal the law forbiddine the aoo'
lition of post Office 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 q SUD
stantial saving in expenses, and he de-
sires authority to continue this plan
Authority is asked to make the clerk
hire appropriation apply to all classes
of post offices At present an allow
ance for clerk hire can only be giver
to first and second class postmasters
Many third class post offices which
only escape by q few hundred dollar
Of receipts from being included in th'
second class have so much business
that it is impossible for any one per
son to attend to 1t properly, and tn
postmasters are constantly compelled
to nav for such clerical help as the.
need out Of their own salaries Their
are 1910 third class post offices, ~
second class and l76 first class. On
result claimed is that it would remov
the temptation for postmasters +
"pad" their receipts or fraudulentl
to increase their apparent revenues $
as to get into the second class.
Free delivery was extended durin
the fiscal year to SO offices. Additions
offices entitled to free delivery numbe
40. During the current fiscal yea
service has been established at "a 9
these offices, leaving 76 to await tn
consideration of the department
The first assistant postmaster ger
eral recommends a modification OF tn
eight-hour law, as applied to letterca'
riers, so as to provide for the eigf
hours for six days work and only
MANY hours on Sunday within IN
eight-hour limit as are absolutel
necessary for the requirements OF IN
service. This recommendation is
accord with the views expressed y
/ the convention of postmasters recent
: held at Detroit and it is believed
> adoption would meet the approval
= the letter-carriers themselves M
' Heath recommends an additional grad
1 of carrier, to be known as carrier Sc
qeants, in all cities having 80 carrie
v mr. more, and that these positions
), assigned by competitive examinatlf
v among carriers who have served n
3 years or more.
3 The duties of these sergeants won
: be to supervise the work OF letter'ca
' riers on their routes and to lnves
i. gate complaints He asks for an
is preparation for salaries OF carriers
" established offices for the next fisc
:, I. year of ST.. 697, 2OO' Tor the saiaries ,,
!. letter-carriers at new offices, you, VI
m for horse hire allowance. AlO,oOo' c
ID fare and bicycles, $4,000; all oth
V incidentals. $50. 900. making a graz
total for this service OF sl4'5l2,soo.
% He recommends repeal OF the II
r.. recurring the use Of the present 10
an of money order, in the interest
as safety and simplicity, and also auth
y izatiou for the use of postal che
81, PAYABLE to bearer
10 A detailed report Of the operate
r.. of the rural free delivery will be P
n. septed within few days Congr
w increased the appropriation for
ri purpose from $4,000 to sl5O,Ooo,
mir. Heath recommends, in view oil
success of the extension OF the serv
GENERALIZATION n has given II