The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-24
Assistant Postmaster General
Heath Recommends
Issuance Of Postal Checks Pay
able to the Holder
IN HIS ANNUALREP
Wants POstOffice Clerks to Be
Put on Equality
With Letter Carriers in Every
Particular

washington. Nov. 24-First Assist
ant Postmaster General Perry S. Heath
has completed his annual report, except
the portions 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 bus
mess of the department shows an in
crease Of over Sc, OOO,0 600 during the fiscal
year.
In all departments Of the service the
influence of the prosperous times has
made itself apparent This year there
were 27,7es.OTS domestic money orders
issued against 25, 169, O55 last year; the
amount carried was S191,354.121 against
S174 ASP. bl6. There were 2,35S new mon
ey order Offices established.
The recommendations for cOngression-
al action are numerous and interesting.
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 a fair
prospect OF advancement and certainty
of compensation. At present there is no
rule or system for the grading of clerks
at postofices. It is cOntended that an
efficient pOstOffice clerk is the peer Of
a letter carrier and that there should
be no discrimination in the pay or
hours of labor of a letter carrier are
limited by law to eight hours a day and
he is allowed 10 days leave Of absence
per year.
POstofdce clerks have no limitation on
their hours and no vacation without
loss OF salary An appropriation Of $50
coo IS requested for the employment Of
substitute clerks to allow vacations An
increase Of S7OO 900 over this year is
recommended for the next fiscal year
for clerk hire. Congress having apprO-
priated 5000, 600 less than the depart
ment estimate for clerk hire during the
past fiscal year considerable embar-
rassment has ensued in meeting emer-
gencies incident to the great increase Of
public business.
The consolidation of postofices is
again recommended. Congress is asked
to repeal the law fOrbidding the abOI-
ton of 8 pOstOfhce located at any cOun-
ty seat by consolidation of pOstOfices.
The abolition of small pOstOffices con-
tinguOus to a large office having free
delivery and the esta blishment of sta
tons and sub stations in lieu thereof,
0Ir- Heath says. has been found result
not only in a vastly improved public
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 pOstofiices- At present an allowance
for clerk hire can only be given to first
and second class pOstmasters. Many
third-Class postOffices which only escape
by a few hundred dollars OF receipts
from being included in the secOnd-clasS
have so much business that it Is inpOs-
sible for any one person to properly at
tend to it and the pOstmasters are con-
stantly compelled to pay for such cler-
zeal help as they need out of their sal
aries. There are 2,91O third-class post
offices, $50 secOnd-cIass and 1T6 first
class One result claimed is that it
would remove the temptation for post
masters 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 80 offices. Additional
Offices entitled to free delivery number
10. During the current fiscal year ser
vice has been established at "a of these
Offices. leaving 76 to await the consid-
Grafton of the department. The first
assistant postmaster general recon-
uends a modification of the eight hour
law. as applied to letter carriers. 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 necessary for the re-
quirements of the service. This recon-
snendatton is in accord with the views
expressed by the convention Of post
masters recently held at Detroit and it
Is believed its adoption would meet the
approval of the letter carriers them
selves
Mr.. Heath recommends an additional
grade of carriers to be known as carrier
eergsants in all cities having so carriers,
or more. and that these positions be
assigned by competitive examination
among carriers who have served five
years or more. The duties Of these
sergeants would be to supervise the
work Of 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 twelve million. six hundred and
nlnety-seVen thousand two hundred dol
lars; for the salaries of letter carriers
at new Offices SCI, 600; for horse hire al
lowance $4,000; car fare and bicycles
S1s5,00O all other incidentals 1856, 000
making a grand total for this service
Of $14,612, 200. He recommends a repeal
Of the law requiring the use of the
present form of money order in the in
terest 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. 600 to $500 600 and Mr.. Heath recon-
mends in view Of the success of the ex-
tension Of the service and the satisfac-
tion II has given that an approximation
OF $500. 600 be made for rural free de-
livery during the next fiscal year.
-
The Pops's Delegate Arrives.
New York. Nov. 24.-Arehbishop Chap