The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-12-09
RURAL DELIVERY SUCCESS
GREAT INCREASE IN POSTAL
REVENUES.
Recommendation For Sergeant
Carriers and Limit to Hours
Required of Clerks.

Assistant Postmaster General Perry S.
Heath has completed his annual report,
except the portions relating to military
postoftices at the army camps and in
the Antilles and Philippines, and the
rural free delivery service, both of
which await further advices. The gen.
eral business Of the department shows
an increase of e Sc, 900, 900 during the
fiscal year. This year there were H.
1884, 7S domestic money orders issued,
against Is, 1863, 055 last year; the amount
carried was $191, 1854. 121, against STA
4S2 ,167. There were 1888 new money
order offices established.
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 certainly
of compensation. At present there is
no rule or system Of the grading of
clerks at postofices. 1t is commended
that an efficient postofice clerk is the
PCCA Va a. 1ClSC Cdl41cIy anu tlclc
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 of absence per year Postofice
clerks have nc 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.
CLERK HIRE.
An appropriation Of $11, 800, 900, an in
crease Of $7oo,0 900 over this year, is
recommended for the next fiscal year
for clerk hire. Congress having ap-
p%ropriated 5000, 900 less than the de-
partment estimate for clerk hire during
the past fiscal year, considerable en-
barrassment has ensued in meeting
emergencies incident to the great in
crease Of public business.
The consolidation Of postofices is
again recommended. Congress Is asked
to repeal the law forbidding the aboli-
ton of a postoff1ce located at any coun-
ty seat by a consolidation of
postofices, the abolition of the
small p%ostof1ces contiguous to a large
office having free delivery and the es-
Enlistment of stations and substan-
tial stations in lieu thereof, Mr.. Heath
says. has been found to result not only
in vastly improved public service. but
In O u,,hctorftol couirr In ovoorcoo
Authority is asked to make the clerk
hire appropriation apply to all classes
Of postof1ces. At present an allow
ance 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 impossible for any one per-
son to attend properly to it and the
postmasters are constantly compelled
to "a for such clerical help as they
need out Of their own salaries. There
are 2,910 third-class postoffices, 100 Sec
suit claimed is that it would remove
the temptation for postmasters to
pad" their receipts or to fraudulently
increase their apparent so as
to get into the second-class.
FREE DELIVERY.
Free delivery was extended during
the fiscal year to ffty-nine offices. Ad-
ditional offices entitled to free delivery
number 40. During the current fiscal
year service has been established at
thirty-four of these offices, leaving sew
enty-six to await the consideration of
the department.
EIGHT HOUR LAW.
The first assistant postmaster gen
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
service. This recommendation is in ac-
cord with the views expressed by. the
held at Detroit and it is believed it's
adoption will. meet the approval Of the.
letter carriers themselves. t..
Mr.. Heath recommends an additional
grade Of carrier to be be 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 hav
served five years or more. The duties
of these sergeants would be to super
wise the work Of letter carriers on their