The evening times., 1900-01-24
PLEA OF POSTAL CLERKS
Their Argument in Support of a
Bill Before Congress.
Reasons Given I'm Advocacy of the
Proposition to Tighten Their La
bors-Tbe Dangers md Trying M
ture of the Service They Are Re-
quired tn PerfOrm-Some statistics.

The railway postal clerks are using ev-
cry effort TO secure the passage Of the
bill which is designed to Tighten their la
bors 1t was introduced in Congress by
Mr.. Tawney of Minnesota. They have is
sued statement of the work performed
by them, and they earnestly hope that
this will be instrumental in helping TO Sc
cure for them the desired measure of re-
lief.
The statement IS in part as follows:
The labors of the railway mail
clerk are so arduous that he can
not work continuously. The strain Of body
and brain on every trip is very exhausting.
Trains run at a high speed and to main
tain an upright position while devoting ev-
cry energy to his work is very difficult,
and lifting heavy mail sacks taxes his
strength TO the utmost. He is allowed lay
offs as an absolute matter Of necessity two
or three days in week at intervals 10 re-
cuperate. but even when off duty he must
study and keep posted Oh changes in time
tables and schemes of distribution of mails.
He must keep himself fully advised as TO
the condition of his run keep the chief
clerks advised as to his address and not
put himself out of reach without special
permission.
The magnitude OF the railway postal
service in this country. by far the great
est in the world. may be gathered from
the report of the General Superintendent
Of the Railway Mail Service. On June 30
1898. there were .25S postoffiCe lines Of
all kinds-railroad electric. cable and
steamboat-in the United States. manned
by S,014 clerks appointed TO the service.
These clerks covered 2S5. sos. 343 miles in
the year, using 3649 cars and steamer
apartments They distributed u 2Sl7 1885,,
II pieces of mail. besides 17,07T.70S pack
ages, cases, and sacks of registered mat
ter In handling this enormous quantity
of mail there were only LIZ, 4S3 errors
in distribution.
The work OF the postal clerk is per-
formed under hazardous conditions. Dur
ing the last year there were j91 casualties,
seven of which were fatal. Congress has
made no provision for families of railroad
clerks who are killed or permanently in
jured while on duty. but as far back as
1880 the United States Railway Mail Ser
vice Benefit Association was organized, its
object being to provide pecuniary relief
to the widows. orphans or other bene-
fcfaries of It's deceased members.
ANY person not over forty years Of age
and connected Nth the railway branch Of
the service. eithA by commission or ap-
pointment. is eligible to become member.
The membership numbers more than 1000,
and benefciaries are paid $4,000. The
National Association Of Railway Clerks has
also recently created an accident insurance
department. which pays So a week for in
jury that incaPacitates a member for SER
vice and s., ,0t0 in case of death by acci-
dent
"The working system of the railway pos
tal service has not been changed since
1SS2-the date of it's organization being in
the early seventies-but each year has seen
the service grow and extend its limits to
the edges of new settlements until it now
covers the whole country. Salaries are
long since so inadequate for the labor re-
quired and for the modern expenses OF liv
ing that the postal clerk Of today IS said
to be not only the hardest worked but the
poorest paid employe of the Government.
The postal service antedated its actual
organization, its beginning being an inven
ton of the civil war through the Govern
ment undertaking to deliver mail from
railroad trains and steamboats, TO soldiers
in camp and on the march,