The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-30

at St. Anne's, however. will not pass
unnoticed, and should there be a demand
for messengers which boy labor could not
meet it is not probable that Postmasters
of marine resorts similarly situated would
be discouraged from employing girls. st.
Anne's has only 1900 inhabitants, and
the lads find plenty Of work to do at
busy Blackpool, not far away. In larger
places than st. Annes, and in cities par
tlcular, difficulties might arise to prevent
the adoption Of the plan generally.
1t is in cities, and even in parts of the
metropolis, however, that the scarcity of
boys has been experienced by the Post
Office, in common with other large en-
ployers Girls can be found with the
greatest ease; but boy messengers are
often at a premium. Yet everything is
done to attract the right class of youth
at the age of fourteen, and the care which
is given to the social and moral physical
and even religious training of the lads
by means of various institutes, clubs, and
classes is a matter of pride TO those who
voluntarily engage in the work Unfor-
tunately. it is not the good fortune of
many lads to remain in the service longer
than three years, for the number OF posts
as sorters telegraphists, or postmen open
to them at the age of seventeen is limit
ed. The State, 1t must not be forgotten,
requires the Post ONCE to find employ
nent for army and navy reservists;
hence the grade of boy messenger does
not necessarily form a step to advance
ment as the reward of good conduct and
merit. Girls of the same class have a
career before them. with prizes in London
in the shape OF posts worth 600 year,
while there are fully 1000 female tele-
graphists and other workers at st. Mar
dn's-le-Grand alone, with the prospect
of earning 3Ss. a week when they are not
doing so already. Women are also firmly
established in the Post Office Savings
Bank, Money Order Office, and Postal
Order Department. A woman unmarried
can remain until the retirement age OF
sixty applies to her, as to her masculine
colleague IL she marries before then she
receives a gratuity.
With all these advantages 1t would seem
to be retrograde step on the part of
girls generally to aim at the lower rank
and pay Of messengers. The Post Office
finds employment for "a 900 women out
OF 167. 900 officers, ana over 1900 of these
women are engaged, chiefly in the pro-
vince, as assistants to Postmasters
There are not many ranks closed to
women No fewer than las head Post
mistresses are to be found in the pro-
Ninces. and more than one-third Of the
ub-Postmasterships are Entrusted to wo-
men. Nine postwomen daily make their
,ounds-eight in England and Wales and
one in Scotland. Mr. r. c. Tombs. who
was once Controller OF the London Pos
tai Service, and Is now Postmaster OF
Bristol, in his history OF the Bristol
Royal Mail. places on record the fact
that one dame. Martha Pike. was a Sub
Postmlstrcss until lineage ofninety-three
When nearly ninty years old she had. he
says, a threo-hour letter round every
morning. up hin and down dale, and she
even trudged a mile and a half 10 fetch
letter and parcel mail from the rail
way station An equally remarkable case
was that Of Hannah Vowles. who was
sub-postmiatress Of Frenchny f0r forty
five years. ana resigned at the age OF
rinoiy-hve. 20 be- succeeded by reia-
uon. Miss Kate NCwles. who had already
been pQsfNoman in the district FOR FORT y.
tWo years. Hannah Bnfwer, another cele-
brify. began O. carry letters as q child
ph1 kept ~ the work until the diamond