The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-03
WORK In ABIG POSFOFFICB
The QuadrenniaI Report of the
Postmaster Of Chicago.

Receipts Reach twenty-five Million
Dollars in the last Four Tears.
Recommendation as to Increase
of Salaries other suggestions.
Postmaster General Smith has received
from Charles L. Gordon, Postmaster Of
Chicago. the quadrennial report Of the
Chicago Postofice- The document. Gov
ers the period from April l. 1891 until
March 81, 1901 1t contains many inter
eSting items aud valuable suggestions
concerning the postal service in Chicago
and throughout the country. In his re-
port Postmaster Gordon says in part:
The most striking fact in connection
with the Chicago P0stof1ce is its eNtraor-
binary business growth In the period of
four years beginning April l, 1897, and
ending March 80. 1891. the receipts of the
Office have been approximately SIS, 9o00,
and The expenditures approximately So
e90.019 leaving balance to the credit Of
the United States of about S15.030000- In
the calendar year 1897 the receipts Of the
Office were s.. z5S, 90. and in the calendar
year 1900 they were Sos. SI6-I0. an in
crease Of Sl.790 I1204, or 81 per cent II
the four fiscal years 1897, 1928. 1899, ana
1890 the receipts OF the Chicago Postoffice
were S2S.573. 3S7- Is In the four preceding
years. 1893. 1894 1895, and 1886. the receipts
were SIS .016 SS5- IS. The increase was 81
555. 501-2S. or "a Der cent
The receipts of the Chicago Postofiice
IN the last fiscal year We're about one-fif-
teenth of the entire receipts of all tie
postCflces in the whole United States The
receipts of the Chicago Postofice in the
last calendar year approximately equal
the combined receipts of the following
large and important offices: Detroit,
Cleveland MINNEAPOLIS. st. Paul. Jersey
City. Buffalo. New Orleans. Louisville,
Milwaukee. Atlanta. and Cincinnati This
enormous business has been conducted at
an expense of about % per cent of the re-
ceipts.
The necessity of some permanent
method of arriving at a decision in the
case Of promotions in the clerical force
prompted me to continue and improve the
promotion system. l have organized q
merit board and provided for the regular
examinations OF all clerks, and the post
frg of eligible lists rs a result OF these
examinations When there is vacancy
in a particular place the clerk at the
head of the list is appointed to fill the
vacancy, aud so on until the civil ser
vice eligible is reached for appointment
These improvements have had marked
performed by the clerks in the Chicago
Postoffice. and its stations Much thought
was ALSO given 10 the questions of trans
fers and assignments, matters which or
dinarily give q postmaster a great deal
OF trouble. / established a system of
competitive examina tons for the trans
fer OF clerks from division to division,
and all transfers are now made from the
eligible lists, obtained by examinations
Tins plan works well. and has put an end
to the difficulties formerly existing In
making assignments to sets. preference
is given to the older clerks. who are
permitted to have day work if they so
desire. In other words the older clerks
ave given the preference. all things be-
ing equal, Wheneve- questions of assign
laent are considereS~ The number of
persons examined by the merit board
since its establishment IS 3 Jos
The hours Of labor in the mailing d.
vision have been shortened so that at
present clerks are not obliged to work
more than nine hours a, day Formerly on
some sets ten and eleven hours a day
were not uncommon. The result OF long
hours and insufficient rest, combined
With severe study Of schemes, told on the
men, and the change to shorter hours
and less scheme study has brought about
4 decided change IN the appearance and
tone OF the clerks in the mailing diYiS-
Ion l am of the opinion that clerks en-
ployed in the postcfices of our larger
cities should not receive less than $500
per 2nnunl- Even 500 is insufficient when
you take into consideration the cost Of
living IN a large city l am also Of the
opinion that the clerks of the postoffice
ought not TO have 10 work more than
approximately eight hours a day and SIX
days a week, and that an arrangement
ought TO be made whereby every clerk
in the Office would have one day of
each week There Is no reason why Gov
eminent employees should have 10 suffer
from conditions which exist nowhere
else in the business commercial or me-
clanlcal world The work OF the clerks
Is hard. and they require a day OF rest
even more than those employed in better
positions and receiving better salaries
The question IF pay, too, ought TO be
given the best consideration As stated
clerk cannot live dccentIy in a CITY
like Chicago on $500 a year. This amount
Is hardly equivalent to 500 a year in
q small town Rents are high and ii
Is necessary in most cases that clerks
shall pay car fare to and from their
work IN addition TO this meals have
to be purchased, and this in a biz, CITY
Is expensive a distributor ought 10 re-
ceiVe no less than 500 and those who
are skilled IL the distribution should be
paid not less than s go, while experts
should receive 81 26j and upward
IN conclusion Postmaster Gordon saws:
I earnestly recommend to the department
that Congress be requested to place an
offices AT which the receipts are over
S9,V9l o'H year IN special class. and that
Speclal SaidTleS De provided for the post
master and his assistant in such offices
These special Offices being offices of rhe
greatest magnitude, situated IN cities
where the cost Of living Is high. II ought
10 be arranged also that the clerks ana
carriers employed therein should receive
additional compensation In special offices
1 would recommend that a grade OF letter
carriers at the rate Of g 300 a year BE- es-
tablished. and that all carriers APPOINTED
at special offices who have served for o.
Nod Of five years and upward be advanced
to the 81, 80 grade, and that 4 proDOrfion-
ate number OF clerks at the same salary