The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-08-22
THE "R. M. s." BOYS.
of uncIe Sans Hallway
Employees.

dead counts for so little, while an in
jured man comes high in law suits
and even has a value in government
employ" said bright young MEM
ber of one of Uncle Sans branch
armies of civil employees. known as
the railway mail service force, as he
swung out of his ear at one of the
railroad stations this morning, says
| the Detroit Free Press.
IF railway mail service clerk is
killed in the line of his duty his fam
lily mourn. his friends are sympa-
thetic and the department regretful
| for two reasons, first, to lose an ex-
! perienced man. for in our business
experience and merit alone count,
and. second, because il cannot aid the
faithful fellows family or widow.
s'Under the law ard the rule of the
department if railway mail service
employe is seriously injured. if the
disability continues even up to full
year, leave of absence, with pay, is
considerably allowed him. If he is
killed his pay stops from the day of
his death, and the government can
not make allowance even for his
funeral expenses, much less aid bis
family, who may be IN dire distress.
II congress would authorize IT such
an allowance would be possible, hut
in the absence cf an express law cow
erning the point there is rothirg fer
che department to a. hnt % express
regret, ffopeh ihe dead man may
have gIfen he best years 81 IFS iifc
70 the ssrvice 81 lie eoregnment
"shnt 81 dos ard nieht 81 their
mail cars. which ARE often their cof-
fne the esnerai rntfe ia itflc OPP
portnnity IF seeing q class Of men
who are indispensable and Of the
greatest public service. last year
four OF our rorce were Killed. 81 Sc
riousiy injured and 1s7 slightly in
jured IN the performance of their
duty. Jn.eollisions. especially head
on collisions. the mail car is generally
wrecked or badly splintered. Their
skill and accuracy in handling and
separating mail matter and in mem
orizing post Office names and loca-
tions i marvellous.
"There are s.79f Of these mc.i, and
last year they handled the bewiloer-
ing number Of 1865. 19f 500 letters and
6,f2o. .4l5. 500 pieces Of other classes OF
mai matter. making a total Of 49,
7o2. 607.160 pieces. This amount in
figures makes the public debt look
Ike 80 cents. In addition they ham
died 1o.s50o00 other pieces. consist.
ing OF registered matter. In spite oi
the total running high into the bill
lions. there were but 1.355.000 errors
reported as made by the clerks in
handling this stupendous aggregate.
or a ratio Of one error to 10.175.
AN Of This is done In rapidly NOV
ing. swaying express trains, going a.
n speed OF from 40 TO IS miles an
hour. and, al under unfavorable con-
ditions as compared with work upon
large floor as the Washington city
oost office. for instance, and mostly
under artificial lioht. n fact, no less
than Sc rcr cent. 81 an The mail mat
Ter originating in the United States
IS sent direct 10 the railway maI
service cars 70 be handled by these
clerks IN addition 10 all this 1f.50o.-
800 pieces were thrown out because
they were addressed so illegiDly thas
they could not be delivered. though
over $1,000 Of these pieces were re-
turned to The writer's or forwarded
10 destination on corrected addresses.
No less than 305 100000 miles are COW
cred annually bv these men IN crews
in 1903 postal cars.
NATURALLY after reading these as
tonishing facts and figures it is not
20 be wondered at that skill and ex-
perience and not political influence is
desired by these clerks. The civil
service rules are strictly enforced in
this branch of the service which
largely accounts for its splendid rec
ord OF efficiency New and inexperi-
enced men are without practical
value. and but for the maintenance
Of the civil service Il would 90 TO pie
very quickly. There are over 10000
post Offices and thousands Of routes
on the different railroads and steam
boats. and nearly every experienced
postal clerk has this enormous mass
of names and locations well in hand.
Their capacity 10 master and remem-
her names IS truly remarkable"
Candor looks with equa; fairness
L