The Sunday globe., 1901-07-07

! that he reflects the popular senti-
! ment Of the membership" when he
makes that statement? II he does,
then | have placed too high a value
upon the Association.
Whether or not | have shown any
disposition to be all there is to the
Ninth Division Association, viii leave
for the Ninth division to answer. For
the information Of Mr.. Elliott. how
ever, | may say that on most Of the
matters upon which | touched, / had
the highest authority-the expression
Of the division convention.
| am pleased to state in this conneo.
ton that the Department has recently
given out the information that 80 long
as a clerk properly performed his du-
ties on the road they would have no
objection to his being Secretary Of the
n. A, R. P. c.
The Department knows well enough,
Mr.. Mulligan, that clerk can not prop
erly perform his duties on the road
as clerk and act as secretary Of the
National Association of Railway Post
al Clerks.
Sixth Auditor Castle has uncon-
sciously shown this in lurid colors in
an article for a leading weekly news
paper. Here is what Mr.. Castle says
THE life Of a railway mail clerk or
route agent at the best is not easy.
He travels under a constant strain,
and is subject to unremitting mental
and physical hardship. He is always
overworked but he must be ever alert,
expert and accurate. The business Of
a continent depends on the correctness
OF his instantaneous mental processes
and his rapid manipulations-a letter
misthrown' may break a heart or burst
bank or ruin a railway corporation.
The lurching of cars going at a tre-
mendous speed around sharp curves;
the continued succession of efforts to
maintain equilibrium; the monotonous
vibrations terribly destructive to nerve
tissue, to spinal column and to brain
texture, are the daily and hourly con-
comitants Of his ordinary work. Pro-
bationer3 often relent and 90 back to
their former duties.
"But the physical qualities are slow
ly sapped and undermined by such
GAtdug EAdNllUub VI uuIg anu AAb AA1AA7
tai qualities are proportionately dete-
riorated.
Hence, the railway mail system is
a huge Gorgon, incessantly, cruelty de-
vouring specimens Of the best man
hood of the nation" ..
All of which we would be inclined to
believe if we could reconcile it with
Editor Elliotts literary labors in edit
ing and publishing The Railway Post-
office, and with the departmental per-
mission, as quoted by MIR, Mulligan,
that another clerk may act as secre'
tary, provided he performs for Uncle
Sam the duties outlined in the Castle
article No person doubts the perils
Of the postal service. Almost one'half
the total employees have been killed.
manned or injured since the fast mails
were established. The soldier in the
bloodiest Of modern wars has a better
chance to escape with life and limb
than a Government railway postal en-
ploye. If any class Of men, not except
ing soldier, sailor or marine deserve a
pension from the Government they
serve with such rare fidelity and at.
such imminent risk, certainly the rail
way postal employe should head the
pension lists. 1t is, however, short
sighted policy on their parts to antag'
onize public enterprises and establish
accident and other insurance organiza-
tons, making soft snaps for few ar
rogant individuals like this man FL
liott. Better to have the public with
them and secure from Congress, by the
consent and aid of those they antag-
onize, their well-deserved pensions,
and compel Elliott and o,-ers Of his
ilk Ito earn their clerical salaries,
which the taxpayers are compelled to
pay them.