Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-02-08
sstisfel1aneuas geadiug.
RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE.
Their Occupation II Hazardous and
ExactfnR.

Their Occupation II Hazardous and
Exactfng.
The railway mail clerks hope for ia
vorable action at this session of con-
gress upon their bill to enable them to
secure retirement upon disability and
other measures Of relief, and in dis
cussing the bill with Washington Star
representative, J. H. Bromwell, Of Ohio,
an active member Of the committee on
postoffices and post roads, who has
ably championed the cause of the
clerks, said:
II sincerely hope that congress will
give heed to the request Of these faith
full men, who are Of invaluable service
to the public, yet who, shut up in their
postal cars, are seldom seen. The let
ter carrier is of familiar sight, but the
railway mail clerk works at his haz-
ardous occupation with a zeal and in
dustry which only those who have been
brought into close contact with him can
appreciate.
II am satisfied that the public and
many Of my colleagues in the house are
not fully conscious Of the situation the
railway mail clerks are in. They do
not ask an annuity or pension from the
government, but simply authority to
withhold from their salaries per cent
age which will go toward a fund for
their retirement when permanently dis
abled or injured while in the line Of
their hazardous, well-performed duty.
1.-The record of casualties among the
railway mail clerks during the past
year has been the most disastrous in
the history Of the service.
1.-THE total force consists Of 9,1S2 men.
There were seven killed, 63 seriously
and 229 slightly injured, or total Of
2ss killed and injured, in a single year,
or 31-3 per cent. Of the whole force,
and this Notwithstanding the fact that
great improvements have been effect
ed in railroad operations.
Comment upon these distressing fig
ures is almost unnecessary. These
men were killed and MANNED while per-
forming duty in the service Of the Uni
ted States, and it Is very little for them
to ask that they be allowed to create
fund out Of their own salaries to pro-
vide for death and retirement benefits.
"Since 1877 no less than 124 railway
mail clerks have been killed, LIS Sc
riously and 1916 slightly injured. or
two full regiments of brave fellows
slain and mangled while on duty with
in Is years.
This is an age Of rapid movement,
and none is more active than the rail-
way mail clerks. The frequency of
train service haas, been greatly aug
mented and the speed Of trains radi-
cally hastened. The companies are en-
deavoring to offset the liability Of ac-
cident by installing better systems Of
running trains, improved cars to resist
collision, using the block systems OF
signals, but in spite Of all these pre-
cautions and improvements the ratio
Of casualties in railroad operations has
Deen largely lHCISdsSu.
During the past year railway mail
clerks were in 1926 accidents, the high
est number in the history Of the SER
vice, and an increase Of 128 over the
preceding year. Despite the danger
confronting him on every trip, the rail-
way mail clerk sticks to his post he
roically, the mail car usually being In
the van Of the train, next to the tender
and it is generally smashed to splinters
in a serious head-on collision.
The only provision Of relief that the
department Is enabled to offer those Of
the clerks who are injured is to contin-
ue their pay for one year after the In
juries are received. unless sooner able
to resume duty. But If a clerk Is killed
outright his pay stops, and his family
is often left In serious straits.
while this action Of the department
Is commendable. 1t does not go far
enough, and the purpose Of the bill Is
to do justice to these men. The work
Is not only hazardous. but 1t Is per-
formed under a high tension and men
tai and physical strain. The record OF
the efficiency Of the clerks Is splen-
did exhibition Of the skill Of marvellous
ly we'll trained men who reflect the
greatest credit not only upon the de-
partment, but upon their government.
They are on their feet hours at a
stretch, in swaying, rapidly moving
trains, working under artificial light
largely, in cramped and closely con-
fined quarters, and performing work
under a score of other serious disad-
vantages. So perfectly are they drill
ed, however, that the ratio Of errors In
distributing the mail is only one error
to 1O,626 pieces correctly handled.
Seventy per cent. Of those now on
the rolls obtained their appointment
through the civil service. The general
condition Of the men has been vastly
improved since the civil service COM
mission has acted upon the suggestion
of the department and rejected the ap-
plications of those whose physical de-
fects would impair their present and
future usefulness.
These clerks handle annually bill
lions of pieces Of mail matter, distrib-
uting last year, in round numbers, A.
1OO, 100000 pieces, as we'll as 21,SO0,0 900
pieces Of registered matter. Yet they
found time to separately examine H.
1sO, 900 pieces Of imperfectly or illegibly
addressed matter which required spec
lal attention, and Of these, they cor
rected over 100000, so that the mail
went forward to destination or was re-
turned to the writer's. They are GER