Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-08-02
CLERKS NEED A RAISE.
Postmaster General Payne Believes that
They Should Have More Pay
and Fewer Hours.

Postmaster General Henry c. Payna
was seen recently relative to the STATE,
ment by Representative Sulzer Of New
York regarding more pay for mail car
rers. He stated that such talk was
foolish and not warranted by existing
conditions Mr.. Payne said that every
government official would be delighted ii
it we're possible to advance the pay Of
letter carriers, but that with the large
appropriations by Congress for increased
rural postal service the large incrpaS.
in the number of letter carriers in the
cities and other postal department in.
creaSeS. made necessary: - the constant
~ increasing business of the country. If
becomes 4 question of conservatism or
a bankrupted condition of the treasury.
Get More Than Clerks.
As a matter of fact, Mr.. Payne said.
the average pay of letter carriers at the
present time, with an average of eight
hours work. is SOB per year more than
the average pay of clerks in pOStOfficeS
with ten and even twelve hours work
The maximum pay for letter carriers in
the large commercial centerS, he stated
is now approximately $1,000 per year
But with the increase of the number of
carriers. the daily work of the carriers.
as rule. is being lessened, or not in the
lease increased with the constant in
crease of general business.
Effort to Equalize Labor.
The efforts IF the department are a
present in the direction of a create,
equalization Of the hours and pay Of
poStoiiice clerks and letter carriers, 80
that the average pay of clerks will b.
more nearly that OF the carriers with
an eight-hour day far the "lerkS. event
ualy. while their pay will be the same as
for ten or twelve hours, or slightly in
creased. The clerks now work ten and
twelve hours day and average SOB less
year than the carriers with eight hours
duty.
As to the statement by Mr.. Lond that
the pay Of Substitute carriers came off
the salaries Of the regular carriers Mr..
Payne said that he was under the i'm
preston that such WAS not fact. al
though he was NOT positive and could not
so state upon the spur of the moment. A.
any rate. he deprecates such discussion
and agitation A. that started BY Repre-
sentative Sulzer Of New York, regarding
such agitation as detrimental to the best
interests Of the carriers themselves. as
we'll rs to the department.
Under the system of increasing the
number of carriers in large commercial
centers, a number of additional carriers
viii be added to the list in Milwaukee
IN October. Additions will also be made
in all of the other great commercial cen
tiers where natural increase in business
seems to demand it.
What Mr.. Sulzer Says.
Representative Sulzer Of New York.
who was III Washington recently. stated
that among other matters which ne pro-
posed to dlsCuSS i'll ms campaign was the
bill for the classification of the letter
carriers.
Il consider it very unseemly," he said.
hat =
| propriate excessive amounts for the car
rying of the mails by the railroads and
| refuse justice TO the men on foot. | was
aStoniShed at the attack made on the
| postal employees, and particularly on the
| letter carriers by the chairman of the
poStoffices' committee, Representative
| Loud. toward the close of last session.
| Mr.. Loud has been a constant opponent
| of eve"y effort to increase the wages OF
! the postal employees, and just as persist
| ent in behalf of the great railroad cor
| porati0ns.
Could Extend the Service.
Il believe that if the governments
| paid the railroads Z fair price, instead OF
| the present eXorbitant rates. we could
extend the postal service beyond any
| thing ever dreamed of in this country. |
| believe that we could have free delivery
| service in every nook and Granny of this
country and that we could have t-cent
postage, and | also believe that for fear
we might accidentally discover what is
! the real strain on our treasury our atten-
| ton is constantly diverted to the postal
clerks. railway mail clerks. and particu-
| larly to the letter carriers, for fear they
| might mpoveriSh us. Mr.. Loud. in his
| speech on this subject, spoke of the sub
| Stitute carriers earning $3.50 a year, on
the average. but he neglected to state.
and thereby created a wrong impression,
! that the money the substitute earns is
taken from the salary of the regular car
rierS In $50 cities the maximum salary
$3.50, and only in about 30 can they re-
| ceive $1,000