Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-04
THE MAIL HANDLERS.
Postoffice Clerks in Convention at
Kansas City,

Kansas City.
The third annual convention of the
United National Association of Post
Office clerks is in session at Kansas
City, Mo-, having commenced Monday.
Otto Armstrong, clerk in the Ottum-
wa postotiice. is a delegate from the
local branch, No. 442, of the national
association. In letter to the Courier
| regarding the opening session of the
convention and other items regarding
the organization. he writes as follows:
The first session of the third arnu-
al convention of the United National
Association of Postoffice Clerks was
held yesterday morning in the ban
quet rooms OF the Coates House, Kan
sas City, Mo, Charles Lynn, presi-
dent of the Kansas City union presid-
ing. After an address of welcome
! by Mayor Reed. in which he extended
the courtesies OF the people OF the city
to the delegates, Frank l. Rogers, of
Il Chicago. president OF the National as
sociation, responded. He thanked the
people of the city for the greeting of
welcome which they extended to the
visiting clerks and had just announced
that the appointment of q comittee On
: credentials was in order, when John
!. Garvey, of st. Paul. arose and on be-
half of the clerks of that city present
ed Mr.. Rogers with handsome gaycl.
!; The wood from which the gayel was
made was taken from the old block
house at Fit Smelling, which was erect
!; ed in 1920
THE morning session was taken up
: by the committee on credentials and
the afternoon session by reports from
President Rogers and the national sec
rotary r. c. Laeffler, of Milwaukee.
The general purposes of the organ
: ization are to improve the conditions
in that department of the postal SER
vice in which the members are en-
ployed, by exchanging ideas on the de-
2 tails of their work and bringing an
Z organized and systematic pressure to
| bear upon congress, with the hope OF
a obtaining favorable legislation in their
behalf. Their efforts at present are
d being directed more toward obtaining
: legislation which will provide man
:. datory scale of wages, and which will
(. increase with the length of time a
clerk has been in the service.
e The next question of vital import
II ance which will come before the con-
:. vention is the question of shorter
u hours, or at least an adjustment of
), them so the clerks will all have hours
l. alike. In all the larger cities, and es-
u pecially the eastern states. the clerks
S are working on an S-hour system, while
clerks in cities of less than $4,000 in
= many instances are working as many
II as u hours per day. While there is
I. no jealousy existing between the clerks
: of the different Offices, yet the clerks
l. in the smaller Offices feel that they are
entitled to the same privileges as the
u larger offices, as their work is just as
II heavy and as important as that of their
more fortunate brothers.
Il THE postoffice clerks today are the
,. only government employees for whom
II eight hours does not constitute days
work. In all the departments at Wash
ington, the weather service, the army
and also the letter carriers, have an
: eight-hour day, and the clerks believe
they have a just grievance in demand
a ing that this branch of the service
q which is of the greatest Importance
. today to the people, be granted the
: same hours as the other branches of
a the government service.
: There are almost 200 delegates
/. present representing various branches
n of the service from every section Of
n the United States. A program Tor their
:, entertainment has been prepared by
6. the members of the Kansas City post
office, which includes a trip to Leayen.
,e worth, Kansas. and visit to the state
10 penitentiary and soldiers home, and
la concludes with a grand ball and ban
quet at the Bates House Thursday ev
n. ening The women delegates are be
ing entertained by their sisters of the
N Kansas City office. and also the wives
of some of the mail clerks.
is Frank T. Rogers, OF Chicago, and
n R. C. Loeffier, OF Milwaukee, respec
lively president and secretary OF the
e association, will be unanimously elect
le ed to another term in the Offices which
they now hold.
v. THE city which will have the honol
er of their presence at the next meeting
" in 1903 has not yet been selected. bn
it is the general opinion that the mex
id convention will be in New Orleans.
- 7a0ffO Arm strong, -