The National tribune., 1903-03-19

| train, hard work and absence from home
involving irregular meals. Railway Pos
| tai Clerks are subject 10 dangers of rail-
| reading, such as come from train wrecks,
| derailments and similar accidents. The
postal car is at the head Of the train. and
usually next the engine and is, therefore,
| perhaps in the most dangerous position
| when n train wreck occurs. The Post
Office Department has ever felt deep
concern for the safety and comfort of its
| employees. aud has endeavored to guard
| against the consequences of accidents BIZ
adopting strict regulations in reference to
the construction Of postal cars. For some
years past a great deal has been accom-
pl"hed in increasing the structural
strength of cars, so that they will resist
to some extent the impact Of collisions.
The favorable cOuntenance CT the De-
partment has also been turned to i'm
| proved methods of heating and lighting
with the same end in view.
Nigor, vitality and resolution are essen
tial in Railway Mail Clerk. from the
start, as well as keen intelligence and I'M
wearied spirit Of application. But his ply
| steal qualities are slowly sapped and I'M
dermined by the steady exactions Of duty
and his mental qualities are proportion
ately deterioratcd. in the end
Hence, the railway mail system is
huge GorgOn, necessarily, cruelty devour-
| ing specimens Of the best manhood of the
| Nation. Under present conditions it must
continue TO demand and levour. in order
| that the currents of trade and the tides
of civilization. may continue to flow. Sus-
pend the man-wrecking process single
week for needed, universal rest, and
| social chaos would ensue.
A GREwsoME CASUALTY COLUMN.
But, bitter as it is. this is not the only
or by any means the worst phase of the
| cruelty of this governmental monster The
cold-blooded table in the last annual re
port of the Superintendent of the Railway
Mail Service tells an even more dreadful
tale. 1t is the Casualty Column" of the
! system for ~ murGerous years.
This remarkable record shows that with
an annual average of 5.13S clerks en-
ployed, there were 3.21S casualties in 81
years. From this it would seem that
should an individual serve in this capacity
| for the ordinary period of an active life
time, he would stand more than an even
chance of losing his life or being MANNED
| III the line of duty. SiXty-two per cent.
of the average number of employees were
literally killed or wounded on the firing
line in short generation. Take the ser
vice of an equal number of soldiers in
our Regular Army during the same period,
| including their arduOus duty fighting In
| dans on the frontier and their military
wars. and we will find a much sn,a pdD
proportion OF deaths and wounds actually
received III action. Therefore, aside from
the other elements of risk and exposure
involved, our Railway Mail Clerks are
subjected to FAR greater danger of death
| and serious injury than the gallant Off
GERS and soldiers of our military estab
iishnent:: Probably only The ''Life-saving
service, among all our varieties of Gov
erhment employment brings TO its en-
ployees so perllons an exposure to the
haZard OF life and limb.
me casualty Column" quoted from
Is : followed IN the Annual Report of the