The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-11-04

W . ShaiASADefBSfI SECOND ASSlSldHl
Postmaster General. in his report TO the
Postmaster General. makes a number Of
important recommendations of interest
TO the service and the country. The
suggestion which viii attract most at
tention is that provision be made for
pensioning employees of the Railway
Mail Service VINO are injured or become
superannuated in the service. He states
that outside of the army and navy and
the Life Saving Service there is no
branch Of Government work so danger
Gus and requiring such heroic devotion
to duty as that performed by the rail-
way mail clerks, and he therefore sug-
gests that some arrangement be made
for pensioning them
Manufacture of Bags.
The manufacture of mail bags and
other material by private contractors
has been found unsatisfactory, and Mr.
ShaIenberger recommends that a >,iita-
bic plant be built and all the work done
by the Postoffice Department. Under
present conditions much material which
should be rejected has to be accepted.
though the contractor is docked for de
fects in his work
Separate Clerical Forces.
The proposition to have the clerical
force Of the Office and the equipment
shop in the same building is opposed. on
the ground that it is impracticable and
would work TO the deriment of the
service.
Because OF the rapid growth Of the
Railway Mail Service. as shown in the
increasing difficulty in handling the mail
and by the weighing. Mr. shanenberger
thinks it necessary that the force be
Increased by 300 clerks. and asks the
department to make that recommenda-
ton TO Congress.
Get a Salary.
Another recommendation of great in
terest to railway mail clerks is that the
substitutes he guaranteed a salary of
at least S25 4 month. with the right on
the part Of the department to demund
their services at least eleven days In
the month The present law is tnat a
substitute can not draw more nan $40
per day. and they are subject to duty
at any time. As a consequence it is
found dificult to hold good substitutes
and many Of them are abandoning the
service.
New Railway Cars.
II
making a thorough investigation into
tho best method OF constructing railway
mail cars in order to secure the greatest
possible amount Of protection 10 the
clerks in wrecks. Experiments have
been made. and expert opinions are be-
ing collected from men who have studied
the question from PRACTICAL standpoint.
No decision has yel been reached. but
the opinion seems 20 be that cars con-
structed Of both wood and steel are most
desirable. though the all-steel cars have
many advocates
The report shows that total expendi-
lures in the Office Of the Second ASSIST
ant Postmaster General, who has charge
Of all mail transportation. were $50. as. =
lsl-l4. for the past fiscal year. The prin-
cipal items were:
Star routes. 2o.6l3: miles. 249. 1854: ex-
penditure, $6.614.999; railroad routes.
2,955; miles. 1872 SO; expenditure, $685.
COZ ,5S4; steamboat routes, PA: miles. 6.
904; expenditure. S679, ,624; electric and
cable car routes. 80; miles, 4.2s3: ex-
4 penditure. Sl6l l216; pneumatic tube
routes, 3; miles, Y. 50; expenditure. S2Ol.-
095.
Less Number of Routes.
/ There was a decrease in the total
number Of routes Of various kinds. of
Lee. but an increase in the annual rate
Of expenditure OF S4,s12. Sol and an in
crease in the average number Of trips
+ per week Of 38. The total cost Of the
foreign mails was s.. 5sS.
The Increase IN the cost of tka star
routes was .226. though there was a
/ decrease IN the number of star routes
/ OF ]. .154. The increased cost is explained
/ by the fact that the carrier is required
! to render services not asked OF him n
/ the past. and in many cases IL has beer
/ found that star route carriers have gone
I after the position Of rural free delivery
carrier. which pays $500 per year. and
that sum Is frequently much higher thar
IN. price he obtained for driving stal
route.
] Experiments in having star route driv.
ers deliver mail and collect II hav,
worked well. and viii be continued unit
it embraces the entire service.
Weighing of Mails.
Last year malls were weighed on IN,
j railroads in the third contract section
/ including the States OF Ohio, Indiana
/ Illinois, Michigan. Wisconsin. Mime
sofa, Iowa, and Missouri. IN order 10 de-
termine the rate of payment 70 the rail-
/ roads for the next four years. The an
nual payment 20 the railroads IN thes,
/ States on June 30 was $l3. 2Ss. S15.Ss. TIL,
result Of the readjustment was an In
creased payment for the next four year
! amounting TO s.. 43s. 1888 annually. or al
increase Of 1876 per cent as against tn
| estimated increase Of I5 per cent.
There were in operation al the clos,
Of the fiscal year 400 miles Of travelling