Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-22
MAIL CLERKS WOES
Delegate to Convention Reg
listers a Plant.
NOT A BED OF ROSES
IS LIFE OF MAN WHO TRAVELS
FOR UNCLE SAM.
Often Times Fined for Rules That Are
Broken-Where the Money
Goes.

'"The man who thinks that a railway all
clerks job is bed of roses is Off his bear
ings" said one of the delegates to the re-
cent railway mail clerks convention.
The Evening Star could do us no greater
service than by telling something about our
work. and, while the post office investiga-
ton is on, incidentally assist us In finding
out who gets the hundreds of dollars paid
In by us in the way of fines for neglect OF
duty.
Eve are often fined for missendlng regis
tered and other matter and for various
other things, the fines ranging from one day
to three months pay, and what is done with
this money none of the mail clerks has ever
been smart enough to ascertain.
IF We ask about 1T we are told CURLY
that It is none of our business. 1t does APP
pear to me, and to several hundred other
clerks who have been forced to pony up
our wages in this way. that we might at
least know where the money goes. Good
ness knows we work hard enough to be al
lowed to know where our money goes, even
If we have no say so in the manner OF It's
going.
Grows Harder Every Day.
THAT we have a splendid postal service
there can be no question. but the lot of the
railway mail clerk is growing harder every
day AS the population of the country in
more and more, and statistics will show
that in the last ten years mails have In
creased nearly 40 per cent, and the num-
Der of clerks about 10 per cent-Quite
difference.
Statistics will also show that more men
We're killed during the past five years In the
railway mail service in the same proper
ton. than there were soldiers killed in the
civil war. With the everincreasing speed
of trains the accidents become, of course
more frequent. After clerk has been In
the railway postal service about fifteen
years he has about reached the end of his
usefulness. and is pushed out. Congress
has refused to assist us with pensions, and
we our finish.
Rigid Examinations.
1--WE have to undergo semi-annually a
rigid and trying examination-an examina-
ton which would knock out seven-tenths
of department clerks. We are required to
make not less than % per cent on each ex-
animation. Just think of 1t. What govern
ment department. what university, college,
school or anything else requires such high
percentage2 None. Yet very few railway
postal clerks make below 9S per cent. and
a great many get the century mark every
time.
This, no doubt. tustifles the claims of
the Post Office Department that have
the finest mail service in the world, but l
tell you the vast army of postal clerks are
not treated as they should be. even If the
Georgia did say that wanted every
thing and a small potato patch on the other
side.
IF you people of The Star and the rest
come and go trip. On my last run !
worked six hours before l left the depot.
during which time 1 handled some ten or
fifteen tons of through mail and thirty or
forty sacks to distribute piece by piece.
There Was Work Galore.
No
seventy more sacks to work before reaching
the terminal of my run. some ten hours
later. During these sixteen hours 1 was on
my feet constantly. eating my meals with
hand while l worked with the other
Think of yourself as you go from the
coach to the smoker to take few puffs of
a good cigar. and then imagine me stand
ing for ten hours. a distance of 800 miles
working like a wheel horse.
While you enjoy your cigar you pay no
attention to the whistle of the engine but
We have to get mail off and take it on at
small stations while the train is going at
the rate of sixty miles hour
All this mail must be worked between
stations, and you can readily that a
clerk must be quick and accurate. Not
orly must we know the stations we'll but
he must also know what post offices lie in
the country back of these stations. Postal
clerks must have at their minds end all
the post offices in five or six states, aggre-
eating fully nine thousa nd. and must know
exactly which line or lines of railroad send
them. and Just how and where to send
mals 30 as to catch mall trains for all
trains DO not carry mail cars.
Not Easy by Any Means.
"Of course. offices are being constantly es-
tabhshed and others are having their names
changed. and the railroads are changing
their schedules every month or two, and
sometimes oftener. and 1t Is not an easy
he o$
tiungs. but II we don't We are made to fork
over some OF our salary in the way Of q
6ne.
1T is our duty to place slips on every
package of letters and every bag of second.
CLASS matter and these slips are checked up
py the postnasters and errors reported on
one OF these runs ] may handle a hundred
or more registered letters and packages,
ana must keep complete record of every
piece In book provided by the department..
Hll our receipt exactly the same as in the
postmaster book and put In tho mail for
The station to which 1t is to CO.
must also return to the postmaster
senolns the package or letter a receipt for
H. These are the times when we make
errors, and they are made simply because
we have not the time TO properly do the
work. Sometimes the malls are so heavy
that half dozen experienced men could not
"oFh 'hem ana do 1t right in the time given
Praise for Madden.
The third assistant postmaster general in
ms last report everlastingly frailed into the
abuse of the frankins privileged and said
tha' tons or such stun went through on
every train. The Lord knows we were
grateful to this official. for We have enough
10 DO without handling boxes of books
ciothing, family wash, desks furniture-for
all such junk goes II a senator or represent
tative puts his frank on it.
No one not in the service can imagine In
forty-nine years to what extent the mails
are deadheaded. and the large amount OF
extra and unnecessary work placed on the
mail clerks. We fellows wanted to give Mr.
Madden rousing big present, but we dared
not. IL Is not an uncommon thing for a
mail car TO have the appearance OF a sec
ond-hand store or junk shop, and the arti
Giles are all ranked
Ihat we are hard worked and noor,v
palo there can not be the least question
aho YET some members of Congress harp on
the fact that we work six days and rest
SIX. Geewhillikensl Where is the sane man
VINO had not rather work steady every day
seven, eight. or even ten hours and have
regular hours OF sleep. than to be almost
constantly on his feet for six DAYS and sir
nights? 1922 "'U SiA