The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-03-17

way mail clerks and railway postal
clerks are away from their designated
headquarters, on business Of the gov
eminent, they shall be paid their le'
climate or actual expenses.
Railway mail clerks have been re-
ceiving this pay for some time, prac.
tically ever since the enactment of
the law, But with the railway postal
clerks it is a different matter The
latter have been payins their actual
expenses out of their personal funds,
and have never seemed TO realize that
one particular clause in the law ap.
piled to themselves Several months
ago some of the members Of the Ma.
tional association of Railway Clerks
became acquainted with that part of
the statutes applying to them, and
asked the department for construc.
lion of the law. This was forthcom.
ng, and was to the effect that the
headquarters of the postal clerks was
wherever they were at work, either
on their regular runs, or on the rail
way postal car, or elsewhere. when on
duty.
The postal clerks contend that
when they go out on run they leave
headquarters, being checked out by
the clerk or the officer under whom
they are directly working, and that
under the law they are entitled TO pay
for their actual necessary expenses;
but that if their headquarters are on
the car, they should be paid for the
time at home. which would set up an
entirely new rule
A short time ago a claim of pos
tai clerk of Kansas City, Mo. was
lied, aud ruled upon by the depart
ment and not allowed, An appeal was
taken and the matter sent up To the
United States court of claims. where
{ now is. This case set the depart
nent to work, and a special attorney
vas appointed to take dispositions in
the cases pending, This attorney has
been at work in different parts of the
country, and has gotten considerable
evidence in this state. Assistant At
torney General Pradt of the court Of
claims says that it is likely that Of
the hundred or more cases before the
court. one will be taken up and made
4 test case. and if the decision of the
court is for the postal clerks. ali may
file their claims, and they will be tax
N up and paid Mr.. Pradt says. IN
his statement of the case. that it is
merely a question of law. If it is a
mere question of law, number of
attorneys who have eases Of the pos
tal clerks in charge say that the pos
TAI clerks had best begin to get their
claims ready for filing, that the de-
cision can only he one way-for the
clerks
The law is very plain. II says that
railway mail clerks and railway pos
al clerks shall be paid their legiti'
mate or actual expenses when away
from headquarters on business of the
government The most serious ques'
ton, apparently, before the depart
nent aud the court Of claims is
Where is railway postal clerk
headquarters? Law and precedent
say they are at one place, the depart
ment says they are at another. The
decision of the court of claims is anX-
iously awaited by postal clerks all
1ver the United States. Some of them
nave claims aggregating an amount
equal to their salaries for several
years, many of them are only for a
few hundred dollars.
In Memphis the men interested are
getting their claims in shape, and
when the test case is decided will file
them Immediately, should the deci'
sion be in their favor