Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-05-04

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facility for the distribution there
of. The bill under consideration
was one intended to make specific
classification of the railway postal
clerks, such classification not hav-
ing been changed for the past
thirtyfive years. and the present
law being unreasonable and wholly
Inadequate for the service. There
appeared before the committee. on
behalf of the railway postal clerks.
to plead their case, Mr.. j. 4. Hid
we'll, President of the National
Association of Railway Postal
Clerks. Mr.. {. l.. Shaffcr. the ex-
president of the association. and
Mr.. {. \. Young. member of
the executive committee Of the
organization. Mr.. Kidwcll made
the point that this measure is
department measure and was pre-
pared under the supervision of the
department, and that the clerks
were not trying to sandhag the
Congress out of something to which
they were not clearly entitled. The
association includes at least five
SlXthS of the men I'm the service.
which demonstrates that the men
have a grievance and have come
together TO correct it. He proved
that there was no comparison
between the work of a railway
postal clerk and any other govern
ment employe on account of the
technical knowledge necessary 10
qualify for the position. the con
slant danger TO life. long continu- .
Gus hours of work. and the strain
on the nervous system. There Is .
no comparison between the work /
performed by the other men ON a
passenger train and the railway +.
postal clerk either intcllectuallvor
IN any other way, vet he showed F.
that conductor gets from Sl5 to
$40 month more than the highest
salary in the railway mail service. /
He proved that the danger To the /
postal clerk Is greater than To any.
other man ON the train by the teS-
timOny of the men who work on
the train with him. To the effect
that they would not ride with him
when they could avoid it and they /
all admitted that the postal clerk !
ran the greater risk. The railway
postal clerk has no time of his
own, is always on call for duty.
and vet he gets no pay for over
time regardless of the fact that
every postal clerk renders DAYS
and even weeks of overtime each
wear. He is compelled To do this
in order 10 distribute mails I'm de-
pots delayed on account of insult
ficient service TO distribute maile
route. He claimed and proved
that if this Reconsideration bill is
passed, the reforms which it would
bring would give the men fixed
and a permanent salary not i'm eX-
cess of what they earn, but it
would change other conditions in
regard to the handling of mail and
be of distinct benefit to the public
As it would provide force suf-
ticient to properly handle the mail
and thus prevent delay.
Mr.. Kidwell also showed that
the railway postal clerks depart
ment of the Post Office Depart
ment was the only one that has
absolutely escaped investigation in
all this Saturnalia of graft that has
run rampant in the Post Office De- /
partment.
Mr.. Schairer was the next
speaker at the hearing, and he
showed that the railway postal /
clerk was not to be compared to /
the department clerk either in /
salary or in the allowance of time /.
for holiday or sick leave. And .
that the railway postal clerk works I.
LII hours, or los days, more i'm /
a year than does the department
clerk.
Mr.. Young, the next speaker,
showed that the present salaries
were the same as they we're ten
year ago, and that the cost of Hv-
ing had materially increased since
that time, and that was why they
were asking for Justice.
| write this because the case of
these poor railway mail clerks has
merit in it, and they deserve some
consideration at the hands of Con-
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