The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-26
Examinations Are Easy.

Considerable transformation has been
furnished of late as to the mental and
physical qualifications necessary to entry
into the service. A graduate of the eighth
grade OF our public schools, if he has
done his work thoroughly, ought to pass
the examination at a mark that would
insure his appointment as substitute at a
salary of $3.50 per annum- Now, this is
not great deal, but If the more or less
hazardous nature of the work is left out
Of consideration, where can school boy
Is years of age, do better? AS to the
physical qualifications, a man accepting
appOip tment on one of the heavy lines, If
he expects to stay on the line any con-
siderable length OF time, should be aDSO-
lutely sound and in perfect health. The
department e few years since raised the
standard of height from feet inches to
0 feet inches, and that OF weight from
rs to 13S pounds These figures could be
placed at the original point without det-
riment to the service as weight and
height do not count for so much as stay
ing qualities and a pair of absolutely tire
less feet On many of the lighter runs,
a sick man could do the work satisfac-
torIly and get well at the same time.
Now, Mr.. Editor, although 1 am fully
aware that my few feeble remarks" have
grown somewhat vOluminous, will you not
kindly permit me space TO detail one more
concrete case of rank injustice? On Jan.
3, 1876. the new fast mail train of the
Southern Pacific went into the ditch near
PaIiSade, New. Among the injured clerks
OF which there were several, the one re-
celVlnS the most palnTuI INJURY as Well
as the longest disability to perform serv-
ice, happened to be substitute Scott. Now
judging from what happen to know that
some of the less injured clerks received
fTom the railroad company, / venture to
say that Scott viii have his doctors bill
paid, or be cared for at the company's
hospital and receive not less than SEQ
This is none too much: in fact, an expe-
rience Of that kind cannot be paid for in
money. But how much does Mr.. Scott
receive from him Of the spike-tailed coat.
the high hat and the striped trousers?
Not a red And why? Simply because he
is a substitute. If he was a full-fledged
clerk he could draw his full pay for
year If II were necessary for him TO lay
off for that length of time on account OF
his broken arm. but so long as he must
pick up a precariouS existence by work
ing only when the wealthy regular clerks
lay off, he don't get cent nor his widow
or relatives should he happen to be killed
When a regular clerk is killed, his heirs
receive A,OO0 from the government. Now
in this case, is 1t not a fact that when
we compare the Hon. p. o. d. with that
VIGOROUSLY Soulless corporation known as
the Southern Pacific Railroad, Mr. P O.
ID. has about the size and appearance of
a punched copper cent? Well, we guess.
In conclusion, permit NE to hope that
you Will not subject my somewhat
lengthy effusiOn to too much blue-pen-
CLING, bit try and D lblish in full as it is
my humble wish that 1t may add its mite
to sentiment that will sooner or later
bring relief to that most faithful BODY of
men the world has ever produced-the
railway postal clerks of America
GRAFTON b. WHEEL Err
Ogden, Utah, Feb. q, 1906.