The San Francisco call., 1906-10-16
FISK CAN'T SERVE
MAIL PROMPTLY.
His Best Men Are Leav-
ing for Better Paying
Positions on the Outside
APPEALS FOR HELP

Postmaster Fisk is in despair His
most experienced and valuable men are
resigning to accept more lucrative po-
sitions in a private capacity With his
crippled force he can handle expedi-
tiously the frst-class mail. Newspapers
and all other mail must wait until
Washington shall come to his relief. He
told his troubles yesterday to an in
terviewer in these words:
The conditions that prevail in San
+ rancisco present one OF the most diff
fcult and peculiar problems IN the
postal service. No postoff1ce in the his
tory of the country has ever had to
contend with like conditions. ! do not
believe the general public appreciates
the difficulties under which we have
been laboring for the past six months.
Immediately following the fire 1t was
believed by postofTice officials that, oW-
ing to the large number of people who
had undoubtedly left San Francisco,
the work in the postoffice had de-
creased correspondingly with tnat
carriers of the San Francisco ofice
we're sent to neighboring cities to. aid
in handling the increased mail or THESE
cities. Almost Immediately, however,
it became apparent that the work, oW-
ing to these peculiar conditions, had
materially increased.
1t must be understood that the prop
er and rapid handling of mail depends
upon the Knowledge acquired by a
clerk after years of experience: This
experience gives him a thorough knowl-
edge of the addresses and locations of
the people doing business with. the
postoffice. Put in his place an mex
perienced clerk. and, no matter how
much natural ability. he may have, 1t
will take months before he can prop
erly distribute the mail / have made
every effort to have returned to this
Office the experienced clerks sent to as
sist the neighboring cities. but OWN e
RI 70 fnPrR0S in the work of
these offices it was deemed by the de-
partment that the best interests OF the
entire service would be served by leav-
ing many there.
Owing to industrial conditions now
prevailing in San Francisco experienced
clerks are resigning almost daily TO ac-
cept more remunerative employment
elsewhere. To fill the places of clerks who
are resigning and Of the clerks detailed
out of the city I am compelled to en-
ploy men who have no knowledge
whatever of postoff1ce work. I think,
from what I have heard. that other in
stitutfons and commercial houses are
laboYing under the same difficulties. I
do not believe that any institution has
been more seriously affected by the
disturbances of April Is than the San
Francisco postoffice, because the rapid
ity with which mail Is handled de-
pends largely upon the stability of ad-
dresses. The Postoffice Department In
an endeavor to get good. men to enter
the service is raising the salaries for
merry PAID. Inc eIIeCL Ol LIlS CdHuOl,
however, be felt for some time to come.
and lust so long as present industrial
conditions obtain in San Francisco
good men are going to resign, and the
postal service is going to suffer accord
in ngly 1t must be apparent that this
office cannot be blamed for unavoid-
able DELAYS in the handling of mail,
particularly second class mail. which
under the law must stand aside for
first-class matter. Conditions will be
getting worse every day.