Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-02
MANY CLERKS RESIGN
HARD TO KEEP GOOD MEN IN
THE POSTAL SERVICE.

Failure at this time to increase materially
the compensation of post office employees,
thus keeping pace with the advancing
wages in other lines OF employment, will
seriously jeopardize the efficiency of the
service. This statement is taken from the
annual report of First Assistant Postmaster
General Hitchcock just made public. The
need of new legislation to make the postal
service more attractive in order to- retain
present employees and as an inducement for
good men to enter the service is treated ex-
tensively by Mr.. Hitchcock, who presents
plan for the consideration of Congress.
Higher wages in other classes of employ
ment taken with the increased cost of living
have rendered pronounced the inadequacy
of post office salaries AS result the res
ignations from the service have increased
at an alarming rate and the standafu OF
men going into the service has greatly de-
Perforated in the last fiscal year. Mr.. Hitch
cock report shows that in first and second
class offices there were approximately 2o,ooo
clerks in the grades ranging from 500 10
81 ,O00 and of these clerks 2,340, or about
1913 per cent resigned during the year. Or
$1,000 letter carriers attached to these OF
fees Col, or about &c per cent, voluntarily
left the service.
Mr.. Hitchcock's Plan.
After careful study of the problem Of
devising satisfactory scheme of salaries
applicable to clerks and carriers alike. this
plan has been suggested by Mr.. Hitcfcoch:
Establishing for both of these classes OF
employees six grades of compensation the
annual salary to be $500 for the initial
grade, $500 for the second grade, and for
the four succeeding grades $780, sl,ooo,
81 100 and LOO, respectively, and of pro-
viding for the advancement of clerks ana
carriers in first-c.ass offices from the 5000
initial grade to $500 after one years
g. a-S y-r-a
and to $1,000 after three years service
and for the advancement of clerks and car
riers in second-class offices to $500 after one
years service and to $500 after two years
service The proposed plan leaves to the
Department the distribution of promotions.
based on efficiency, above the S1GD grade
in first-class offices and above the $500 grade
in the second cass offices, the extent of
such promotions being limited, of course, by
the appropriations provided. The several
grades ranging from $500 and 81 600 to 81 40
will not only make it possible to reward
exceptionally faithful and efficient men
throughout the clerical and carrier services
but they will enable the Department to raise
the standard of remuneration when de-
manded by local conditions.
The suggestion is made that a fixed rate
Of thirty cents hour be paid for all sub
stitute work, whether for employees absent
with or without pay for temporary serv-
ice.
Thirty Days Annual Leave.
1t is proposed to grant thirty days annual
leave to post office clerks and carriers in
stead of fifteen days at present, thus plac-
ing the employees of the Post Office Depart
ment on an equality with other government
employees. 1t is shown that the overtime
served daily by post office clerks. figuring
on an eight-hour basis, for the month of
October last, was 1919 minutes, and Mr..
Hitchcock urges that sufficient number of
clerks be employed to keep the workday as
near eight hours as possible.