The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-10-22
RAILWAY MAIL CLERKS
MEET At GRAND FORKS
Discuss Plans for Betterment Of the
Services. Postmasters Required
to Address School Pupils.

Organized efforts are being put
forth by the memoirs Of the Rail
way Mail Clerks association and by
the postal department of the govern
ment to make the people better ac-
auainted with the handling of the
Uuited States mail and the men who
are performing that part of the
work.
Last evening the members of the
Grand Forks and surrounding
branches of the Railway Mail
Clerks association and their guests
partook of a banquet at the Hotel
Fredericks of Grand Forks, N. D,
the purpose of the meeting being to
better the conditions of the railway
mail clerks.
Several addresses were made,
those delivering them being Con.
gresham Gronna; Vice President
Schardt, of the Tenth Division of
the Railway association; l.. B.
Hanna, republican candidate for
congressman from North Dakota;
Chief Clerk Mcbride, of the Grand
Forks district of the service; Presi-
| dent w. J. Murphy, of the Grand
Forks lodge of the r. M. c.. A;
Mayor ]. D. Taylor, of the city of
Grand Forks and Attorney J. B.
Wineman, also of that place.
A great deal of interesting infor-
nation was brought out by the differ
ent speeches. The salaries of the
clerks have been increased only
between 7 and II per cent during
the last two years, thus making
their pay from $500 to $1,000 per
year, very small percentage re-
ceiving the maximum salary. The
clerks occupy the most dangerous
places on the trains, shut up in the
mail car just behind the engine, and
certainly deserve better pay than
they receive at present. Chief Clerk
| Mcbride reported that twelve of
his most efficient men had resigned
from the service during the last year
to accept more lucrative and less
! dangerous positions.
J All of those present promised to
work for the betterment of the rail-
way mail clerks and to use their
influence, as much as possible to-
ward such a cause.
It was also shown at the banquet
that few people, outside of those
employed in the service, know much
of the operation of handling the
United States mail and of the
immense amount of work required
to carry on this branch of the gov
eminent work.
In connection with the above
effort of the Railway Mail Clerks to
educate the public in their work, it
is interesting to note the follow
ing order which has been sent to
all postmasters in the United States
! and which was recently received by
Postmaster Erickson of the local
Office from the department at Wash
ington:
washington, D. c.,
Sept. 10 1908.
Order No. 1742.
Postmasters are hereby directed
to confer with the local school
authorities with the view of adopt
ing the most effective method of
instructing school children as the
organization and operations of the
postal service. These instructions
should cover such features of the
service as the delivery of the mails,
the classification of mail matter, the
registery and money order systems,
and particularly the proper address,
ing of letters and the importance of
placing return cards on envelopes.
Postmasters should arrange, if posi-
BILE, to deliver personal talks to the
pupils on these subjects and should
give teachers access to the Postal
Guide and the Postal Laws and
Regulations and render them every
assistance in securing the necessary
information. 49,
C. V. L. Meyer,
"P0stma ster General"