The Washington herald., 1908-08-27
POSTAL CLERKS TO MEET.
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN
Bv FREDERIC J.. HASKIN

Next week xiii witness the opening Of I
the national convention season OF the
people who man the big postal machine
Of the United states The National As
so,ssrion Of Postal Clerks viii meet
g, BIRMINGHAM Ala, on September
and The National Association Of Post 2
masters VIII meet during the same week ]
a. C-arranooza. Tenn Arrangements
are being made for the meeting OF me
~-,rsl carriers little later IN Omaha
Nebr The railway postal clerks vii
have 10 convention this year, the l-po'
men who hold membership in that or
sanitation having disposed Of their al
fairs for Two years al their last annual
convention
The oreanized forces OF the postal ser
,-;oa n-obabIv have 10000 members The
uos-aI clerks are boosting for 2o9oo mem
hers bv the time the annual convention
meets. the railway postal clerks have
II on. the letter carriers. the postulastsrs'
and the rural free delivery carries each
have a large organization and among /
them can probably muster 7o.ooo members
They have ali adopted plans OF orgaliza-
ton which enable them TO pun together /
for better salaries and better working
conditions in their respective branches
Of The service They have SUCCEEDED II /
inducing Congress 10 give them an IN
,--zesa % nav and except the railway
postal clerks. have gotten the-r "o1A
5ov-, N TIE efrht-hour basis Although
me President promulgated an order pro
rIbfti1g them from lobbying in Their own
al
compllsh the same things they aceoHaP-
-isbed bsfore the order was issued
VI o-ber branch OF the United states
e7ve--n1en-. OF Of any other government
for that matter. employs as many civil
isns as the post-of1ce establishment OF
rhe United states There are 62.e79 post
masters 10 begin with Then there are
-asrIv 4o010 rural carriers and BOO star
route carriers Add 70 this ll.019 railway
postal clerks. e7.o10 letter carriers as
many more postal clerks. besides some
thousand laborers. janitors, &c. and u
viii beElu 70 appear that the postal ser
vice OF this country employs the biggest
clvn army in the world-aa army not I2r
from 2o0 0G1 strong
And wei Il might be a big army II
has 20 handle 701.e50 letters every hour OF
The rwenty-f0ur. every day n the year
~ has 10 issue and redeem 10000 money
orders every hour and- register as many
letters. 20 say nothing OF the thousands
Of tons OF second. third and fourth class
-,a-+4r which demand its attention. Il
- "a nav ont so 1010.013 a year 20 the
rarroads 10 carry that part OF the MAJ
which must make q journey by ran -le
mains which the railroads carry i or
make an aggregate distance OF -9o-l'-.-
miles OF the equivalent OF two EolLl
rrips 10 the sun with several lunar sloe-
rims thrown in The star route carriers
have 10 travel la1. 1.'10 miles year and
rhz rural free delivery men must cover
"a ths sezreeate az least 2400ooooo more
summed r1u- -1e men Who carry the INT
ed States mail a fun year must lTlFe
rhr-e-auarre-s Of q billion miles
The postal establishment s expected q
cost the government Sz35.1lIO91 this year
But Of course Il expects 10 set The oU-s
Of 4 hack. The money which the people
nav across the rost-office window TIM
wear will probably amount 20 about s--'-
oa0o0a leaving deficit Of SIS-ce-110 20 b
r-4- nv The Government But while thl
SOFT Of a deficit occurs each year n
people think the government has no rea
reason 10 complain They point OH ina
Il gets all its own individual mall carrie
free. and that II il but paid for IL al N
sane rate Il charges the people. il woll
foot I'd much no-e than what it hes
nav out 20 make good the dehcit
--ra- words - ls their contention tns
even while making good The de5cit u
government is driving . pretty good bai
rzfn There are thousands OF tons
frsnked documents. and millions OF le
rers carried for which nothing is paid 81
cspt in the making good Of the annu'
6sdcir-
There have been many people sayln
that the establishment OF rural free q
livery Is responsible for the coDJnuant
Cr this annual deEcit IN the postal ope
atoms. But rural free delivery pleads n
guilty II points out that the dehcit
IsrfIv as much per year now as it W
when there was no rural free delivery
cites figures 10 show that there Is no Tel
ton whatever between the extension
IFS service ard the deficit And then,
clircn its argument. Il shows that 81
O1ad10 a year is saved By the aooIton
star routes and post-ofices which II re-
ders6 10 longer necessary Win n
saving and the added business, rural IT
delivery brings about. enough money
made. it claims 10 make Il self-slqpoI
t1E. and il indignantly denies the accus
non that i has TO lean on the governne
al all
The outgoing mail from 4 rural free
livery route always shows big
crease. and the same IS true Of the
coming mail Each piece dispatch
means that much more money IN {
uost-oEce Golfers. and each extra PIE
received from the higher-class of1ces
a similar meaning II the fourth-cla
post-ofscss OF the country. and all
rural Offices practically are n this ella
the government simply goes into partn
ship with the postmaster. giving him "a
value for all the stamps he cancels in
regular course Of business this 10 be
compensation II leu Of salary. In L
way all Of the mail dispatched at ~
ofhces never yielded q cent Of revenue
the government. II had 70 meet the
penss Of carrying it. and supplying
stamps Under rural free delivery II
goes TO the government, and the receil
incoming and outgoing do not lack MI
Of supporting the service
Speaking OF the annual deficit Pc
master General Meyer had a plan
viping il out which he urged upon
last session OF Congress. He told IN
that Il they would provide for g pare
-os- II v-o--r5 not involve any auDrecla