The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-08-25
MONTH FOR CARRIERS.
MIR. HITCHCOCK ARRANGES TO
GIVE POSTAL EMPLOYEES
FULL VACATION.
Mail Light I'm Dull MOnths-SO Letter
Distributors Can "Double Up OH
Their Routes and Thus Double
Their Vacation Time.

Their Vacation Time.
Washington, Aug. 1S.-At last the
Woodworking, but long-neglected let
ter carrier, the man who trudges
around carrying the bundles and let
ters Of all Uncle Sans 100000, is
to get his dues in the matter of vaca-
tion. This is being done in a way
that Postmaster General Hitchcock
believes will save $250,0O0 in the cost
of letter-carriers' vacations during the
present fiscal year.
According to law postal employees
are allowed each year is days leave
Of absence with pay. Most Of the
other employees of the Government,
whether in the executive departments
in Washington or elsewhere, get 80
days annual leave with pay. Mr..
Hitchcock has gone on record in IA
vor of 80 days leave for postal en-
ployes on the ground that there is
no excuse for discriminating against
them, and this will certainly make
hit" with the man in blue gray with
the leather sack over his arm. In no
vice are the hours longer, or the
whole work more arduous, or the con-
ditions under which the work Is done
more trying upon the men.
When he was First Assistant Post
master-General under Mr.. Cortelyou,
before Mr.. Hitchcock branched out as
a master-politician destined to be re-
warded with place in the Cabinet,
he urged upon Congress the advis-
ability of rendering simple justice to
postoff1ce clerks and letter-carriers.
The strongest argument trumped up
in the past against this program has
been the great cost Of carriers vaca-
tions. For many years the practice
has been to emplo. a substitute car
rier for every day a carrier was on
leave. AS there are some $4,000 Of
these carriers In the service and the
cost for substitute service for the is
days and two Sundays allowed the
carrier for his vacation is about $40,
the actual cost Of the carriers vaca-
ton ts little more than $1,000,800.
T,,1x nd
urne OF mail, especially in the aarger
cities. Is considerably reduced, and
the department has taken advantage
of this by requiring carriers TO
double up" so that In some in
stances during these months two car
riers serve three routes. This enables
one of the carriers to take his vaca-
ton without expense to the Govern.
nsnt. In residential sections where
there are three deliveries daily the
number Of deliveries has been reduc.
ed to two, in the absence Of the reg
ular carrier at the seashore or at the
hills, and in some business districts
the number of deliveries by carriers
has been slightly reduced during
July and August.
Department officials say that nc
embarrassment has 'esultpI from
fhis temporary curtalment Of the de-
livery service and very few COM
plants have come from the public
The cost Of giving the 10000 clerks
at first and second-class offices their
vacations has never heen excessive
because 1t has been hound feasible to
grant clerks leaves of absence during
the dull season without employing
substitutes in most cases. The entire
appropriation for substitutes foI
clerks on vacation is only $4,000.
The wise observers say in regard
to this move: Maybe Mr.. Hitchcock
hasn't an idea or two and maybe
won't be strong with the carriers of
the country If he ever expands his
political ambitions out toward the
Presidency"
Postmaster-General Hitchcock left
today for Toledo, Ohio, to attend the
annual convention of the National
Association of Presidential Post
masters He will be accompanied by
Mr.. Stewart, Second Assistant Post
master-General and Mr.. De Braw.
Fourth Assistant.