The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-23
.IRONCLAD RULES.
POstOffice Employees Have New
Laws Laid Down.
Promotion Governed Entirely by
Their Observance.
LET LIQUOR ALONE.
Many Demerit Marks Given for
Using IntOxicants.
Must Take All Mail From Boxes
Promptly.

The postoffice employees have re-
ceived new set of rules and regula-
lions following the merit and demerit
system of promotion and demotion
and commencing the first of the year
this new honor system is used by the
local officials. Postmaster A. K.
Rodgers received the pamphlets for
distribution among the employees a few
days ago and the brownies are hav-
ing their effect at once.
The bulletin relates to the rating
duties and efficiency of all the clerks
employed in the office and the city
carriers. All are expected to COM
ply rigidly with its provisions in the
future.
Comparative ratings will be given
on the scale of 100 on the quantity
of work employees turn out. Such rat
ings will be based on observation of
the employees work supplemented
when practicable by actual counts of
the amount done during representa-
tive brief periods. The clerks and
carriers who set the standard for the
office with respect to quantity of
work should be rated 100 while those
who do enough work to justify their
promotion only on condition that their
records for accuracy and faithfulness
of 20 for quantity. Employees in the
lower grades are rated somewhat
more literally than those who have
had longer service. Ratings on ac-
curacy and faithfulhess shall be Civ
en- by imposing dement's for errors
for misconduct or unfaithfulness. For
every ten dement's one per cent will
be deducted from the rating.
The Standard of Efficiency.
After prescribing the necessary
standard of efficiency for promotion
the bulletin gives a long three page
schedule of dement's to be imposed on
clerks and carriers for errors and Of
fenSeS. These errors and offenSes
cover all the possible ground in every
day life of a government employee and
some of the offenses are interesting to
the public on account of their direct
connection.
Three of the most serious offenses
a carrier can perform are to be dis
courteous to a superior officer, to be
Intoxicated while on duty and to fail
to collect mail from a box. Each of
these offenses costs the carrier 500
demerit marks. The use of intoxi-
eating liquors and tobacco occupies an
important place in the rogues gallery
of the postoffice department To re-
port for duty under the influence of
Intoxicating liquors costs a man 400
dement, marks. Drinking in a public
place on duty means 400, off duty 100.
Intoxicated off duty TALES 200 demer-
it marks. Smoking on duty puts 100
black marks against an employe. Then
there are such crimes as being dis
courteous to patrons (1O-2O0), lott
ering in office or on route (1O-2O
untidy person and desk (10-200)
losing mail (100), working overtime
contrary to orders-whfch is not very
comm on-(1O), misdelivery of letter
10), delaying delivery (1o), failing
to forward correctly (10) holding mail
over for another trip (10O) and de-
waiting from route (50).
Must Keep Faith With Patrons.
There is one offense in which the
public in particular may be interest
nation concerning a patron of the
postoffice or regarding mail matter.
The clerks and carriers of the local
office are besieged daily by persons
So gets his mail and who seek infor-
nation concerning mail matter. If
you want to find the address of a
friend and the postoffice knows it just
drop the letter in the box addressed
to the friend and with the desired in
formation and the postofice will at
tend to the rest.
The imperative rule of the depart
ment is that no such information
shall be given and whenever he asks
for it he is asking the postoffice en-
ploye to break a rule of the depart
ment and for which he may be pun
ished by imposing 500 demerit marks
on his record.
In other words the employee who
gives out this information reduces his
rank so that he will not be eligible for
promotion until sufficient time has
elapsed to overcome the blot on his
record. The fact that the postoffice
department has made this offense one
of the most serious which an en-
ploye can commit shows that it is
considered to be one of the gravest in
the entire schedule of oTenses.
This rule will be rigidIy enforced
and it is the duty of the public to
reconcile itself to the regulations of
the department and cease asking ques-
tions which are tabooed by the gov
eminent 1t will do no good to ask