The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-01-27

adopted by Postmaster General Hitch /
cock The mail clerks complain that /
there are not enough men I'm the ser .
vice to do the work as 1t should he /.
done and that the postoiIice depart.
ment refuses TO rent large enough /
cars from the railroads for adequate |
service. They have many incidental
complaints coming under these two
general heads.
II is claimed. for instance, that
Postmaster General Hitchcock is hold
ing up a vast number of promotions
which have become due by reason of
increased mail traffic. Clerks declare
that in this way they are being cheat
ed out of thousands of dollars that
the law gives them. They point out
that 81 800 year is being withheld
from twelve clerks running through
Norfolk between Omaha and Chadron,
in this way Eleven clerks are, draw
ing SLIGO a year whereas they are en-.
titled, they say to 81 200 a year. One
clerk is getting hut $1,000 who is en-.
titled to 81, 100. These increases in
pay were due more than four months
ago, increased mail business having
entitled the men to the increases. ac-
cording to law. But they are still be-
ing paid 800 less per year apiece
than they earn. They claim that If
The mail had decreased and decreased
pay had become due, their salaries
would have been cut by telegraphic
notice.
No Subs for Injured Men.
Another point of complaint is the
fact that when a railway mail clerk
is injured on duty, no substitute is
hired by the government to take his
place. The other clerks on the run
must do his work, without extra pay.
This the South Dakota clerks refused
to do and it precipitated the strike.
This requirement means that the
clerks on the run where a man is
hurt, must devote many days of eX-
ira time to the work, going out on
extra runs at their own expense.
(The government allows clerks six
cents for meal and seven cents for
bed after each twelve hours of regu-
lar duty)
| The clerks complain that the de-
partment, instead of trying to relieve
the shortage of help. is making it
: worse, in order to make a public show
ing in cutting down the deficit. In
stead of adding 500 clerks for the com.
/ ing year for example, as they claim
, will be needed to handle the increase
in mail, the department has reduced
the railway mail clerk force by some
| 600 men.
On account of the shortage of help
q batch of stuck" mail, or mail that
clerks on one run had no time to
work, came to a Northwestern train
at Omaha the other day from an
| Iowa train. The mail was all Nebras-
! lla matter. The Omaha train carried
/ it through Norfolk to ONeill, none
! of the clerks having time to touch it.
| At O'Neill it was transferred to an
eastbound Northwestern train and
! carried back to Omaha, where it had
| been twentyfour hours before. The
! clerks say that this is a common oc-
| currence and that this is why letters
are so slow in reaching their destina-
| lions.
Say Railroads Are Not Fined.
Another criticism of Mr.. Hitchcock
, is made 1t is claimed that railroads
run their mail trains late without any
fear of fines which formerly were as
! Sessed. The rule is that when a train
is thirty minutes late, the railroad will
be fined 20 percent of the amount
| they are entitled to be paid for the
mail on that train. These fines, the
clerks say, are nowadays RENTED to
the railroads. 1t is claimed 100000
in fines of this kind have been remit
ted to the railroads by Mr.. Hitchcock.
On the other hand, however, they
claim that railway postal clerks have
been fined 100000.
In regard to the small mail cars,
the clerks say that for years the rail
roads have been furnishing fifty and
sixty foot cars when the postoffice de-
partment only paid for forty foot
cars. They say the railroads got tired
of this and have now installed the
forty foot cars, which are so small
that mail cannot be quickly worked.
This is one of the reasons why mail
is so often carried by towns to which
it is destined. the postal clerks point
out.
The clerks say that they are under
orders not to divulge any of this in
formation. If clerk were caught
} giving out any of this interview, off
would go his head. But some of them
are SO dissatisfied that they are de.
termined the public shall know the
conditions.
/, On account of the renting of fines
to railroads, mail clerks point out that
= the Chicago-Norfolk mail connection
is missed four times out of six. Mail
J leaving Chicago at night, to connect
: at Missouri Valley with the Norfolk
| train, fails to connect two-thirds OF
) the time, the mail men say, and there
J fore does not reach this city till night
: when it should have got here at noon
Aberdeen, S. D., Has Big BIaez.
Aberdeen, S. D., Jan. 23.-The divi
sion headquarters, local freight houses
and passenger station of the Chicago