Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-22
Business Men Protest Against
Railway Mail Conditions.
SOUTH DAKOTA MEMORIAL
Lively Debate in the House Of Rep
resentatives.
VOICE OF THE POSTAL CLERKS
Alleged That Efficiency Of the Serv.
ice Is Impaired by Reor-
ganization Plans.

The attempt of the Post Office Depart
ment to take up the slack in the rail.
way mail service throughout the United
States brought about lively debate in
the House yesterday afternoon. during
the consideration of the annual appro.
priation bill for the support Of the Post
Office Department.
Representatives from many states
throughout the west presented protests
not only from the railway clerks them
selves, but from business men and asso-
Citations, who claimed that the efficiency
Of the mail service had been impaired
Representative Martin Of South Dakota
presented to the House memorial passed
by the legislature Of that state calling
upon Congress and the Post office De-
partment to relieve the acutely serious
situation that has developed in the west
ern states.
View of the Department.
The departments orders for a rear
rangement of the railway mail service
went into effect shortly before Christmas
Chairman Weeks Of the post office COM
mittee, who is in charge OF the appro-
priation bill now before the House, stated
that these complaints had been given full
consideration by the Post Office Depart
ment, and that the department does not
believe the new rules will work any ulti-
mate hardship to employees, or result IN
any injury to the efficiency of the service
In order to find out how the clerks took
the new scheme Second Assistant Post
master General Joseph Stewart asked
R.,1d of he u
Mail Association for a statement Of the
clerks views. His letter and the reply
to it were presented to the House by
Mr.. Weeks.
Discusses Practical Effect.
President Canfield's letter to the assist
ant postmaster general said:
LAS to the practical effect on the service
at present of This order to take up the
slack'-it is lowering the efficiency Of the
clerks every day. They are discouraged
and are fast becoming demoralized."
The new regulations, which have caused
what Representative Hitchcock OF Ne
braska, characterized as IAN uproar III
all the western states" have long been
under development. The Post Office De-
partment has been endeavortng to equal
six and one-haR hours of road work per
day and reduce the force. While the last
post Office appropriation bill authorized the
appointment of 1897 clerks. the num-
Der actually employed now Is 14,4S3.
The fact that the changes We're made
just before Christmas rush Is responsible,
in the minds of the post Office authorities,
for the alarm that has resulted In the
circles Of railway mail clerks and
among business interests that hard
ships may be imposed on the employees
and the efficiency Of the railway mail
service lowered.
Number Of Employees Reduced.
The appropriation bill now before the
House reduces the number Of authorized
railway mail clerks by 4O4 from the
figures Of last year, but the number
actually employed now is so low that
there will be an opportunity for the ap-
pointment Of 1.O4O additional clerks under
the present bill. This is enough. 1t Is
claimed, to fully meet the postal de-
mands.
Representative Martin of South Dakota
and Representative Hawley of Oregon
presented amendments, which are pend
ing in the House, the flrst to give railway
mail clerks extra pay when they are COM
pelled to work overtime, and the second
authorizing the employment OF extra
clerks when the regular employees are not
able to complete the handling OF mails
without working overtime.