The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-29
SHORTER HOURS
At POST0FF|CE
Postmaster Thomas Believes
Employees Should Have Day
Of Rest Sundays.
WOULD NOT INTERRUPT
DISPATCHING OF MAILS
Collection Also Would Remain
Unchanged; Sabbath Delivery
Not Regarded Urgent.

That the keeping open Of the post
office on Sundays is practice that
should be eliminated is the statement
Of Postmaster A. L. Thomas of the To-
cal office, A statement given out by
him Saturday advocates the closing Of
all departments of the postoffice on
Sunday, excepting the general deliv-
cry windows. He would eliminate the
opening Of tho carrier windows, the
money order department and the regis
try department.
The statement Of Postmaster Thomas
dissatisfaction among the postofflce
employees as a result Of the Sunday
opening of the carrier windows. The
carriers and other employees. he says,
should have holiday on Sunday,
where now they are required to work
nearly the whole day,
The proposed change, Mr., Thomas
says, would not affect the collection
of mail or the dispatcbing of the mail
received in the office during Sunday,
The, habit of going to the postoffico for
mail on Sunday is growing rapidly, he
says, and in most cases the persons
going to tho office do not need the
mail and do not care particularly
whether they receive it or not. Busi-
ness houses and business men have
postoffice boxes and receive their mail
in that manner, says Mr.. Thomas. Post
master Thomas said:
Policy of Department,
"It is now and always has been
the policy Of the postoffice depart
ment at Washington, D. c., not to re-
culre Of postal employees more work
on the Sabbath day than is absolute.
" necessary to prevent congestion of
facilities for the public, so that these
employees may enjoy, as much as pos
sible, in common with their nelghbors,
needed day of rest. This policy has
the earnest support and sympathy Of
Frank II. Hitchcock, postmaster gen.
eral
"In the earlier days of the republic,
and not until April 30, 1910, the de-
livery Of mail on Sundays was not re-
CURED, On that date Sunday dcliv
cry was authorized by congress, but not
from all over the country. These pro-
tests were again strongly renewed IN
1S2S-1S29, and have continued with
more or less vigor since.
'fSection 264 of the postal laws and
regulations, 1902, provides: Where
mail arrives on Sundays postoffices
must be kept open for an hour or more
for the delivery thereof, If the public
requires IT.
"Under this regulation, in the Salt
Lake City postoffice, tho general de-
liver windows have been open on Sun
days from II q. m, until p. m, and
the stamp, inquiry, forwarding and let |
ter carriers windows from 11:30 a. m,
until l p. IN. (Money order and reg
istry windows have not been opened.) |
The average time each clerk and car
rier is required to work is about four |
hours.
Delivery windows Open.
"On behalf of these employees. ask
the public interest and support in n
matter 80 vital to their welfare. / be-
lieve all windows should be closed on
Sundays, excepting the general deliv-
for at least one hour for the cenven~
icnce Of the travelling public and for
those who have important personal
mail
tWith the growing use of the special
delivery service urgent messages re-
quiring attention on Sunday are not
sent in the ordinary mail, and call |
ing at the postoffice on Sunday for
mail is usually matter of habit rather
the transient population is sent to ho |
tells and for business and office men is
placed in boxes.
"Charles P. Grandfield. first assist.
ant postmaster general, in his annual
report of June 3d. says: There is a
very strong sentiment throughout the
in favor of the discontinuance
Of the delivery of mail on Sundays. and |
this sentiment should be respected. |
titled to ono dav Of rest In SEVEN
Says Sunday Observance Decreases.
"It is a regrettable, but, neverthe.
less, an undeniable fact, that the pro
foundly impressive observance of the |
Sabbath as a day of rest in colonial
times and during the earlier years of
the republic has been gradually dis
placed by the Sunday of an increasing |
ly aggressive commercial age which, |
moral and humane sen
timent as old, if not older, than civil !
iZation, exacts unremitting toll every !
day of the year.
HThis gradual decline in the observ |
ance Of the Sabbath as q day of rest |
has not been without protest, and is
not In harmony with the cherished sen
timents Of the large majority of the
people.
Sunday Day Of Rest.
"Our history is replete with con
spicuous recognition of this sentiment.
The first general order issued by Gen
eral Washington, after the Declara.
tion of Independence, directed the OBJ
servance of the Sabbath day ms day
of rest, and President Lincoln. in his
famous army order of November Is.
1862; referred to the order of General
Washington, and urged the importance
of the prescribed weekly rest Daniel
Webster, referring to the strong seuti-
ment for due observance of the Sab
bath, said; The longer / live the more
highly do / estimate the importance of
the Christian Sabbath and the more
grateful do l feel toward those who
impress its importance on the commun.
ity."