The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-24
Clause Is Eliminated by
Senate Post-Office
Committee.
PARCELS POST
is RECOMMENDED
Higher Pay Provided for Rail
roads, S2,5oo,ooo Being Added
for Transportation OF Mails.
Sweeping Changes in Work
ing Hours OF Postal
Employees.


washington July e3-The post-of-
+ ice appropriation nili saorn Of the
good roads provision PROPOSED by tile
House. and embracing revised par
cels post system. With charges based
ou zones Of distance. was reported 20
the senate 'o-iay by Chairman Bourne
az The P0st-Ofice COMMITTEES One
p-otisiou makes = sweeping change In
tie Working hours ~ postal employees
Th- hill -ontAIrs nsny changes from
tho form In which il was passed hy
tho House The total appropriations
arc above those ri tho House bill
WHICH were approximately $3.50. non
goo. One AZ the principal increases is
ln the appropriation for the PAY % rail-
roads for transporting the mails tho
senate committee adding more than
$3.50. 600
in striking ou; tho saackelford good
roads feature az tho House bill which
provided FOR Federal Improvement, OF
highways. the Senate committee recon-
mends an nveyuzation by special
commission. consisting Of three House
members and three Senators. and pro-
tides for m highway Improvements
Until this commission has reported.
The Barnhart amendment IN the
House BIN for the regular publication
q the names OF stockholders of rews-
PAPERS and periodicals also IS changed
The senate bill provides for puhlica
iion once year when lists Of the
stockholders are required to be filed
/ with the local postmaster
Parcels section Changed.
I The parcels section OF the Senate bill
Is radically different from tina, incor-
/ poratod In the House bill. which pro
vided flat rate OF postage for all
distances. The Senate provision is
that OF the Bourne bill. slightly modi-
ned. Senator Bourne recommended
that third and fourth class mail matter
be com hined for the parcels pos, SER
vice but tho bill makes the parcels
post apply only TO fourth class mat
ter.
The Senate committee struck out
Of the House bill tn. provision giving
postal employees tho right to combine
In labor unions. and the right to pc
tition Congress for redress Of their
grievances.
I 1t also provided for the adjustment
@. the present system OF CARRYING
second class mail hy fast freight un-
der what is known as the blue flag"
system Under the Senate bill all sec
ond class would be put back into reg
uiar mail cars after August 81
announcement for inventors I'm tho
| postal service is also carried in the
Senate bill The Postmaster General
would he authorized under the meas
rre TO pay $1,000 for any Invention
/ Of postal employe that is adopted
Tor use In the service.
Pneumatic Tube Service
y special commission IS also pro-
posed to investigate the subject Of
pneumatic tube service and determine
whether the government shall purchase
I ~
n!v'"ov appropriate is authorized for
improved mechanical devices in tn,
chicago Post-Omce which is now
ovcrcrowdea
Steel cars for railway mail service
"nich were required by the House bill
70 he In universal use by American
railroads in 1917. also are required IN.
the Senate bill.
Tie House bill required the railroads
TO replace 20 per cent. OF its wooden
I mail cars every year. while the senate
"lH would give the road one year OF
srsce and then require them 10 re-
place p per cent. OF their cars each
Year for four years
Hours for Employees.
The provision relating TO hours for
empioyes is to the effect that the
eisht hours that postal clerks and car
7!ers In the larger offices Of the conn
Try are required to work each da,
SnaH not extend over more than ten
consecutive hours
for Years 1t has been tho practice Of
/ me Post Office Department in ooicos
tnroushont the country to have the
eisht hours OF work extend over NJ
teen or eighteen consecutive hours.
There would he cigh, hours OF dut,.
but those eight hours would he seat
tered through the day in two or three
! hour shifts. so that many more than
eight hours of the workers time was
required.
Efforts have been made for many
years TO get Congress to take some
action to remedy this grievance on the
/ part OF the postal clerks and carriers.
/ hut the PostOiiice Department has usu-
/ lly replied that the limitation Of the
eight hours OF work to ten Consecutive
! hours would neccssltate the hiring OF
additional men and would largely in
crease the cost Of the postal service
Last winter Representatives Reilly.
OF Connecticut. and Curley. of Massa-
chusetts. became champions OF the
cause OF the postal clerks and carriers
! in this regard. and they Interested
many other members OF the House. The
result was the incorporation In the
post office appropriation hill as It
passed the House OF this provision
| that the eight hours OF work OF letter
carriers and postal clerks In the FIRST
and second class post offices shall not
extend over,a period OF moro man zen
| consecutive hours.
When the bill was taken UP by the
| Senate Committee on Post Offices for
| amendment many compromises on this
provision were suggested. but friends
| of the provision stirred up members OF
the committee and of the Senate Ia its
behalf. and the committee voted to .e,
IT remain.
The senate committee. however. has
made one change in tho provision. The