The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-19
PENSIONS FOR CARRIERS
Postofce Employees Beginning to Take Interest in the
System.

| The free delivery OF the malls ID %
yet comparatively new in this country.
And the majority Of the men employ
ed in this work were young, and found
| it difficult to believe that they were
going to be old few days after to-
morrow. And 30 they laughed at their
friends who talked to them about a
pension system. about making the
very best possible provision for the
times, when they shall no longer be
able to do their work. OF late the
carriers seem to begin to take . diff
ferent view of the matter and the
pension for the carrier is attracting
considerable attention. In the ranks
of the general public, the sentiments
seems to be favorable. A recent issue
Of the Postal Record had the follow
ing:
A New York clergyman in advocat-
ing pensions for letter carriers is
quoted as making the following state
ment from his pulpit: II do not be-
lieve 1t is generally known that let
ter carrfers-whose schedules OF de-
livery and collection take no account
of weather conditions, man being
expected to do as much work in q
raging snowstorm as on fair day in
June-are obliged when sick to for
felt pay. The government should do
better than that-do what most cor
porations do for their men,"
There is much food for reflection IN
the statement OF this good pastor, as
it sums up in a few words the facts
as they actually exist. The public
has no idea Of the conditions under
which letter carrier are employed:
they know nothing whatever about
the order which compels man who
is of duty for $50 days to resign or
be dropped from the service, even
though he be confined to his room on
account Of disease contracted in the
service, or physical disability re-
ceived in the discharge Of his ofhcial
rduties The public is not familiar
with the order that has been promul-
gated which reduces tho salaries Of
letter carriers employed in the collec-
ton service. In fact, It Is surprising
news to the public when information
reaches them occasionally through
the public press that the old letter
carrier whom they have known during
a lifetime, and who has become sup
erannuated, Is forced out Of the SER
vice without consideration or reward
after giving all the productive years
of his life to the public service. We
firmly believe that when the people
are made aware Of these conditions
there will be demand made for
speedy remedy by congress.
The publicity campaign which has
been going on for the past two years
should be pushed with unremitting
vigor and determination during the
H. r. A. -
plans followed by branches OF our
association tn securing favorable en-
dorsements by civic, trade, labor, fra
ternal and social organizations for en-
actmant of q law for retirement Of let
ployes, We submit the following sug-
gestions:
A committee should be appointed by
the officers Of each branch Of the N.
A. l.. G.. to wait on the editors Of the
local newspapers and explain the con-
ditions under which postal employees
labor, and try to induce them to print
a coupon to be used by the public in
petitioning their representatives in
congress to favor the enactment Of q
Just and equitable retirement law. An
effort should also be made to have
the editor write an editorial drawing
the attention Of the public to the
necessity for the enactment Of such
a law in the interest of efficiency IN
the postal service. We have before
us an editorial printed in the Hudson
Dispatch Of Weehawken, N. J., under
date OF May 2, 1915, which is an ideal
one to call public attention to the
fate that befalls letter carrier after
a lifet - Of service for the govern
ment. ms article draws particular
attention to an old. beloved, popular
letter carrier whom every man, wom-
an and child in the city Of Hoboken,
N. J., knows. 1t Is reproduced here,
as we believe that 1t is not only time
ly, but will do much good in focusing
public attention on the need OF re-
tirement law:
Pension the Postn,en.
It is generally admitted that there
is no harder worked body OF public
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