The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-10
COMMITTEE HEARS
MAIL CLERKS WOES
Many Have to Work After
Hours to Make Ends Meet,
They Say.

Congressional Joint committee
which is on a countrywide tour held
two sessions at the Hotel Pennsylvania
yesterday to hear the pleas Of postal
clerks mechanics, chauneurs, printers,
supervisors. superintendents. railway
and special clerks for more pay.
After several hours of testimony in
which the clerks tried TO recall whether
II was twenty or thirty years since
they had a raise, and after testimony
from many of them that they were
forced to take outside jobs to make
both ends meet. the committee called
a halt The only indication Of postal
service reform came from Senator
Mcclellan of Tennessee. the vice-chair-
man. who expressed the hope that u
postal retirement bill would be passed
at this session.
AS II was the only ray to shine during
the afternoon of questioning the remark
was cheered The questioning whether
substitute postal clerks would be al
lowed to fill out questionnaires giving
Information to the committee, was con-
sidered in executive session, and then II
was announced that nothing more would
be done in this city. Boston is the next
stop. The committee, headed by Sena-
tor John II. Bankhead of Alabama
toured the city substations before leav-
ing.
schedule OF living expenses was sub
United by Peter J. Vandernoot, president
Of the Letter Carriers Association Of
New York, which showed a deficit of
about $500 between income and expense.
, The average pay is s1,o45 and the
maximum $1,000, he said. but 1t costs
$l,647 to live. The depressing effect Of
Government wages in the postal service
has cut the waiting list In two years
from 1000 to twenty-eight. he said.
G. p. Francis. for the New York Post
ONCE Clerks Association, urged a mini
mum salary for postal clerks of $500
and a maximum of $4,000, with grades
for special clerks bringing salaries OF
$2.4Oo and $4,000. A postal clerk has
to memorize 5000 facts in his work at
every post office, he said, and It fire.
quently happens that as soon as the
clerk has learned the 5000 salient points
or the business in one Office he is shifted
to another, For the ordinary business
clerk must study two hours extra a
day to keep up to date on railroad con-
nections and other matters.
He declared that the congestion of
mails In large cities was unnecessary.
Several Of the witnesses said they had
, to go outside to earn the difference be-
tween their salaries and their family
living costs. Francis T. Bent of Buffalo
said he put In his spare hours max ng
special deliveries. c. b. ingalls,, repre-
senting the Upstate Letter Carriers
Association, said he had been in postal
service for thirty years and had never
4 been out Of debt. A. B. Dewey, a post
master of Tully, N. Y. testified that
he was allowed $3.50 for clerk hire and
actually had to pay 1920. Other post
masters said they ran their offices at n
personal loss.
Chairman Bankhead paused from the
i questioning long enough to praise the
Tompkins Square post office. which he
thought was the best managed in the
city. Stephen Baldwin, the superin-
! tendent Of this office testified that his
Office does a $2,0o0,O00 business a year
| and that his salary is $4,000 He has
not received a salary increase since
1898, and he has been in postal service
I forty-two years. Samuel Borowitz, a
postal clerk. said he did paper hanging
during off hours to support his wife and
two children.
The discomfort of the railway mail
clerks was voiced by ]. F.. Bennett, who
said that from July, 1917. to July, 1918,
more than 20 per cent. of the men en-
ployed in the railway service had re-
/ signed, and there are now no civil SER
vice lists from which to draw new men.
He recommended a salary grading up to
$4,000. The railway clerks now get
$1,000.
The postal printers put in a plea for
$44 a week salary, the chauffeurs said
they wanted $500 to $4,000 and the
mechanics asked for a minimum OF
| $4,000. The cause OF the supervisory
officials was set forth by ]. J. McNa.
mara, assistant superintendent of mails
at Syracuse, and Peter A. McGurty.I as.
sistant superintendent of mail delivery
in this city. Mr.. McGurty said that sal.
aries for supervisory employees were
hxed in 1889 and have not been changed
| A number of the clerks said they
could find 1t more profitable to become
window cleaners or milk wagon drivers
At the end of the hearing Senator, Nc
kellar said he would recommend I'm.
+, provements IN some OF the post Office
4 buildings in the city.