Evening journal., 1919-07-18
POSTAL clerks ARE
AFTER PAY INCREASE.
Work With With National Association
to Get Congress to
Raise Salaries
SALARIES RANGE FROM
$1,000 TO ST, 500 YEARLY

Postoflce clerks in Delaware oflces
are expectant OF having their salaries
raised by Congress.
They are working In concert with the
United National Association Of Post
Office Clerks, which organization has
prepared comparative salary statistics
TO present TO the congressional COM
mission. The period covered is from
1907 to 1919.
Figures show salaries OF postofice
clerks lrere TO be woefuly inadequate
the clerks say. Amazing conditions are
shown to exist in all divisions Of the
Postoflce Department, as compared
with wages paid in other occupations.
Unbelievable as IL may seem the gov
ernment. the employees point out dur
lng the years OF increasing prices, from
1907 10 1914 and during the world war,
from 1914 TO 1918. did not increase the
wages Of its postal employees. This,
notwithstanding the entire economic
structure Of the world seemed 10 be
revOlutionized. and the cost OF neces-
stiles doubled and trebled
Delaware's postal employees believe,
with their thousands OF fellow en-
ployes, they are entitled 10 a living
wage. Salaries range today from $1,000
10 $500 yearly. lt Is only recently,
since Congress appointed a commission
10 investigate the needs OF the men.
that the increased stipend has been
effective. 10 became operative on July
1. pending congressional action on the
request for additional pay.
- al GfnH- nd
little. In promoting, producing. selling.
advertising, distribution, buying, n
nsncing-no matter what phase Of in
dustrial sctivlty-the postal service Is
70 such business, analagously speaking,
what the arteries and blood vessels.
carrying energy, life and food. are %
the human body, lt is contended. n the
system Is clogged the human body be-
comes anaemic. Clog or reduce the f
flciency OF the postal service or ihe
employees and resulting business an
aemia will lead inevitably 10 disaster,
bankruptcy and stagnatlon Of business
interests, the leaders argue.
THE average person Is unaware that
70 requires five years Of training and
study 10 make a good, efficient postal
clerk" one man said yesterday. They
must memorize 5000 or 6OOO facts. must
have more than a smattering OF the
postal laws and regulations. embracing
volume with twelve titles or pacts
and over ZOO sections. and must also
be conversant with the conversion Of
money. foreign exchange. insurance
rates. adjustment Of claims, banking
processes. the computation Of interest
and manifold other things. Railroad and
steamship routes must be memorized,
as we'll as the geographical location
and the distance from point TO point OF
cities in the United States and the IS
land possessions OF the country. tha.
direct shipment may be made OF the
mails"
Comment ls made by the Association
OF Postal Employees In its request TO
for more pay that 10 has been
found that common laborers. with no
mental effort required, receive higher
compensation than the average postal
employe. In fact. the figures show
that even the poorest paid skilled la
borers get an average Of twenty cents
an hour more than do postal employees
Payment Of salaries TO the postal enl-