Evening star., 1920-07-01
C[ERKSARE TOLD
TO SHOW WORTH
TO RETAIN Jobs
Responsibility for Demotion
of Special Postal Employees
Rests Upon Selves.

Responsibility as to whether spe- |
cial postal clerks shall be retained
in that grade or reduced to regular
clerkships rests absolutely upon |
themselves" according to orders to |
postmasters made public today by |
]. c. Rooms, first assistant postmas- |
ter general,
"Employes now designated as Spe- !
cial clerks, in order to be continued |
with this designation, must be actual
ly assigned to scheme Distribution !
including the distribution of mail to
pouches, from July l." declares the
order regarding reclassifcation of
employees above the regular grades
1t is believed by postal employees
that this order will cause much CON
fusion in first-class post ohces
throughout the country. where the
special clerks. in many instances,
have not actually worked at the
cases" in distributing letters.
Not Intended as Cut.
This action is not for the purpose
of decreasing the number of such
clerks" Mr.. koons continues. Every
| employe who is now designated as
| special clerk should be given an op-
! portunity, if he SO desires, to quail1y
| for the position of special clerk OF
! to distribution work and given an
| opportunity to put up the necessary
! examinations
| No person will be retained in the
grade of special clerk if relieved OF
distribution work. the department de-
clares. In many first class post offices
! Throughout the country the special
! clerks. on account of their ability.
have largely been relieved of case
| work.
"1f any special clerk. through his
| Iunwillingness to accept assignment as
distributor, is assigned to a regular
clerkship at S1,S00, in accordance with
the foregoing instructions, the de-
partment will consider the promotion
of a senior grade clerk assigned to
distributing work and who has quail
fed during the preceding year in not
less than two separate examinations
for total of not less than 1,500 cards.
Distributors Preferred.
1.-The special clerks at $1,000 take
the place of special clerks assigned to
regular clerkships. These newly ap-
pointed special clerks at $1,000 will
be eligible for promotion to the $4,000
grade after one year of service in the
$1,000 grade.
The department has repeatedly
urged for years that the position of
special clerk be given to distributors,
as this grade was established for the
purpose of recognizing the diStribut-
ors who had reached the $1,000 grade
land were experts in their work. The
expert distributors are the backbone
| of the serviceS
| Postmasters are urged "to exer-
| else patience" and not to press the
department unnecessarily for advice,
as large amount of work will be
necessary in order to readjust the
salaries under the reclassification.
operative today.
Ruling on Stenographers.
"Postmasters who do not receive
approval of changes under reclassi-
fication in time for the first payments
should continue to pay their en-
ployes at their present rates until
further advised" says the order
Necessary adjustments can be made
afterward, to be effective from July
1, 192O.'
The department has discontinued
the designation of "stenographers."
Any such employees now receiving
salaries equal to any of the six
grades of regular clerks and carriers
under the present classification are to
be transferred to positions as clerks
under the new classification.