Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29
July / is ANNIVERSARY
OF FREE MAIL DELIVERY
Act of Congress July l, 1868, Followed
Tryout of Plan by Clerk in
Cleveland Post Office.


paid at the rate of SIS cents an hour
When carrier Is placed on the regu-
lar roll he. receives a salary of $l,7o0
year, plus credit for substitute Serv-
ice and his pay Is increased 500 a.
year automatically until he is paid
$2,100. The promotions are made on
evidence satisfactory to the Post once
Department of the efficiency and faith
fulness of the carrier during the year
previous to the time his record comes
before the postal offlcials.
Carriers Buy Own Uniforms.
The Postmaster General prescribes
the uniform dress to be worn by letter
carriers. Uniforms must be furnished
at the expense Of the carriers. Cadet
gray is the color for uniforms through
out the United States. A military cap
of the same color Is worn.
The schedules of carriers are so ar
ranged as to require about eight hours
service every day and not more than AZ
hours a week. The number Of deliveries
and collections and the schedules of
the carriers are arranged with reference
to the arrival and departure of mails
and the volume of the mail. AS rule.
except in the congested business CEN
tiers of the largest cities, not more than
four deliveries daily are made and two
conducted by the department has re-
suited in the curtailment of deliveries
in both business and residential dis
trictS, without cutting off the facilities
to the patrons, but. on the other hand,
affordng better service to vast major
ity at less expense to the Government.
ReceptacIes for Mail.
To-day, nnder the regulations of the
department, each home, apartment and
business house Is equipped with proper
receptacle in which the carrier may de-
posit mail. Through this means he
facilitates his work. and the change has
proved an advantage to every one con-
cerned. Where office buildings are pro-
vided with elevators, deliveries are made
by the carriers to the tenants on all
floors, but where there are no elevators
the carriers are not required to make
deliveries above the second floor. In
apartment houses receptacleS for mail
are installed in Hobbies or other places
easily accessible to the carrier. He is
not permitted to deliver mail to indi-
viduM tenants except in the case Of
registered, c. o. D. and special delivery
mail.
Not more than so pounds a trip is
carried by postmen in their big leather
bags. No packages weighing more than
pounds or In size larger than the
average shoe box are delivered by the
postman on foot Before the advent of
the parcel post system the carrier was
compelled to load his pack with all sorts
and sizes OF packages. Now many pack
ages are delivered by special carriers in
motor trucks.
Vacation and Holidays.
The Government treats its carrier
force with every consideration. In adj
dition to is days annual leave the post
man is excused from work on all ma
tional holidays, wherever possible. and
when required to work then, or on a
Sunday, he is given compensatory time
off later.
The retiring age Of carrier is fixed
at IS years. He is permitted under the
law, however, to apply for one or more
extensions of two years each. On Au-
gust 20, 1880, however, all carriers who
have had two or more extensions will be
retired. After Is years
service carriers receive $500 year as
retired pay, while for so years service
ne is paid 81 900 year by the Govern
ment after his separation from the serv-
ice. This Is based on his average salary
Ior the last 10 yearS of service, not ex-
ceeding 1880 a year.
There has always been some doubt
In the public mind as to whether or
not there are any women employed
as carriers. Search of the records of
the department fail to disclose the
names OF any woman regular city car
riers on the rolls. However. during
The World War, when hundreds of let
Ter carriers answered the call to the
colors. women were employed. especial
~ In large industrial and manufac-
turing centers engaged in turning out
and other supplies.
AT Williamson, NJ c., Fairchance
ana Gallitzen, Pa, and Osborne, Kans..
women are employed as village car
'lers and perform practically the same
'ort OF service as the mail carriers in
me large cities. Women could hardly
be expected to carry a pack weighing
~ pounds on any of the city routes.
Maintains Honor Roll.
The Post ONCE Department for the
asG Few years has maintained an |
honor roll, on which are inscribed the
names Of those carriers who have per-
'ormed unusual or hazardous service |
n behalf of the Government and In |
protecting the mails intrusted to their |
are. --0'>'>' '--e4
Service stars are worn by carriers.
he color depending upon the length |
y time they have been EMPLOYED |
FOR f1ve years service one black silk
Tar is worn on the sleeve of the post |
nan; Tor 10 years, two black stars: Is |
ears one red star; 20 years, two red |
tars; Is years, one silver star; 30 wears. |
wo silver stars; IS years, one gold star:
% years. two gold stars, and IS years,
hree gold stars.
The marine postal service on the
33etroit River carried on by carriers is
ne only service Of its kind In the
world. AT the suggestion of Postnaas-
er Enrtght Of Detroit this postal ma
me service was inaugurated as an ex-
'erment during the season of 1895 and
n order to afford the merchant marine
4 the Great Lakes convenience and tn
ave the masters and crews of passing
'esSels postal facilities which they had
iot been receiving without paying fees
O. private enterprise.