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Show MORE 111 CLERKS KILLED THAU USUAL Government Reports Show 1909 an Unlucky Year for Railway Rail-way Postal Men. Transportation of the malls by railways, rail-ways, steamship lines and various star routes cost the government, during tho fiscal year ended June 30. 1909. ?83.-493,762, ?83.-493,762, an Increase of $2,350,553 from the cost In 1908. These are the figures given In tho annual an-nual report of Joseph ' Stewart, second assistant postmaster general. The number num-ber of railroad routes employed by the department was 3316, aggregating 217,-115 217,-115 miles. The total expense of the railway rail-way service for the year was 4 15,054, 54S an Increase of 162,4io. For the fiscal year of 1911 It is estimated that the expenditures ex-penditures for railroad transportation will bo 4G.620.000. The result of tho readjustment of pay for railroad transportation effective July 1, 1909, for the ensuing four years, based upon the weighing of tho malls, shows a decrease of $194,360.81, or 5.08 per cent; and for railway postofflce car pay a decrease of 33,195.97, or 0.29 percent. per-cent. It has developed that electric street railway companies In some cities demand extortionate rates for carrying the malls. Concerning this situation, Mr. Stewart says: "In view of the TJemands made by electric car companies for higher rates for service in the large cities cit-ies It Is found desirable In some casc3 to substitute motor wagon service for the electric car service." As the . appropriation made by congress con-gress for railway mall service cannot be used for motor wagon service, It Is recommended rec-ommended that S100.000 bo appropriated for the motor wagon service. It Is shown by the report that automobiles are displacing, dis-placing, to an extent, not only the street cars but horse drawn vehicles as means for the transportation of malls In cities. It Is shown by the report that "on June 30. 1909, there were 16S full railway postofflce lines, manned by 1651 crews of 8063 clerks (Including 75 acting clerks); of these there were 139 full railway rail-way postofflce lines having apartment car service manned by 905 crews of 1307 clerks. There were also 1374 apartment railway postoffice lines manned by 3991 crews o"f 6163 clerks (Including 69 acting clerks): 21 electric car lines with 19 crcv.'s of 21 clerks; 55 steamboat lines with 92 crews of 92 clerks (Including 24 acting clerks); making a total of 1757 lines of all kinds, manned by 14,616 clerks. In addition, there were 4 officials, 129 chief clerks, 755 transfer clerks employed In handling the malls at Important junction junc-tion points, and 466 clerks detailed to clerical duty in the various offices of the service. The total number of officers and employees em-ployees was therefore 16,041, an Increase during the year of 749. There were 354 railroad accidents during dur-ing the year In which postal clerks wero either killed or Injured or In which mall matter was lost or damaged. ' Thirteen clerks. 1 substitute and 1 mall weigher were killed, 93 seriously Injured and 403 slightly Injured. The number of fatal accidents Is larger and the number of others Is smaller this year than last. Recommendations are made that railway rail-way postal employees be given thirty days' annual leave and sixty days'' sick leave; that railway postal clerks be retired re-tired by the government when physically Incapacitated; and that a railway postal clerk Injured In the line of duty be granted leave, not- exceeding twelve additional ad-ditional months with pay at 50 per cent of his regular salary. |