For the purpose of distributing the letters received at the New York
Post-office, the Government has organized a force of Letter Carriers, or,
as they are sometimes called, "Postmen." All letters that are addressed
to the places of business or the residences of citizens, unless such
persons are renters of boxes in the General Post-office, are turned over
to the Carriers for delivery.
The force is organized under the direction of a Superintendent, who is
appointed by and responsible to the Postmaster of the city. Applicants
for positions in the force of Letter Carriers must, as a prime necessity,
be able to command a sufficient degree of political influence to secure
their appointments. Possessing this, they make their applications in
duplicate, on blank forms supplied by the Department. The applicant must
state his age, general condition, former occupation, experience in
business, his reason for leaving his last place, and whether he has
served in the army or navy. One of these applications is laid before the
Postmaster of the city, and the other is sent to the Post-office
Department at Washington. If the applicant is successful, he is
subjected to a physical examination by the surgeon of the Department, in
order to make sure of his bodily soundness. Good eye-sight is
imperatively required of every applicant. If "passed" by the surgeon,
the applicant must then furnish two bonds in five hundred dollars each,
for the faithful performance of his duties. This done, he is enrolled as
a member of the corps of Letter Carriers, and is assigned by the
Superintendent of the force to a station.
Together with his certificate of appointment, the Superintendent hands
him an order on a certain firm of tailors for an "outfit," or uniform,
which consists of a coat, pants, vest, and cap of gray cloth, trimmed
with black braid, and with gilt buttons. The cost of this uniform is in
winter twenty-four dollars, and in summer twenty dollars. It is paid for
by the Post-office Department, and the amount deducted from the first two
months' pay of the carrier.
Upon being assigned to a station, the Carrier is required to commit to
memory the rules laid down for his guidance. His route is then marked
out for him, and he is frequently accompanied over it several times by an
older member of the force to familiarize him with it. The Superintendent
of the Station is his immediate superior. From him the Carrier receives
his orders, and to him submits his reports.
There is a "time-book" kept in each station, in which the employes are
required to enter the time of their arrival at the station in the
morning. The Carriers are also required to enter the time of their
departure on their routes, and the time of their return to the station.
Once a month this book is submitted to the inspection of the
Superintendent of the force, and any delays or other negligences that are
noted are reprimanded by him.
The Station-clerk, whose duty it is to assort the mail, is required to be
at his post at ten minutes after six o'clock in the morning. He places
each Carrier's mail in a separate box, leaving to him the arrangement of
it. The Carriers must be at the station at half-past six. They at once
proceed to arrange their mail in such a manner as will facilitate its
prompt delivery, and at half-past seven A.M., they start out on their
routes. If any of the postage on the letters to be delivered is unpaid,
it is charged by the clerk to the Carrier, who is held responsible for
its collection. Once a week the Superintendent of the Station goes over
the accounts of the Carriers, and requires them to pay over to him all
the sums charged against them.
There are nine deliveries from the stations every day. The first at
half-past seven A.M., and the last at five P.M. This entails an immense
amount of labor upon the Carriers. They are obliged to perform their
duties regardless of the weather, and are subjected to an exposure which
is very trying to them. They are very efficient, and perform their task
faithfully and promptly.
The pay of a carrier is small. By law he is entitled to $800 per annum
for the first six months. After this he is to receive $900 per annum,
and at the expiration of one year, he may, upon the recommendation of the
Superintendent of the Station, receive an additional $100 per annum; but
$1000 is the limit. It is said, however, that it is very rare for a
carrier to receive an increase of salary before the expiration of one
year. Why he is subjected to this loss, in defiance of the law, the
writer has been unable to ascertain.
Although the pay is so small, the Carrier is not allowed to enjoy it in
peace. The party in power, or rather its managers, tax him unmercifully.
From one to two per cent. of his salary is deducted for party expenses,
and he is required to contribute at least five dollars to the expenses of
every City and State election. The Postmaster of the city does not
trouble himself about this robbery of his employes, but allows it to go
on with his indirect approval, at least. General Dix has the honor of
being the only Postmaster who ever had the moral courage to protect his
subordinates from this extortion.
The Carriers have organized a benevolent association among themselves.
Upon the death of a member, each surviving member of the association
makes a contribution of two dollars to the relief fund. From this fund
the funeral expenses are paid, and the surplus is handed over to the
widow and children of the dead man.
The tenure by which the Carriers hold their positions is very uncertain.
A new Postmaster may remove any or all of them, to make way for his
political friends, and any refusal on their part to submit to the orders
or extortions of their party-managers is sure to result in a dismissal.