A survey of the post-office quickly illustrates the fact that it could
only be successfully conducted by the agency of skilled employees,
especially trained for the work. The distribution of the mail is
dependent upon employees who certainly must closely apply themselves to
the mastery of the schemes of separation, and we should imagine that
these are rather tedious to study, for it seems to be largely a matter
of "grind" and memory taxation regarding absolutely unrelated names
and places, times of train departures, etc. It is a work to which men
must devote a good part of their lives and must have constant practice
in order to maintain speed, and the duty of standing eight hours a day
in front of a case and boxing letters by the thousand, year in and
year out, must sometimes be closely akin to drudgery. To add to the
difficulties of these men there are constant changes in the list of
post-offices, in the timetables, etc., so that a scheme of separation is
no sooner mastered than it is necessary to memorize new changes.
A department devoted to the training of the employees engaged in this
work is known as the "Examination Section," and is under the supervision
of Mr. H. S. McLean. As soon as a substitute is appointed he is sent to
this section, where he is drilled in the fundamentals, in the rules and
regulations, and in proper methods of performing the duties ordinarily
performed by new employees. Later the employees are graduated to
practical work, and are assigned certain schemes to study on which they
are examined from time to time and required to attain a certain standard
of proficiency to justify their retention and advancement in the
service. In the examinations, which continue as long as the employees
are engaged in the distribution of mail, they are tested not only as
to accuracy but as to speed, and if an employee fails to maintain the
required efficiency, demotion follows.
A feature of the work is the endeavor to impress upon the employee the
importance of his employment, the necessity for devoting to it his best
efforts and of not only maintaining but improving the standard.
The following statistics in a way show the extent of this work:
Number of regular clerks subject to examination 5,956
Approximate number of substitute clerks
subject to examinations 2,000
--------
Total 7,956
Number of examination schemes issued to regular
clerks subject to examination 10,051
Approximate number of examination schemes issued to
substitute clerks subject to examinations 2,000
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Total 12,051
Number of examinations conducted
July 1, 1921, to June 30, 1922 15,140
Number of cards handled in conducting
case examinations 12,334,812
Average case examinations, daily 50
Number of clerks instructed in post-office duties
July 1, 1921, to June 30, 1922 4,636
Average instructions, daily 16
Number of study schemes in use in Examination Section 119
which are divided into examination sections 140
Mail schedule 4
divided into examination sections 26
Number of schemes examined
July 1, 1921, to June 30, 1922 564
_Welfare Work in New York_
In the New York post-office there is a Welfare Council, which consists
of representatives elected by the clerks, carriers, laborers,
motor-vehicle employees, and supervisors. This council considers
all matters pertaining to the welfare of the employees and makes
recommendations in regard to them to the postmaster.
At the General Post-office there has been established a clinic of the
Government Health Service. This clinic is equipped with an operating
table, surgical instruments and supplies, two cots, and the other
appurtenances of a first-class dispensary. Three doctors and three
nurses are in attendance. The clinic is open throughout the twenty-four
hours with the exception of a short interval at night. Approximately
fifty patients are treated each day and without charge.
The employees also own and operate a coöperative store and cafeteria
in the general office, and among the terminals and stations there are
numerous other similar undertakings.
The employees also maintain numerous associations formed to better their
conditions. Several of these include sick benefits, insurance features,
etc. Some of these organizations are of national extent, others
are local; every station and department has its own association or
associations in addition to the major organizations of large membership.
At the newer stations well-equipped and well-lighted "swing rooms" are
provided. These are utilized by the men during their lunch periods and
by the employees who are awaiting the time to go on duty.