Improved condition of Officials.
I received the following striking indications as to the amount of relief afforded within the last eleven years to Post Office officials:—
“September 10th, 1849.—Having occasion to refer to some papers connected with the Liverpool office of the year 1838, I find it stated that, after a proposed increase of force, the clerks would be engaged from ten to twelve hours a day, besides occasional night-work; also that none of the letter-carriers would walk less than twenty miles a day, Sundays included. Such a state of things would now be viewed as monstrous.”
Source of Dishonesty.
It has often been alleged that dishonesty in Post Office servants arises from insufficiency in their salaries. A better explanation would be found in the fact that under a system of patronage[94] men are too often admitted into the service without sufficient inquiry as to character, and are retained there after their conduct has furnished such ground for suspicion as would lead to their being discarded from any well-conducted private establishment. And here it should be pointed out that the evils inherent in the system are often greatly aggravated by injudicious interference from the public, who regard such dismissals as a punishment which ought not to be inflicted without formal proof of some positive offence.
“February 11th, 1850.—Some months ago I caused ——, an Inland Office clerk, employed at the Charing Cross office in money-order business as extra clerk, to be removed therefrom under circumstances which raised a strong suspicion against his honesty. As there was no absolute proof of fraud, the proceeding was viewed as a harsh one, and the man was still continued as an Inland Office clerk, and very imprudently employed in the registration duties. He has now been detected in stealing five or six remittances from the deputy post-masters, amounting in all to about £200.”
A Worthy Promotion.
I had the misfortune in this period to lose one of my best officers; but happily my loss was his gain.
“December 31st, 1850.—To-morrow Godby succeeds to the vacant appointment of chief clerk in Colonel Maberly’s office. I shall be sorry to lose him from the Money Order Department, but it would have been the height of injustice to oppose his promotion.”
My Son’s Appointment.