rapidly as practicable, provided they are found to possess the business capacity necessary for the proper discharge of the duties of the offices to which they may be transferred.

Reinstate

ment.

ered within one

Sec. 1546. Ex-railway postal clerks who were separated from the service without delinquency or misconduct or against whom no charges were pending and whose records were good-free from all objectionable features and who had evinced a disposition to readily comply with all instructions of the department-may be considered for reinstatement within one year, at the -to be considdiscretion of appointing officer. Reinstatement may be year. made only within the successive promotion limit of classes A, B, or C, and at a salary not exceeding that which the applicant received at the time of separation from the service, if he possess all the necessary qualifications to warrant such salary on the run to which it is proposed to assign him; otherwise reinstatement shall be made at such salary, within the above stated limitations, as his qualifications warrant.

charged soldiers

Civil or Spanish

War

2. The limitation upon the period of eligibility for rein--honorably disstatement does not operate against honorably discharged and sailors of soldiers and sailors of the Civil or Spanish-American American War, provided they are found to possess the business capacity necessary for the proper discharge of the duties required.

excepted.

-how tendered.

Sec. 1547. Resignations shall be sent to the Post Resignations. Office Department through the division superintendent, and as long prior to the date on which they are intended to take effect as possible. Clerks transferred to another branch of the service shall submit resignation from the Railway Mail Service.

Sec. 1548. Railway postal clerks shall give bond to the United States, with good and approved security, in the sum of $1,000 each, drawn in accordance with the form prescribed by the department. Each clerk shall pay the premium chargeable to himself promptly when due. Bonds shall be filed with the Second Assistant Postmaster General.

Railway postal clerks' bonds.

NOTE. This will not apply to railway postal clerks who are assigned Note. to clerical duties in which they do not have access to registered mail. See sec. 78, as to renewal of bonds.

Classification of railway post offices.

1912, Aug. 24,

Sec. 1549. The Postmaster General shall classify and fix the salaries of railway postal clerks, under such regulations as he may prescribe, in the grades provided by law; and for the purpose of organiza- § 7; 37 Stat., 555. tion and of establishing maximum grades to which promotions may be

made successively as hereinafter provided, he shall classify railway post offices, terminal railway post offices, and transfer offices with reference to their character and importance in three classes, with salary grades as follows: Class A, nine hundred dollars to one thousand two hundred dollars; class B, nine hundred dollars to one thousand three hundred dollars; and class C, nine hundred dollars to one thousand five Assignment of hundred dollars. He may assign to the offices of division superintendents and chief clerks such railway postal clerks as may be necessary and fix their salaries within the grades provided by law without regard to the classification of railway post offices.

clerks to offices.

Successive promotions.

meritorious serv

ice.

After September thirtieth, nineteen hundred and twelve, clerks in class A shall be promoted successively to grade three, clerks in class B shall be promoted successively to grade four, and clerks in class C shall be promoted successively to grade five, at the beginning of the quarter following the expiration of a year's satisfactory service in the next lower Promotions for grade. Promotions above these grades within the maximum grades of the classification may be made in the discretion of the Postmaster General for meritorious service. No promotion shall be made except upon evidence satisfactory to the Post Office Department of the efficiency and faithfulness of the employee during the preceding year. A clerk of any grade of any classification of railway post offices, terminal railway post offices, transfer offices, or in the office of a division superintendent or chief clerk, may be transferred and assigned to any classification of railway post offices, terminal railway post offices, transfer offices, or to an office of a division superintendent or chief clerk under such regulations as the Postmaster General may deem proper.

Transfers.

Clerks in charge. -promotion.

-failure to secure promotion.

Promotion to position of clerk in charge.

Clerks assigned as clerks in charge of crews consisting of more than one clerk shall be clerks of grades five to ten, inclusive, and may be promoted one grade only after three years' continuous, satisfactory, and faithful service in such capacity.

A clerk who fails of promotion because of unsatisfactory service may be promoted at the beginning of the second quarter thereafter or any subsequent quarter for satisfactory and faithful service during the intervening period.

Clerks in the highest grade in their respective lines or other assignments shall be eligible for promotion to positions of clerks in charge in said lines or corresponding positions in other assignments, and clerks assigned as assistant chief clerks and clerks in charge of crews consisting of more than one clerk, either assigned to the line, the transfer service, or to a terminal railway post office, and clerks in the highest grades in offices of division superintendents in their respective divisions, shall, after two years of continuous service in such capacity, be eligible for -to position of promotion to positions of chief clerks in said division for satisfactory, chief clerk.

Restoration of clerk reduced.

No clerk advanced more than one grade.

efficient, and faithful service during the preceding two-year period, under such regulations as the Postmaster General shall prescribe. Whenever a clerk shall have been reduced in salary for any cause he may be restored to his former grade or advanced to an intermediate grade at the beginning of any quarter following the reduction, for satisfactory and faithful service during the intervening period.

In filling positions below that of chief clerk no clerk shall be advanced more than one grade in a period of a year.

2. Factors in determining the efficiency and faithfulness of a clerk are readiness and willingness in the performance of duty; capability, as shown by amount and accuracy of work done; familiarity with and observance of rules and regulations; regularity in keeping up runs; and knowledge of distribution and connections.

Factors deter

mining efficiency,

etc.

promotion.

3. Eligibility for promotion under the foregoing para- Eligibility for graphs shall in addition to conditions imposed be established by a satisfactory case examination record on a study requirement. A clerk must have passed on that portion-clerk. of his examination requirement allotted to the year next preceding promotion period with a standing of 95 per cent or better, but he will not be deemed delinquent on a new study requirement for 90 days. His record must also meet requirements of the efficiency system.

4. Eligibility for promotion to clerk in charge shall in--clerk in charge. clude all requirements of paragraphs 2 and 3 of this section, and the clerk must be especially adapted to the assignment and competent to direct a crew to the best advantage.

5. Eligibility for promotion to the position of chief-chief clerk. clerk will be based upon the following factors: Experience, record, efficiency, faithfulness, adaptability, impartiality, and capacity as a supervisory officer.

duties.

Sec. 1550. The General Superintendent may assign Chief clerks, chief clerks of Railway Mail Service at such points as he may deem advisable, and place them in charge of one or more lines or offices constituting a district. Orders from a chief clerk to clerks under his charge shall be obeyed as though emanating from the division superintendent.

2. There may be assigned to the office of a chief clerk one clerk to be known as the assistant chief clerk and such additional clerks as may be found necessary.

3. Chief clerks shall see that clerks under their charge perform all duties required of them promptly and thoroughly, that schemes and Book of Instructions furnished are kept corrected, and that all orders from the department and division superintendent are promptly executed. All irregularities, insubordination, inefficiency, and lax morality coming to their attention shall be reported to the division superintendent. They will examine mailing clerks in post offices of the first and second classes where there are no superintendents of mails and

Terminal railway post offices.

Clerks

on

steamboat lines.

Assignment of

clerks.

-emergency.

Emergency assignments.

written order.

cepted as author

perform such other duties as may be specifically delegated to them.

Sec. 1551. Terminal railway post offices may be established at points where mails can be advantageously distributed or combined. The force at a terminal railway post office may include the transfer clerks employed to supervise the handling of the mails or to transfer registered matter, and such other clerks as may be necessary. Sec. 1552. Railway postal clerks on steamboat lines (except joint employees) shall be of such grades as the classification of run to which they may be assigned and the promotion requirements warrant.

Sec. 1553. All assignments of railway postal clerks to duty upon lines and in offices shall be made by the General Superintendent.

2. When emergencies arise, division superintendents may make any assignment of clerks in their respective divisions which will be for the benefit of the service; but such assignments shall not be for a longer period than 30 consecutive days, and shall be promptly reported to the General Superintendent.

Sec. 1554. When the necessities of the service require the temporary assignment of an extra railway postal -to be made by clerk to a crew, the order of assignment must, when possible, be in writing, and shall be presented to the clerk in charge of the railway post office to which the clerk is order to be ac- assigned. This order shall be accepted as authority to ity to assign clerk admit the clerk to the car and assign him to duty. When telegraphic or it is impossible to give a written order, an order by telebe accepted, graph, or telephone, or an oral one shall be accepted. Runs not to be Sec. 1555. Division superintendents shall not extend extensions the runs of clerks over extensions of railroads, or place them upon new lines, without authority from the General Superintendent.

to duty.

oral order must

when.

extended.

-on

or new lines.

Uniform.

1879, Mar. 3; 20

Stat., 357.

Badge.

-where worn.

Sec. 1556. (Railway) postal clerks

to wear uniform other than a cap or badge.

shall not be required

2. The railway postal clerk's badge shall be in such form as may be prescribed by the Postmaster General. 3. Every railway postal clerk, except those assigned to clerical duty in offices of superintendents and chief clerks, must wear this badge on the outside of the outer garment, over the left breast, during the entire time he is on duty.

4. Clerks shall keep their badges in good condition and -care. turn them in with other Government property when leaving the service. A record of all badges, with the-record. names of the clerks holding them, shall be kept by each division superintendent.

Residence of

1895, Feb. 28,

691.

Sec. 1557. All clerks appointed to the Railway Mail Service and to perform duty on railway post offices shall reside at some point on the Postal clerks. route to which they are assigned; but railway postal clerks appointed ch. 140; 28 Stat., prior to February twenty-eighth, eighteen hundred and ninety-five, and now performing such duty shall not be required to change their residences, except when transferred to another line.

1912, Aug. 24, §7; 37 Stat., 556. -to be on route. -exception.

Sec. 1558. The Postmaster General may withhold pro-discipline for. motion from, suspend, reduce, or remove any railway postal clerk for dereliction of duty or misconduct.

2. Violations of the regulations by, or misconduct of, reports. railway postal clerks shall be reported to the division superintendent, who will if necessary transmit such report, with his recommendation thereon, to the General Superintendent.

3. Whenever a clerk commits an offense of such a serious. serious character as seems to warrant immediate removal, the division superintendent may temporarily suspend him and submit the case to the General Superintendent.

approval of.

4. Superintendents shall not suspend clerks, except in Suspensions, cases referred to, without the approval of the General Superintendent.

II. ABSENCES FROM DUTY, LEAVES, ETC.

Annual vaca

Sec. 1559. The Postmaster General may allow railway postal tion. clerks whose duties require them to work six days or more per week, fifty-two weeks per year, an annual vacation of fifteen days, with pay.

2. Leaves of absence for 15 days will be granted to all railway postal clerks who run 6 days or more per week, 52 weeks per year, with the following exceptions:

(a) Clerks who have not been assigned to a run entitling them to the benefits of this section at least one year preceding the application for leave.

(b) Clerks who run daily for their own convenience, as where they elect to run one way over a line which might be doubled and thus give the clerk every other day off. (c) Clerks employed jointly by the Post Office Department and railroad, steamboat, or express companies. 3. Sundays and holidays will not be counted in vacation leaves of absence.

1901, Mar. 3; 31 Stat., 1105.

-when granted.

-exceptions.