2 EMPLOYEES OF THE POSTAL SERVICE HEARINGS BEFORE 345 SUBCOMMITTEE NO. 8 OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE POST OFFICE AND POST ROADS U.S. Congress, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON H. R. 6915 APRIL 7 AND 8, 1916 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 9.62.5/12/17 INDEFINITE LEAVES OF ABSENCE TO SUPERANNUATED SUBCOMMITTEE No. 8 OF THE COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICES AND POST ROADS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., Friday, April 7, 1916. The subcommittee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. Samuel W. Beakes (chairman), presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please come to order. Mr. Griffin has got a statement to make concerning the bill 6915, which he will please read. STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL J. GRIFFIN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK. Mr. GRIFFIN. Mr. Chairman and colleagues of subcommittee No. 8 on Post Offices and Post Roads, the purpose of the meeting this morning, as I understand it, is to hear the arguments of the gentlemen who are interested in H. R. 6915, a bill to grant indefinite leaves of absence to superannuated employees of the Postal Service. As the author of this bill, I will briefly explain its provisions. 1. It authorizes the Postmaster General to allow an indefinite leave of absence, with an allowance of $600 per annum to be paid monthly, to any person employed in the Railway Mail Service, the Rural Free Delivery Service, the City Free Delivery Service, and to post-office clerks and other employes in post offices who are in the classified civil service who become incapacitated from performing their duties through superannuation. 2. If it is found necessary to employ a substitute to fill the place of an employee who has been granted an indefinite leave of absence, the substitute shall be paid at the rate allowed for vacation work, provided, however, that such assignment shall not interfere with the promotion of the substitute to appointment to the regular force when a vacancy occurs through death or resignation, or when the force is increased and the substitute is eligible for a regular appointment by virtue of his standing on the substitute list. 3. That the Postmaster General shall have authority to establish boards of retirement to consist of not less than three members to be selected by him from among the employees of the Post Office Department and the Postal Service, whose duty it shall be to examine all applications for indefinite leaves of absence and to make recommendations based upon their findings to the Postmaster General for |