CHAPTER XVII. SPECIAL DELIVERY MESSENGERS.

 Chance for Boys from Thirteen Years of Age to

Enter Post Office Service.

 

The Postmaster General may, in his discretion¹, require the delivery of special delivery matter to be made entirely² by special messengers. In New York City, however, this is done solely³ by employes in the service. At free delivery offices postmasters will, from time to time, employ as many messengers as in their judgment⁴ may be necessary to secure prompt delivery of special matter. None but trustworthy boys over 13 years of age should be employed. The force of special delivery messengers in each office should be so arranged that a suitable number may always be on hand to secure immediate⁵ delivery of all special delivery matter at any time within the prescribed hour of the day.

Each messenger, before entering upon his duties, must take the oath prescribed by law on the blank furnished. Substitute letter carriers, when not on duty in place of regular carriers, may be employed as messengers in the special delivery service, and receive[151] the same compensation as other messengers; but such employment must not interfere⁶ with the work of the post office or free delivery.

Where delivery of special delivery matter can not be promptly⁷ made by regular special delivery messengers, postmasters may cause such delivery to be made by any regular clerk or employe, who will be allowed the same compensation, and be paid and give receipt therefore in the same manner as regular messengers.

Any person employed to make immediate delivery of letters or other mail matter, shall be deemed an employee of the Postal⁸ Service, whether he may have been sworn or not, or temporarily or permanently⁹ employed, and as such employee shall be liable to any penalties or punishments provided by law for the improper¹⁰ detention¹¹, delay, secretion¹², rifling, embezzlement¹³, purloining¹⁴ or destruction of any letter or other article of mail matter, or the contents thereof, intrusted to him for delivery or placed in his custody¹⁵.

Combinations or arrangements between special delivery messengers with a view to securing a division of the total permissible¹⁶ compensation of the month are forbidden; and postmasters should, by distribution of work and assignment of hours of duty, equalize as far as practicable the compensation of messengers. A messenger should not always be assigned to duty during[152] the same periods of each day; but changes will be made from time to time, whereby a messenger employed during the busy hours of one day may be assigned to the duller hours of another day.

Orderly conduct of special delivery messengers while in the office and on their trips is strictly¹⁷ enforced; and no messenger will be retained who is not diligent¹⁸ and well-behaved. A special place is provided in the post office for the accommodation of the messengers, and it is so arranged as to prevent their access to other parts of the office, and to mail matter other than that in which they are immediately concerned.

Special delivery messengers need not be uniformed, except in such special cases as may be ordered, but they should all be decently and comfortably clad. Substitute letter-carriers, when employed as messengers for special delivery, may wear their carrier uniforms.

Messengers are paid at the rate of not exceeding eight cents for each piece delivered, or attempted to be delivered.

Each messenger is furnished with a delivery book, in which must be entered the number and address of each piece of matter received for delivery, the date and hour of its receipt by the messenger, and the amount of postage due thereon. The receipt of the person to whom any special delivery matter is delivered[153] must be taken in the blank space provided for this purpose in the delivery book. Delivery books will be kept in the post office when not in use, and messengers must promptly return them to the office after every tour. Whenever for any cause a book is no longer used, it will be filed in the post office.

1 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

2 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

3 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

4 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

7 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

8 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

9 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

10 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

11 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

12 secretion   

n.分泌

参考例句：

• Is there much secretion from your eyes?你眼里的分泌物多吗？
• In addition,excessive secretion of oil,water scarcity are also major factors.除此之外，油脂分泌过盛、缺水也都是主要因素。

13 embezzlement   

n.盗用，贪污

参考例句：

• He was accused of graft and embezzlement and was chained and thrown into prison.他因被指控贪污盗窃而锒铛入狱。
• The judge sent him to prison for embezzlement of funds.法官因他盗用公款将其送入监牢。

14 purloining   

v.偷窃( purloin的现在分词 )

参考例句：

15 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

16 permissible   

adj.可允许的，许可的

参考例句：

• Is smoking permissible in the theatre?在剧院里允许吸烟吗？
• Delay is not permissible,even for a single day.不得延误，即使一日亦不可。

17 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

18 diligent   

adj.勤勉的，勤奋的

参考例句：

• He is the more diligent of the two boys.他是这两个男孩中较用功的一个。
• She is diligent and keeps herself busy all the time.她真勤快，一会儿也不闲着。