Since that time the employment of women in the public service has become general, and they may now be found in all the Departments, in post offices and as mail carriers on the post roads of the United States. The most recent register of employees in the Post Office Department shows that it had upon its pay rolls for the Department proper, sixty-two women receiving $1,200 per annum, thirty-two at $1,400 per annum, ten at $1,600 per annum, three at $1,800, forty-three at $1,000 per annum, besides many more at lesser salaries. The act of General Spinner in opening the door of the public service to women doubtless had its general effect in private employment as well, for from the close of the Civil War the entrance of women into the business relations of the country may be safely dated. Many of the women in the Departments occupy positions of responsibility and importance, and fill such positions with credit to themselves and the service as well. Railroad Accidents and the Construction of Mail Cars There were 163 railroad accidents during the fiscal year, 1916, of which 155 resulted in injuries to clerks, and eight, exclusive of those in which clerks were injured, resulted in loss or damage to mail. The following table shows the kind and construction of the mail cars in which accidents to clerks occurred: -----------+----------+-------+---------+----------+---------+--------- Kind of car| Number | Number| Clerks | Clerks | Clerks | Total | of cars | of | killed | seriously| slightly| clerks | in | clerks| or died | injured | injured | injured | accidents| in | as | in these | in these| and | | these | result | cars | cars | killed | | cars | of | | | in these | | | injuries| | | cars -----------+----------+-------+---------+----------+---------+--------- Wood | 57 | 76 | 1 | 18 | 42 | 61 Wood-steel | | | | | | reenforced| 18 | 25 | | 12 | 9 | 21 Steel | 67 | 258 | 1 | 28 | 86 | 115 Steel | | | | | | underframe| 22 | 57 | | 9 | 21 | 30 +----------+-------+---------+----------+---------+--------- Total | 164 | 416 | 2 | 67 | 158 | 227 -----------+----------+-------+---------+----------+---------+--------- Public Ownership of Postal Telegraphs and Telephones Opinion of Postmaster General Burleson Postmaster General Burleson, in his annual report to Congress for 1916, made the following statement regarding Postal Telegraphs and Telephones: