The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-10-31
TAFT's ADMINISTRATION HAS IN
CREASED INN ENsELY THE
WAGES OF POSTAL EN-.
PLovEs.
PERSONAL WELFARE HELPED
The increase for Employee l. Another
Splendid Achievement q Presl.
dent Taft-onle Dayss Rest In
Seven Afforded 70 Postal
WoFkora. /

tn0n $~zO,OUO,OOO have been
expended during President Taft.s adj
m~inistration In Increasing the wages
Of 100000 postal employees. Another
$~2.000.000 will be added to the salaries
Of the 1900 railway mail clerks as .
result Of the Redistribution of the
railway mail service now IN proigress.
an administration measure, provided
tor in the appropriation act, for the
current fiscal year. More money has
been given in. the promotion of the
welfare Of postal employees under the
Taft administration than under any
former administration, extending over
for or even eight years. Not OILY have
postal employees reaped the. benefit,
but the public a. well. since the postal
service ia on . selfsustaining basis
for the first time in 2s years.
It is true that the enormous postal
deficit Of ~$17.6oo.ooo with which the
administration was confronted It; its
beginning has been wiped out, but in
the face Of these figures the criticism
20 often made that this result was
accomplished at the expense Of the
employees IL absurd. That this in,
creased efficiency Of the employees
has been an important factor In put
ting the postal service on i self.sus,
tanning basis is unquestionably true,
but no one a deny that this increase
IN efficiency IL due to better wages.
shorter hours. m impartial system Of
ra<in0 afAneanoS - nhssT E.-.G-.t
tons are based. and better methods
for safeguarding the rights of en-
ployes. The only possible conclusion
that car be drawn from q comparison
Of the separations from the service
from all causes during the present
administration with the number that
occurred under former administra-
lions ID that the employees are better
treated. better disciplined, more efa-
Client, and therefore more contented.
As an illustration, the annual report
OF 1906 shows that out Of d, 1000 clerks,
$3.50. or IL per cent. voluntarily left
the service in that year. Last year
the voluntary separations from the
service amounted to about s per cent.
Out Of q total force Of $4,000 city let
ter carriers. 1919 were removed from
the service last year, OF less than ITO
Of l per cent. IN 1894 the annual re-
port shows that out Of . total force OF
l1.736 city carriers more than 400
were removed, or about 4 per cent. of
the total number.
During the present administration,
TOR the first time In the history Of the
department, the principle Of allowing
n days rest In seven, to the classi-
ned employees Of the postal service
has been recognized, and during the
last two years practically every post
Office clerk and city letter carrier has
been granted . complete day. OF, rest
on Sunday or compensatory time dur.
ing the week equal 70 tic SUNDAY
service: This Wa not .do,nlIs,fs ii the
interest Of. economy. since Il has add
cd many thousands Of dollars to the
expense Of: the department. It was s
done solely In thefinterest OF the men
and women OF the service Congress
recognized the justice Of this prin-
ciple at it, last. session BY .~enacting
. law limiting the delivery Of mail on
Sunday.
The administration has consistently
recommended to congress the advis-
ability Of extending the annual leave
period Of clerks and carriers from is
to 80 days. Notwithstanding that the
most conservative estimate Of the
cost Of such extsnsfonaSS IL $1,000 900
annually Ths president in his mes.
sage TO congress has repeatedly urged