Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-01-20


eight hours for sleep constitute the
proper living day for man. Secretary
Redfield OF the department of com.
merce probably would not have ex'
pressed himself so freely as he has
on the eight-hour matter if he were
not sure of the sympathy OF his chef
Mr.. Redfield's Position.
At meeting OF the American Asso-
citation for Labor Legislation hello re-
Gently Secretary Redfield said:
Il believe that when our factories
are run so that the workmen go home
without being fatigued from overiong
hours. and not till then. will We be
able TO compete successfully against
all Corners in the markets OF the
world | could not afford to employ in
a factory men who are half sick. who
come to work after having had bad
breakfasts. who are partly poisoned.
They would be economically unplofit-
able. And yet fatigue is part pois ION. .
Improved conditions for labor so
far as the United States government
can bring them about without inter
fering with states rights, have been a
gradual growth. The Republicans
when they were in power did a good
deal for labor, and since the Demo
Gratis have come into power they have
shown a disposition to continue the
work of the Republicans, and in some
cases to do little better Congress
men say it is the natural growth of
favorable legislation fostered by the
spirit of progressivism of the times.
The eight-hour law which is at pres
ent on the statute books and which
forbids private contractors doing
work for the government to make
their men work more than eight hours
a day, was passed by congress only
after years of contest.
Postal Service Efficient.
A high type of efficiency Is
claimed for the United States postal
service by Uncle Sans officials,
who are. charged with the duty of rs ad-
ministration 1t is said that the single
exception Of Belgium, where the traf-
fic conditions resemble those of state
rather than those of a country" the
United States stands at the head OF
all countries in operative efficiercy
This is said on the authority of Rep
resentative Lewis of Maryland, author
of the parcel post act, who las been
digging into the subject
1t is known that Uncle Sans letter
rate OF postage Is enough to yield
SO Is per cent profit. and the postal
efficiency of this country is attained In
spite of the high prices which must
be paid for material. stamps, paper.
etc, and the much higher wages which
are paid to American postal workmen
than to those who do the same work
in Europe.
Steady increase in the Service.
Since the year 1886 not only has
the number OF pieces of mail. includ-
ing poth domestic and foreign matter,
increased gradually. but the number
OF pieces handled by each post office
employee each year has increased.
This increase has been going on while
the average handling individual bits
of mail has gone down.
From 1886 to 1912 mot only have
the units Of service more than doubled
in size. but city and rural deliveries
have been added. thus virtually dou-
bling the quantity OF the service. Thus
even if the cost per piece of mail
naturally had remained stationary 1t
would be shown clearly that the cost
actually had gone down.
The number of pieces mailed In
the year 1886 including domestic and
foreign matter was 3,474, 600. 900, while
the number of employees was 122 ,69S.
IN that year the number of mail pieces
handled by each employe per annum
was 2S,51S. The cost for the average
mail, piece. Teckoned in cents. was
LA. Eight years later. in 1894, the
number of employees had increased to
1895, and the number of pieces OF
mail had jumped to 4,919, 100000. This
resulted in the number of mail pieces
per employee per annum reaching the
figure Of 26.746. and the cost per
average mail piece becoming. in cents.
1.67.
Average Cost Has Gene Down.
Ten years later, in 1904 the num-
Der of pieces handled by each employe
during the year had increased 10 3d.
SEQ. and the average cost per each
mail piece had gone down TO 1.59. In
1912 the average cost had gone down
to 1.34: the number OF employees,
trifle below that of 1910. stood at
29O,701 the estimated number of mail
pieces handled over II 500. 000. 600 and
the number of pieces handled by each
employee during the year reached high
water with the figure 60,5Gi
The explanation of this high degree
OF efficiency is to be found. according
to Mr.. Lewis, in the fact that the low
postal rates have stimulated bus ness
and have consequently almost auto
matically forced complete utilization
of the plant. obviously, says Mr..
Lewis, the amount of traffic will de-
pend on the rate" II letter costs
but two cents. the public viii write
many letters: if it costs five cents, the
public will either have TO find another
means of communication or else COM
municate less. The low performance
represents unutilixed time of emp Dyes
caused BY rates which are too high
TO assist the traffic. Officials OF the
post Office department say they fully
appreciate these facts and have 6eyel-
oped the efficiency policy of the de-
partment to accord with them
C-ttls - Ererxied Einance