The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-01-22


when representatives and senators are
so convinced the legislation asked II
not eminently proper that they make
up their minds to vote against 1t and
by so doing they feel they may lose
votes, and therefore in this respect Ia
Dor legislation at times may be said
to be unpopular.
In Washington, officials in congress
and out of 1t recognize, no matter to
what party they belong, that progress
sivism is the order Of the day in legis-
lation and the progressivism and hui
manitarianism frequently are insep-
arabic. 1t took congress long while
to pass an eight-hour day labor law.
All government work done by the gov
eminent itself was put on an eight
hour basis long time ago, but 1t was
only recently that the federal eight
hour law was made to apply to gov
eminent work contracted for by pri.
vate corporations
1t is apparent that the present ad-
ministration is fully in sympathy not
only with the eight-hour movement
but with the plea that eight hours
for work. eight hours for play and
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 chief.
Mr.. Redfield's Position.
At meeting of the American Asso.
citation for Labor Legislation held re
Gently Secretary Redfield said:
Il believe that when our factories
are run Sc that the workmen 60 home
without being fatigueG from overlong
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 I'D
factory men who are half sick, who
come TO work after having had bad
breakfasts. who are partly poisoned.
They would be economically unprofit-
able. And yet fatigue is, part poison
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 o. its ad-
ministration. 1t IL said tina. the single
exception Of Belgium, where the traf-
fic conditions resemble those Of state
rather than those Of country" the
United States stands at the head of
all countries in operative efficiency.
This is said en- the authority Of Rep
resentative Lewis of Maryland, author
Of the parcel post act. who has been
digging into the subject.
1t is known that Uncle Sans letter
rate of postage is enough to yield
SO 1-3 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 1856 not only has
the number OF pieces Of mail. !nclud.
ing potb domestic and foreign matter,
increased gradually, but the number
OF pieces handled by each post office
employe 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 II the cost per piece OF mail
naturally had remained stationary II
would be shown clearly that the cost
actually had gone down"
The number of pieces mailed in
the year 1856 including domestic and
foreign matter was 3,474,000, 900. while
the number OF employees was 1872 ,69S
In that year the number OF mail pieces
handled by each employe per annun
was 2S.313. The cost for the average
mail, piece, reckoned in cents, was
LA. Eight years later, in 1894, the
number OF employees had increased to
1896, and the number of pieces uf
mail had jumped te 4.9l9,090, 900. This
resulted in the number OF mail pieces
per employe per annum reaching the
figure OF 26.746. and the cost per
average mail piece becoming, in cents,
1877.
Average Cost Has Gone Down.
Ten years later, in 1904, the mum.
Der Of pieces handled by each employt
during the year had increased To 35,-
366. and the average cost per each
mail piece had gone down to 1853. In
1912 the average cost had gone down
to 1874; the number of employees, a
trifle below that OF 1910. stoud at
290,701; the estimated number OF mail
pieces handled over 17.500,000, 900, and
the number OF pieces handled by each
employe during the year reached high
water with the figure 60,5o4.
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 business
and have consequently almost auto
ma,ically forced complete utilization
of the plant. Obviously" saws Mr.,
Lewis. the amount Of tra1lc will de.
pend on the rate
FriIls on Frenzied Finance.
Wlen Ralnh A Ora res m.nnt Gut