New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-06
CLAIMS SOCIETY IS
BECOMING MENACE
Burleson Calls Organizations Of
Postal Employees Bad Idea

| organizations Of postal employees are
| rapidly becoming a menace to public
welfare and recommends that con-
gress repeal the law that allows such
| employees to maintain organizations
The law provides that the employees
may organize and become affiliated
with other bodies so long as they do
not impose any obligation to engage
or assist in a strike against the gov
eminent.
Emphasizing the need for unselfish
| cooperation on all sides while the
country is in the world war the Post
| master General continues:
Notwithstanding this fact. and at
this critical period in our nations
history, it Is regrettable to state that
the organized postal employees are
/ making many selfish demands and in
sisting that they shall not be required
or permitted to work in excess Of the
usual number of hours; also that their
salaries be permanently increased, al
though they are Justly compensated,
receiving more than three times as
much as those fighting in the trenches
who must If necessary, suffer the
hardships of warfare and sacrifice
their all If necessary.
Efforts Of these organizations
along other lines have been severely
criticized by men in public life, as
they attempt to control political as
we'll as legislative matters and openly
boast of the influence they claim to,
exert in the furtherance of their sell
fish interests.
AN outside organization has dur
ing the past several years attempted
to unionize governmental employees,
including those In the Postal service,
and large number of postal en-
ployes are now affiliated with It, and
others soon will be, Notwithstanding
the fact that such utilization is be-
neved to be contrary to the act of
August "a, 1912. The advisability of
permitting government employees to
affiliate with an outside organization
and use the strike and boycott as a
last resort to enforce its demands is
seriously questioned by those interest
in the public welfare.
Postal employees have become bold
because of this utilization and have
within recent years threatened to
strike, and in one case actually did
so by rendering their designations and
q abandoning the service in body. In
this case they were promptly indicted
and prosecuted in the federal courts. |
While strikes in the postal service may !
be averted for the time being, yet |
they will inevitably come, and the
public will then be brought face to
ace with most serious situation
me which will be a-menace to our
"If by combining" the report says, |
government employees are enabled to
lnduly influence members Of congress
o1-4Ho @11 to Jf
office, the situation will naturally |
arise, if it has not already arisen, |
where congress wilt be unduly in !
f1uenced by such organizations, the |
for the salaries of such |
employees will be greatly increased and
economic provision for the conduct OF |
the service impossible"
The report explains that postal en- |
Moves are differently situated from |
other workers in that they are not |
by private concerns, but by |
tho government "whose officers are !
merely executing the will of the peo- |
pie"
The report shows an audited sur |
plus for the year of $9,S56.2l1, the
largest in the history OF the depart
ment. The increase over the preced-,l
ing year was $3.50 per cent. while the
increase in cost was 4.45 per cent !
The audited revenues for the year,
;nc1udina noney-order and postal
savings business, amounted to $685.
726,116
Remarkable growth in postal saw
,ngs is shown. In 1917 there were
674,72s depositors with a total OF
s131,954,696 to their credit The
average balance for each depositor
was $195.57. This was an increase
over the previous year of 1871 IN
the number of depositors. $45,934.S11
in the amount, and $3.50 In the per
canita balance. The large proportion
of this total Is contributed by indus
trial centers. In 143 offices In cities
where there are big manufacturing
nlants. "a per cent. Of the deposits are
held
The war has resulted in some postal
routes NOT being covered at times.
Men drawn into industries by larger
salaries often have left posts that
could not be filled, the report says,
and recommends that the department
be given more latitude in getting car
riers when conditions are unusual.
Mr. Burleson again voiced opposi-
ton to the tube system, maintaining
they are inefficient and cost more than
the service is worth. He also re1t-
Grated his belief that the government
should control telephone and tele-
graph lines with supervision entrusted
to the Postoff1ce department.
The postmaster general again
strongly urges change in the system
of erecting public buildings. He
stated his belief that the government
is not Justified in erecting a building
for a postoff1ce alone unless the rental
amounts to 1000 and then only when
the gross postal receipts are $4,000
or the population as much as 5000.
The acknowledgement says the
Of ting