The Connecticut labor news., 1921-05-27
WELFARE WORK IN
 POSTAL SERVICE AS
 PROPOSED BY HAYS
Clerks Official Points Out There's Much Skepticis1n About
 Its Success.

Washington, May 27.-ln an editor
 ial i'll the Union Postal Clerk, Seere-
 tary-Treasurer Flaherty of the Ma
 tional Federation ot Post Othce
 Clerks, makes this statement on the welfare department suggestion by
 Postmaster General Hays:
 Much interest is aroused by the of the postmaster gen
 erals intention to establish a welfare department in the postal serVlce. AS
 a general proposition we confess
 certain amount of sceptlclsm regard
 ing the value of much of the sO-Called
 welfare work in private industry. Too
 often it is undertaken with the object
 in mind of short-circuiting the work
 ers' demands for some fundamental reforms Sometimes 1t IS mere pall1- ative to soothe the restless and gloss
 over deficiencies. Again, it may de
 generate into slCkenlng paternahsm that robs the workers of initiative and thrusts them still deeper into the cogs of the industrial maw.
 But welfare activities in govern ment employment can be carried on, we think, in a way to benefit the em- ployes and the public by making the service more attractive from an eTl- ployment standpoint. It must be un- derstood at the outset, however, that welfare work Is essentially the func- ton of the employees organization and shuold be entrusted to them with only such departmental supervls1On as is absolutely necessary to safeguard against abuses.
 "Welfare work directed by the de partment can never become a substl- tute for organized effort on the part of the emDloveS to better working conditions and the service. The vel fare department should compress into
 concrete shape the ideas and aspira- tons of the employees as expressed through their various organizations. It can function admirably by giving official sanction and the prestige Of official approval to the expressions of | the employees as set forth III their con- ventlOn platforms or transmitted
 through accredited representatives. If the contemplated welfare de- tangible shape the ideas of the organ | ized employees it will fill a long-felt want. In our opinion it's value to the
 employees depends upon the nature of l its structure. If it's foundation IS
 down in the rank and file of the metal
 workers and it's functions as a trans
 hitter to more speedily reach those
 in authority with constructive sugges- tions for betterments, then we say, 1 Bring her on
 1 But if the welfare department is to l be used as buffer for those in ar-
 thority to evade the granting of re-
 quests for reforms, 1t will simply be
 another inCumbranCe in our path and we will have to continue to go to con
 gress for legislative relief
 We have faith in MT. Hayes sin cerlty to give the employees square deal and we will do our utmost to see
 that this welfare department is started right and serves a useful purpose, l We know, for instance, that the gov
 ernment post offices are disgrace from a hygicnic standpoint. Thous- ands of clerks must work under con l ditions inimical to their health and wcll-bcing. In the New York office, as one illustration, the employees lock CTS have been removed from certain divisions and replaced by an insani- Chicago, Philadelphia and practically
 every large office in the country con dtions exist that would never be tOl- erated in private industry by local | health authorities
 ''In view of the crying need for bet ter industrial sanitation, we suggest as the first activity of the welfare de- partment a thorough survey of the l post offices with a view of recom- mending the installation of modern
 conveniences and letting some light 1 into the dark placeS.'