Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-07
POSTAL HEAD
Continued from PAGE one)

lCent 1tafdlnS purpose ana pOHcy
was to bring about a return to nor
malcy" He said that the higher
laws that work for the worlds good
had brought to the White House
exactly the personality that was
needed 10 lead the country away
from the turbulent passions of the
war back to the normal, human ma
ture of peace"
He declared that President Hard
ing's curing and restorative person
atty had the largest part in bring
ing America to that equability. which
is his own"
The making of peace with Ger
many was described by Mr.. Hays as
the biggest concrete achievement of
the present administration and one
that flowed directly from the Presi
( dents personality. He said that when
President Harding took control at
Washington he found a condition of
domestic politics which expressed
itself in terms of anger. controversy
and factionalism." 1t was a pro-
longed contest he said, sometimes
siege, sometimes battle and OCCASION
ally armistice between the White
House and Senate.
Mr.. Hays declared that the differ
ence between this spirit in the man
agement of foreign affairs and the
atmosphere in which the present
treaty was received by the Senate
and country was due TO the Presi-
dents personality and that consti-
nj
tual step in the return to normally
in the conduct of our public affairs.
The result of this peace treaty
would be, he said, that I'VE will be
able to lift and throw away a mass
of yeXatious and burdensome re-
strictions imposed by a state of war
which Cypress and irritate business
and restrict us in the exercise of our
constitutional liberties"
The speaker said that the Presi-
dents invitation of several nations to
attend the conference for the limita-
ton of ornaments would bring about
a meeting which, in his opinion.
possesses more potentiality for good
for mankind than any single event
in the last 1921 years" He predicted
it would be the most important
meeting of mems minds in all history
Referring to the drive of the ad-
ministration for efficiency and econ
omy in government" Mr.. Hays told of
what had been achieved in the War
Risk Insurance Bureau. There, he
said, the 100000 claims and cases
which were waiting to be disposed of
on the fourth of March had been
cleaned up and claims We're now dis
posed of with a promptness approx
mating that of insurance companies.
This, nc said. was one of the things
President Harding had been able TO
accomplish.
Mr. Hays outlined some Of the
steps which the people should be
taking 10 accomplish the appalling
task of making the government eff
f1cient. 1t would seem natural, he
said. to expect the creation of a De-
partment Of Public Works and De-
partment of Public Welfare, the lat
ter of which would have charge of
relief work for veterans of the war
with Germany. He suggested the
stripping of the Treasury Depart
mcnt of all except its necessary and
proper fiscal functions. He would
transfer to nom military work from
the War Department and the Navy
Department to the regular civilian
departments of the government. He
would transfer to the Department of
Commerce all agencies having TO do
with the promotion of commerce and
protection of navigation and would
establish centralized purchasing
agency to do the buying of all
branches of the executive establish
ment. He would expect a full func-
tioning of the budget system and all
together "a reorganization which will
bring material reduction of the
overhead expenses of the federal es-
Enlistment and Improvement in
the quality of service rendered the
public There would then be more
business in government as we'll as
less government in business.
Speaking of what must be done in
the direction of administrative eff
clency IN his own department, Mr..
Hays said that the postal service
was the biggest distinct business in
the world. with 100000 employees and
100 100000 customers. 1t was the
largest express company in the world.
handling over 100000, 900 packages
last year and it had the largest saw
lngs bank in the world IN number of
depositors.
One of the difficulties the de-
partment was that Is per cent of all
mail posted is dumped into the post
cff1ce at the end of each day, strain
ing the human postal machine almost
to the breaking point. Unsettled
claims for indemnity on lost and
damaged parcels had been reduced
from 10000 in March last to a CON
dltion which would be current in 40
Gays more. Fundamental changes
were being made daily in the opera
ton of the service.
When he took hold, he said II
seemed TO him that the great test
progress could most quickly be made
by improving the morale of the sery->
Ice. He had found this ASSUMPTION
correct. We are getting away in the
post Office service from any idea that
labor is a commodity" he continued
am determined to go to great
lengths to develop in the depa rtnant
the spirit that we are 100000 mart.
hers' He said the postal emploves
uhquestionably had the brains to do
their iOb well hllt Eso,,,o