The New York herald., 1921-12-09
Hays the Humanist.

In his annual report Postmaster
General HAYS has chapter on his
efforts to humanize the service. He
does not claim originality for the
general idea. "This humanizing bust
ness" he says, "has been the definite
trend of American business for the
past generation" Why it has not
been attempted before in the postal
service he does not know; UNCLE
SAM must be just as good boss as
any private employer"
The get together spirit is particu-
larly important in the postal service
because the human factor is so i'm
portant there. Individual initiative
and intelligence are called into play.
whether it be in deciphering badly
written address, distributing mail
selling a postage stamp. following
the trail Of lost registered letter,
laying out rural route or keeping
up the nerve of a city's mail carriers
under a deluge of Christmas mail"
On the post Office job nothing can
take the place of the individual. Mr..
HAYS, commenting on this, remarks
that while in many great industries
the human equation has been reduced
to a minimum, mo one has yet in
vented anything to take the place of
a man in the delivery of letters. To-
day, as hundred years ago, we are
dependent on the nerve and the sense
of loyalty of a human being for the
punctual delivery Of our mail re-
gardless of the weather and every
thing else"
Such are the reasons which have
prompted the Postmaster-General to
show the men under him that they
are not to be regarded, by themselves
or others, as mere commodities WHO
contribute nothing to the morale Of
the organization. The $4,000 men
and women in the department are no
longer merely employees: they are CO.
workers. Their spirit has changed
for the better. The fault lay to a
great extent with officials. Many Of
these, says Mr.. HAYS, had the notion
that discipline and AFFECTION meant
the same thing. Such men had to
learn that kindness, courtesy and
consideration were the very founda-
tiou of pood discfpline
Mr.. HAYS has gone further than
the spreading Of the gospel of the
Golden Rule. He is practical man
and he had a welfare department or
ganized before he was four months
in Office. Inspections are made to
discover where post Offices are def
cient in air, light. heat, water sup
ply, recreation facilities, medical at
tention and luncheon service. Aid
is to be given in the way Of sickness
benefits. special training, civil SER
vice examinations and social organi-
zations. A postal national welfare
council has been organized and in
IL are TepTeScHtcu thc hihC ioi Sc
associations which have as members
the carriers, clerks, railway mail
men, rural delivery men, supervisory
employees and laborers.
The Postmaster-General finds that
the public has responded well to his
efforts to Undue the postal service
with the thank you spirit" And,
on the practical side, the public has
helped the Department by assisting
in the early mailing campaign. In
one post Office, where 100000 Of the
100000 daily letters were formerly
mailed between and z p. NJ, early
mailing has permitted the transfer
of fifty-six postal employees from
night work to day work and has
benefited other employees in one
way or another. OF course the de-
livery Of the mail was fastened.
The public, helping others, helped
itself.
WILL HAYS is scraping the moss
from the Post Office Department and
in a way which pleases the public
and the post Office folk.