Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-04-25
A Happiness Prescription
Consider the Postal EmpIoyee and His Wages

Would you like to go to sleep tonight with that COM
Portable and conented feeling that you had done good
deed and that reflect lot of happiness to many
people?
All right Here is the royal road to such feeling.
Read the set forth below and then act VIII take
you five minutes and cost you but two cents TO get the nap
pness that after such acts of kindness done
Consider for minute the position of the postal clerks
and letter carriers Consider the man who brings TINS
paper to you and carries in all kinds of weather and I'M
der all sorts of conditions all your mail
You find him SOBER Industrious efficient affable and
prompt in his work That is the record of the service
He is worthy of your friendship and your encouraging
support.
Take up the matter of his pay First remember that
the Congressional Record recently published figures tax
ing Detroit as representative city, fixing the sum OF
81 SO the smallest amount which family OF ye
could live decenty in 1928 Prices and rents not de-
creasing.
Now regard the wages of carriers. These men get
800 year, but out of that $40 for retirement
that the net maximum pay is S1,775 This leaves the
letter carrier $2936 below the decency living line! Ihls
is the suppositon that he loses time from his work
just pods steadily through the entire year without loss OF
working day.
The reader if he is the head of family of five can
understand this situation Remember the doctor bills
the clothing for the children to keep them in school, the
mutitudnous needs of his family to keep in the vicinity
of the DECENCY line.
The carrier pays twice as much for the two uniforms
he must have each year as he did few years ago.
proposal has been made that in order to bring in
enough revenue to stand for sufficient increase to enable
the department to pay living wage to these workers. the
parcel post rates. of which big mail order houses the
chief beneficares, be increased. We are rule, OPP
posed to raising the rates. but il it should be shown this
necessary, then hasten to yield and say by all
increase rates. but in any event let these have
enough to live and their families decently The
main point is, however, that postal employees wages
should not be wholly contingent postal rates unless is
made the government policy to fix rates that will permit
fair wages.
If the excessive rates paid to the railroads for hauling
the mails were promptly and properly readjusted on
reasonable basis there would be enough saving in that
item to increase the wages of all postal clerks and carriers
1t curious fact that the rate of compensation to the
railroads has increased much rapidly than postal
wages. Seemingly the government is much willing
to grant the pleas of the railroads than toeet the just
requirements of the faithful postal employees
In any and all events let give them the increase
necessary.
Now, an opportunity presents itself for you
to act. Senator Edge of New Jersey and Con-
gresham Kelly of Pennsylvania have introduced
identical bills which would, if adopted and ap-
proved, give the carriers wage of 81 900 year
entering the service, $4,000 after the second
year and 81 400 after the third year in the service
Sit down RIGHT NOW and write to your Congress-
and your Senator and tell them that you believe the
bill has merit and that in all human justice should have
his strongest support Send your letter the House
will reach the Representatives and Senators you address,
If you have any doubt about proper addresses names
of Congressman Senators any detail ask your post
man. Tell him what you doing and he will give you
advice
Write this letter today 1t will help more than you
realize half of readers will do this it likely this
bill will pass both houses and become law.
Let's get together and start something here for these
most worthy and deserving workers.