Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-10

"Fsr Il 10 with words - with sun
bsams; the more you cendsnse them
the deeper they burn"
DOING HIS DUTY As HE SEES IT

Once on a time Calvin Coolidge
was told when making his decision
on the Boston police strike that this
would end his public career. His
answer was: very likely" saying
which he went ahead.
He had been told that vetoing the
bill to increase the salaries of postal
employees would deprive him Of any
where up to a million votes. He
vetoed. and uncompromisingiy stat
ed why he did so.
There will be many who Will
synpathize with the postal employees.
Some of the latter profess to be
especially offended at these words
of the President: but an organized
effort by a great body Of public en-
pIoyes to secure an indiscriminAte
increase In compensation should
have the most searching scrutiny"
But he said something which needed
to be said. This resentment Is at
frst to be expected. We have never
known any manager to make him
self popular in cutting down ex-
penses right and left, among those
who experienced the consequent
pinch in their own affairs. It IL
very evident that the President was
not Influenced by his own need Of
votes when he vetoed that bill. It
also IL equally evident that Con-
gress has done little for the en-
tire session without regard to votes
That is both difference and q
distinction.
There has been much faithful ser
vice rendered by postal employees in
this country for which the Govern
ment has not paid as literally as
has the public for some services of
organized labor in private in
dustries. There is. we believe. no
doubt about that. The President
moreover recognizes the need for
the Government to pay salaries
such that the employe may spend
his life in the service. 1t has not
been doing this in all respects. The
President admits that some adjust
mont may be needed. but he tells us
that with the exception Of q few
industrial centers there ts generally
no difficulty in maintaining lists Of
eltsibles to I'LL vacancies" In pri-
vats business this would determine
in most instances. whether wages
were high enough. There 10 little
shortage Of employment in this
country at the present time and
no one Is compelling people to seek
employment in the postal service.
But blaming the President IL
hardly fair because Congress made
no provision for raising the sixty
eight millions annually that this in
crease called for. Do they expect to
gather figs from thistles? We don't
know just what the organized ef-
fort" referred to by the President
was doing. 1t should. on general
principles. be subjected to scrutiny.
EvSh q casual glance at It leaves
something to be desired in the way
Of management, under which no
provision was made for securing the
rooney with which to pay the pro-
posed increase. Congressman who
Neglected to make such provision
Ore hardly worthy of much reward
ftcmF the postal employees.
It will BE- dimcult to take sx-
ceptiens to the Presidents state
rfsnt: 1T Is apparent that the mat
e Of Increasing the salaries Of postal
employees should be considered in
connection with the ways and
means whereby the postal revenues
may be corrsspondinEIy increased.
not apart therefrom."