Evening star., 1935-07-04
4O-H0UR POSTAL
WEEK URGED BY
FARLEY IN LETTER
Victory for House.PaSsed
Bill Seen in Note to
Senate Group.
QUARTER OF MILLION
EMPLOYEES TO BENEFIT
Increased Revenues Declared Suf-
fcient to Justify Addi.
tional Cost.

Victory was in sight today in the
long fight of the quarter of million
postal emplcyes for reduction of !heir
work week from A to 40 hours.
Backed by President Roosevelt,
Postmaster General Farley has given
his Endorsement of the 40-hour legiS-
larion passed by the House and now
in the Senate.
In letter last night to Senator
Mcclellan. Democrat. of Tennessee,
chairman of the Senate Post Office
Committee, Farley. reversing an
earlier stand. said prospects now are
the rising tide of postal business, with
consequent increase in receipts, will
justify the added expense, estimated
at s21. 400. 900 annually.
Some 235,000 clerks and carriers and
10000 substitutes would benefit the
reduction in hours for the regulars
meaning. of course, that the substi-
tutes would get more employment.
Text of Letter.
The letter to McKellar said:
Reference is made to H. R. $500,
bill to fix the hours of duty of postal
employees and for other purposes,
which has passed the House of Repre-
sentatives and is now pending before
your committee.
L have given much thought to this
legislation and I feel l should say to
you at the time this matter was pre-
sented to the department by Hon.
James Nj Mead. chairman of the
Committee on Post Offices and Post
Roads in the House of Representa-
tives. in April 1885. it was felt that
the increase in revenue in the postal
service had not reached s1ch propor-
tions as to justify an expenditure Suf-
flcient to take care of legislation of
this character. However 1 am pleased
to advise you that at this time there
Is every irdication that the increase
in postal revenues will continue. and
1t is believed that better working con-
ditions for the employees can be pro-
vided
Il have talked with the President,
and he believes that in view of the
increase in receipts and the general
objective of giving additional employ
ment. the bill to reduce the hours of
labor OF the postal employees from A
hours to 40 hours week is sound.
1t gives me a great deal of pleas
ure, therefore, to advise you of my ap-
proval of H. r. $500.
Il cannot forget the splendid spirit
Of cooperation in which the postal
employees accepted the reductions IN
their salaries and the payless fur
loughS during the period when it was
necessary for the department to OBJ
serve the strictest economy. As you
know. Senator McKeliar. my approval
OF this measure is in harmony with
the general policy of the administra-
ton"
Follows on Principles.
With administration support, there
Is little doubt but that the legislation
now will go through In addition to
aiding its own employees, the move
puts the Government in the position
OF practicing the principle it has been
urging on private employers-cutting
eAOuAo oAlu oPlCdulllS WOTk.
The plan is one that has been ad-
vocated vigorously by the postal
workers themselves The various
economies practiced in the department
for the better part of three years
have been principally at the expense
of personnel, and particularly bitter
complaints have come from substitutes
who have charged they were on Moth
ing more than starvation" wage.
The department reported a surplus
Tor strictly postal operations in the
fiscal year 1884. and it has been an
nounced that it was finishing in the
black again in the business year Just
ended. Along with improved condi-
tions, efforts have been made. ac-
cording to Farley, to aid the substi-
~tutes by filling long-standing va
cancies.