Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-21
Expenses Up,
But Pos+men
Get 1925 Pay
Can't Put on Pressure
Like Other Workers
BY DAMON RUNYON

II years.
In these times, with the cost
of living away up. and with
workers in almost every other
field the beneficiaries of wage
increases, the post office en-
ployes must get along on the
same money they have been re-
ceiving since Feb. %, 1925.
According to the bureau of
labor statistics, the general level
of all wholesale prices has adj
vanced 30 per cent and the cost
of living in New York City has
gone up IA per cent.
THE weekly wage earnings Of
l. workers in defense and
manufacturing industries have
been given the post office work
ers. They must meet the higher
cost of living on the wage scale
of 1925, which strikes me as
a somewhat deplorable situation
in view of the service given the
public by these workers.
Those increases" said Sena-
tor McCarren of Nevada, re-
ferring to the wage boosts re-
ceived by the industrial workers,
"were obtained by employees who
were In n position to enforce
their demands, whereas the
postal workers can only appeal
TO Congress and accept what Is
granted"
DURING the depression years
~ the postal employees took a
u per cent salary cut. This was
restored to them when business
picked up. but the scale for post
office clerks and letter carriers
of from S1.700 to a maximum
of $500 has not been improved
in almost a generation. From
this amount 81 per cent is de-
Quoted for the pension fund for
an approximate weekly scale of
$38, though / believe the deduc-
ton increased TO 5 per cent the
first of this month.
Now then, out of their wages
which seems so pitifully made
quate as compared TO what is
being paid millions of other
workers at present, the post
office employees must pay the
same prices for food and cloth
ing and other necessities. They
must contribute TO the national
defense effort by buying defense
stamps and city sales taxes.
They must maintain their
homes and bring up their
families and lend support 10
their neighborhood churches and
synagogues and TO charitable
movements. local and commu-
nifty.
1t would be small wonder II
many of the skilled postal en-
ployes decided TO leave the serv-
ice and enter war defense activi-
ties where their income would
be commensurate with the cost
of living.
THE work of these employees
Il in handling the mail during
our great emergencies has been
of enormous value. A vast
amount of new labor was added
10 their routine lately, but ii is
taken care of with such eff
ficiency that the general public
does not realize the magnitude
of the task. We have come TO
accept the perfection Of the post
office department as matter Of
course without pausing TO con-
slider what life would be with
out il.
Just think Of some Of the
little jobs that have been handed
to the department and its en-
ployes in the past few years
the handling of the mails for
the publicity campaign of the
NRA, the soldiers bonus. the
unemployment census. the social
security, the alien registration.
the motor vehicle tax stamps,
the enemy alien registration and
the defense savings stamps and
bonds.
These taxed the facilities of
the department and the patience
and energy of the employees to
the utmost. but there was never
a hitch.
The salaries Of the employees
are fixed by law and they must
therefore depend upon the pub
lie to speak in their behalf. They
have no labor relations board
to appeal to, to maintain the
standard of living and thus en-
able them TO continue to buy
the necessities required. The an
swer would seem to be inn
mediate action increasing the
wage scale to a degree common
surate with the conditions Of the
times.
Copyright, 1912. by King Features
Distributed by King Features synd.. Inc.