Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 262, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1912 — ADDS 20 MILLIONS [ARTICLE]

ADDS 20 MILLIONS

TAFT’S ADMINISTRATION HAS IN CREASED* IMMENSELY THE WAGES OF POSTAL EMPLOYES. PERSONAL WELFARE HELPED The Increase for Employes Is Another Splendid Achievement of President Taft—One Day’s Rest in Seven Afforded to Postal Workers. More than $20,000,000 have been expended during President Taft’s administration in increasing the wages of 100,000 postal employes. Another $2,000,000 will be added to the salaries of the 17,000 railway mail clerks as a result of the reclassification of the railway mail service now in progress, an administration measure, provided tor in the appropriation act for the current fiscal year. More money has been given in the promotion of the welfare of postal employes under the Taft administration than under any former administration, extending over for or even eight years. „ Not only have postal employes reaped the benefit, but the public as well, since the postal service is on a self-sustaining basis for the first time in 28 years. It is true that the enormous postal deficit of $17,500,000 with which the administration was confronted at its beginning has been wiped out, but in the face of these figures the criticisw so often made that this result was accomplished at the expense of the employes is absurd. That this increased efficiency of the employes has been an important factor in putting the postal service on a self-sus-taining basis is unquestionably true, ' but no one can deny that this Increase in efficiency is due to better wages, shorter hours, an impartial system of rating efficiency, on which all promotions are based, and better methods for safeguarding the rights of employes. The only possible conclusion that can be drawn from a comparison of the separations from the service from all causes during the present administration with the number that occurred under former administrations is that the employes are better treated, better disciplined, more efficient, and therefore more contented. As an illustration, the annual report of 1906 shows that out of 20,000 clerks, 2,340, or 12 per cent., voluntarily left the service in that year. Last year the voluntary separations from the service amounted to about 5 per cent. Out of a total force of 29,000 city letter carriers, 199 were removed from the service last year, or less than 7-10 of 1 per cent. In 1894 the annual report shows that out of a total force of 11,736 city carriers more than 400 were removed, or about 4 per cent, of the total number. -t i During the present administration, for the first time in the history of the department, the principle of allowing one day’s rest in seven to the classified employes of the postal service has been recognized, and during the last two years practically every postoffice clerk and city letter carrier has been granted a complete day of rest on Sunday or compensatory time during the week equal to the Sunday service. This was not done in the interest of economy, since it has added many thousands of dollars to the expense of the department. It was done solely In the Interest of the men and women of the service. Congress recognized the justice of this principle at its last session by enacting a law limiting the delivery of mail on Sunday. The administration has consistently recommended to congress the advisability of extending the annual leave period of clerks and carriers from 15 to 30 days, notwithstanding that the most conservative estimate of the cost of such extension is $1,000,000 annually. The president in his message to congress has repeatedly urged the importance, not only in the interest of economy, but in the interest of humanity, of a fair and just system of retiring the veterans of the service on a pension when overtaken by the infirmities of old age. President Taft issued an order in September, 1910, taking the position of assistant postmaster at first and second class offices out of the excepted class and placing It in the competitive classified service, thus cheating an additional incentive for faithful and efficient service on the part of postofflce clerks, city letter carriers and railway mail clerks. Since the order was issued promotions to the position of assistant postmaster have been made from each of these classes of employes. Another order issued by President Taft amended the so-called “gag rule," which was promulgated by President Roosevelt, by affirming the right of classified employes to petition congress for redress of grievances. I® the postoffice department merit add fitness alone have been the sole factors in the selection of officers and employes. Not a single appflintpient has been made for political considerations and every vacancy has been filled by the promotion of a classified employe from some branch of the service. In the organization of the postal savings system, the establishment of which was ardently supported by the president, the officers and employes were selected from the classified postal service. This will also be true of the new parcel post system which becomes operative January Ist As a still further incentive to faithtol endeavor and in the Interests of

the public the president has urged upon congress the desirability of taking the entire postal service out of politics by amending the civil service Taw so as to provide for the appointment of postmasters of all classes through the competitive merit system. The enactment of such legislation would open the doors to the classified employees. Experts trained by long years of experience in every branch rrf the service would become the heads of our large postoffices. President Taft has stood like a bulwark between the employes of the merit system and the spoilsmen in congress, twice vetoing the act of congress making appropriations for the executive and legislative branches of the government which contained a provision for limiting the tenure of office of classified employes—a measure that would wreck the merit system.