The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-21
THE WAR AGAINST FRENCH.
Ellis Miller, a Clerk, Testifes to a
Marked Injustice Done Him.
The Investigating Committee Treated to Adj
ditiOnal Disclosures from Victims Of the
Superintendent Unfair Treatment.

thought one tendency of the stuffed club system
was to stimulate men on smaller lines, who could
not easily obtain one hundred errors, to check
wrongfully in order to escape reprimand; the
system encouraged men to commit acts that are
dishonest
Mr. French-Is there any order that you
know of requiring men to check one hundred
errors}
Witness-I do not know that there is, but
know of men having been reprimanded for fail
ing to check one hundred errors
Mr.. French-Did you ever hear of man being
removed for not checking errorsl
Witness-I never knew of any one being re-
moved. In other divisions the superintendent
seem to have some confidence in the mems hon
esty, without squirting them on with reprimands,
as is done in this.
Mr. Spahr-Do you know of any violations of
postal laws by Mr.. French in sending matter
through the mails which should not have been
so sent?
In answer to this the witness said that the
proceedings of the Mutual Benefit Association
of Postal Clerks had been sent to this city from
Mr.. French's Office at Cincinnati, and been dis
tributed here In answer to question by Mr..
Wildman he said they had not come throughhis
Office but had been distributed among the men
from Mr.. Wallis office. Supposed that they came
from Mr.. Frenchs office, and that Mr.. French
either sent them or knew that they were sent.
They came in a sack, like supplies
Ellis Miller-I live in indianapolis; amAlerk
on the Pittsburg and st. Louis r. P. O.. east
division, night line. Was appointed substitute in
August, 1878, and after eighteen months service,
on my record of case examination and prof
cheney, was regularly appointed on March 6,
1880, and Immediately assigned to duty as sec
ond clerk The salary of this grade is 81, $50
year. and that is the salary should have re
ceived after the expiration of my probationary
term of six months. My salary was continued
ten months longer at the same rate of 5000 per
year. and | did not receive the pay to which
was entitled until Postmaster general James
issued the order that all clerks receive pay for
the grade in which they worked l complain
that Superintendent French has Disseminated
against me in the matter of promotion l desire
to call your attention to extract from General
Superintendent w. B. Thompsons report, which
reads: 1.-The clerk who has the best record and
is the more efficient deserves promotion when
vacancies occur, without regard 10 the time he
entered the service or the section from which he
came. It is the pride of the service that the best
clerks get the promotions" l also desire to call
your attention to order, on order book dated
Nov. 10, 1882, page 119, and to order dated Nov.
%. page l46 showing the promises offered me-
and that was fed upon promises and taffy, in
stead of receiving substantial reward. l also
herewith submit my record from the department
to Jan. l. 1884. l ask that the record case ex-
animation and slip reports of the last two pro
motions of clerks in charge, Gross and Ball. be
produced for comparison and proof, they having
been promoted over me on records that do not
compare with mine. Both of these men entered
the service several months after me, as
fn11pfh loplG o. InNNn
1 was performing second clerks work
with satisfaction to the superintendent.
One of the men promoted over me-Mr. Gross
made ninety errors in throwing 2, 100 cards of
Ohio. ] made only twelve errors, and threw
the scheme in much less time Since 1 nave
been in the east division the records do. not
show where | or any head clerk with whom 1
have run ever brought into indianapolis any I'M
worked mail assigned to our line | have twice
asked Mr.. French to consider my claims, and
without success. On Dec %, 1883, l wrote Mr.
French respecting vacancy then existing
stating that it would be useless to ask Chief
Clerk Vale TO recommend me, as / understood
that he had stated he would not recommend me-
as | did not possess sufficient political influence
and that he would recommend Mr. A. J. Ball, as
he must look out for F. w Vale. l asked Mr.
French that justice be done me- and in reply
received this communication, which now sub
NIT The communication, which was brief
merely promising that his letter had been re-
ceived and filed, and his claims would be con
SlQereu Wnen a vacancy occurred, was nled with
the commission On Dec. "A Mr.. Vale, at the
mail-room at the depot asked me for my author
ity for this statement. / declined to make a
verbal statement, and replied that if he would
reduce the same to writing l would give him
the information desired, and did so. Mr.. Ball
received the promotion. On Jan. % 1 received
an order to take out run 455 P. NJ, on the 29th,
as clerk in charge, in place of a clerk who had
been suspended. On this order made four trips.
To get on this run l was compelled to 90
adxr Of
Feb. IA | arrived at Pittsburg five hours late,
and with less than three hours sleep returned to
duty. found waiting double connection from
the East. and the storage car filled with mail.
Ambitious to go into indianapolis with our share
of this mail all worked and turn over clean
car, without unworked mail, to the west divi-
sion, worked necessarily from s P. NJ to u NJ.
the following day, and did not take time for
breakfast at Columbus at which point I tele-
graphed to Chief Clerk Vale that we had heavy
mail. On arrival at Indianapolis was, from
loss of rest and sleep, and constant and unre-
hitting toll, completely worn out, was called
to telephone at depot by Mr. Naile, and instructed
to turn back to the suspended clerk, who was
present at depot on my arrival, all his equip
ments. / was further ordered to return to Pitts
burg on my own rum at 400 P. NJ the same day.
1 strongly urged to be relieved, and said to him
that l was completely worn out and dead on my
feet" insisting that he send some other clerk
out. AS there were several available clerks, he
could with proper effort, have done as ] desired
The suspended clerk was at hand and reinstated
subject to orders, and should have been sent out
instead of me; but l was compelled to make this
run, thereby making an extra run without re
ceiving any pay therefor-wlth sixty three
hours service and less than eight hours sleep
Thus 1 was punished for this clerks fault 1t
seems to me that inasmuch as | was required to
perform service for four trips above my grade
this clerk, after twenty days rest, should have
been required to go out on my run, and make
one trip below his grade.
Gideon B. Thompson am city editor of the
News and correspondent of the Cincinnati En-
quirer. In 1876 and 1877 was in charge as local
mail agent at the Union Depot Was there
again in 1880 as one of the transfer clerks 1t
was customary then to throw all mail to the
Vandalia regardless of delays. The dissatisfac
ton of railway postal clerks toward Mr.. French
is universal and widespread.