The Washington critic., 1890-02-02
THE MAILBAG SHOP.

I1p nft11-DAG OElOI
Editoi critic: Now that the management
OF the mail. l.bag repair shop is a subject for
public discussion. feel like saying a few
words, and. as one OF the hands, / ought to
know something about It, The articles lately
published in THE CRITIC are sensational and
unreliable, and expect to prove the truth
of this statement. II the author Of the arti-
cles In THE CRITIC were as anxious
to improve the condition of the laboring peo-
pie as he is to appt ar smart and boom TIE
CRITIC, he would visit the repair shop and
learn the true condition of things there.
For to say that he tells the truth would be
to libel him. propose to make statements
that will bear investigation, and would ask
say to call at the shop and satisfy himself.
Nothing could be fairer than this.
THE CnlTIc would give the impression that
the building is desth.trap, or rats nest,
and unfit for human beings to be in. But
such is not the fact as u visit to the shop
will prove. The building il well adapted for
well lighted and ventilated. The sewing
room Is 30 feet in length; 60 feet wide, and 1s
feet from floor TO ceiling. There is Il large
skylight in-the centre. and large fan, are at
the windows run by steam power. The dust
is not onefourth so great as reportcd and
everything possible Is done for the comfort
OF all.
We are working people; we go to the shop
to work and do not mind having our hands
soiled by work AZ TO the forty sacks n
day, any woman who can aud will work cam
ssily repair forty sacks, and the records
prove this beyond any doubt whatever by
the amount of extra work done
Iherc are men and " omen who think the
mailbag repair shop similar to other Depart
ments of Government A tew days conv,nc5s
such drones that such is not the case, and,
being consiitutionaliy opposed to work, they
leave and forget to return. The shop was
never intended as q hospital for the oil au0
infirm Of either sex In the MANAGEMENT of
THE CEITic have no doubt that hands are
employed who can do the work and Il is no
discredit to the management of the repair
shopif they see that justice is done the Gov
ernment.
Men who repair the leather mai-bags h I'VE
certain number to repair each day ami they
do 1t The men are not allowed to make ex-
ira pay. The women alone have that right.
Now let me notice few mistakes made by
THE CRITIC reporter. He says: "The dress
ing room Is "A dark retreat, ventilated from
the top by, trap door. the walls coarse
duck nailed on posts"
The truth is, the dressipg-room Is encloeed
with neat-psinted and tight-ftting board
| partition and has long been so.
| Another point to be explained is that all
| sacks are not repaired. MS THE CRITIC infers.
The worst sacks are condemned and used rs
! patches on sacks repaired. This should be
remembered by The Critic in its future bluff
| and bluster. Nor do the women repair the
heavy sacks, as stated Men who have been
| sail-makers do the repairing on heavy sacks
| Those which he women repair do not weigh
more than two and ahalf pounds
| In fact, what THE CRITIC does not know
about the mailbag repair shop would fiji a
| large volume. The women simply laugh at
the many blunders published in The Carrie,
and especially at the statement that there is
| no conversation among them. Why, IL Is simply
Impossible to have from fifty to sixty women
in one room and no. conversation among
them. THE Critic man is certainly bachelor
rhe would entertain no such views. ,,,
Another false statement is that a blind
woman must also repair forty sacks a day.
The blind woman does not repair sacks; she
simply puts cord through the rings at the
top of the sack.
TIE CRITIC admits thatin an interview
with one woman who has been in the shop a
long time she said that no partiality was
shown, and then In the next breath THE
CRITIc declares 1t can secure aftidavits TO the
effect that the bags are culled and the better
ones given to favorites, Now, If ! am not
too inqusitive, let me ask why not produce
the affidavits! This is he only statement in
The CMTic deserving Of special notice, and
by all means let the afidavits be forthcoming
Colonel Whitfield displayed good. judg-
ment In his management of the repair shop,
and only those who are ignorant of the sue
cess of the present system think otherwise.
honest a man as ever lived and The CRfrIc
uncopsciousy paid the Captain very great
compliment when II said that parties were
discharged who had done certain things.
The Captain makes the rounds of the bnild
ing about every two hours, except when his
wounds are unusually painful the Cap
filed with rebel bullets and several still re-
main as relies of The pastl, and everything
must be done in order Nothing gneel be said
about Mr.. Wanamaker He needs no de
fense His record in support of the laborer
and of the helpless IL his yipdication ana II
Is really getting monotonous TO hear hat
gentleman referred TO as a Chri tian and
sunday school teacher.
AS Mr.. Wanamaker said in Gurley chapel
in this city n few weeks ago: "A man Is no
less man be cause he is a Christinn man
Some people appear to think that MI. WHna
maker Is responsible for all evils that aftlict
mankind. True ne is rich. but 1t shoull be
remen bered hat he made his money, moi
through trusts and unfair specuations, bui
by cbeapenDg every article sold to the peo.
pie That nation would be fortunate that
had a million such men.
There are few things that should be sci
right in the management of the repair shop
but THE Critic has not referred TO them.
will do so in THE CRITIC to morrow.
PARKER TRENT.
, Washington, D. c., February /,
IT WAS COOP.
Editor critic: have hopes. The issues o
your new deal incline me TO think there mal
yet be brains and honesty combined In The
editorial chair OF a city paper. You
article on the Gladstone goody-goody inter
view Is good X. E. W.
Washington, ID, c., January 90,