Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-27
NJ O N T H S P A Y
Discharged Clerks to Request 1t From
Congress.
Meeting Of Ex-Record and Pension
Them - Resolutions Adopted.

There was a meeting this morning at a
hall on 9th street of the clerks, who were
discharged a few days ago, from the rec
ord and pension office of the War Depart
ment, for the purpose Of taking some con-
certed action with view to bettering their
condition. In the neighborhood of $50
clerks received the notice of their dismissal
on Monday last and a large proportion OF
this number were at the meeting this
morning.
There is considerable bad feeling among
these discharged clerks and they consider
that they have been unfairly treated. They
were discharged. they say, without any pre-
nmlnary notice and they were not given
the thirty days leave Of absence with LAY
as is usually done under the circumstances
The notices of their dismissal were dated
on July %, but We're not distributed until
the 10Th, and took effect on the following
day. The majority of the clerks were en-
ployed in the old Ford's Theater building on
lOth street, at the time of the great disas-
ter a year ago, and some of them the clerks
claim, received injuries that will to a great
er or less extent, disable them for the bal
ance OF their lives, though their injuries
were not OF such an apparent nature as
will entitle them to relief at the hands of
Congress. They still feel the effects of that
awful experience when they were hurled
down amid crashing walls and floors and
the older ones among them especially. will
reVer again be the men they were before
that memorable day.
The claim is made by the clerks that
there were a number of cases of unfair
treatment and that efficiency in their cler-
ical work counted for nothing when the
time came 10 make reductions in the force
AT the meeting this morning Mr. j. NJ
Monlsal presided as chairman, elected at a
previous meeting of the men yesterday at
which some preliminary business was trans
acted. The secretary was Mr. d. s Evans.
Inc question as to what was the best
thlng TO Go under the circumstances gave
rise to some little discussion, which was
marked by an entire absence of all signs
OF bitterness on the part of the speakers
1hey realized that there was no use in maxi
ing a russ over what could not be helped
ana II was business meeting pure: and
simple. The outcome of the discussion was
that IL Was decided, on formal motion
unanimously carried, to draw I'D a Joint
resolution to be presented in the House
ana Senate, authorizing the payment TO
the clerks of a months pay in lieu of the
customary thirty days leave of absence. A
briet recess was taken to give the secre-
tary an Opportunity to prepare the resoi1-
ton, and it was adopted. and a COMMITTEES
provided for to present il to Congress in
proper form. The committee consists Of
Messrs. West, Woods. Evans. Whiteside
McNonigal, Reeves and Atwood. The meet.
ing adjourned shortly after with the un-
oerstanding that copies of the resolution
snould be printed without DELAY and sent
70 every senator and Representative by
TINS afternoon IL possible Every one of
the discharged clerks was also urged 10
Or is 10 bear upon the members OF Com
gr, s all the influence he might be able 70
mus.er. ~ W