The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-19
A BIssELL NIGHTMARE.
Postmaster-GeneraI Alarmed Because
Postal Clerks Have C0mbined.

oACEAS
WASHINGTON. March 1s.-The Postofice
Department has information of the forma-
ton of a powerful combination of postal
employees, designated to bring pressure on
Congress to overturn certain regulations
and rules of the department. The employees
have been encouraged by success in attach
ing to the last postoffice appropriation bill
an amendment which suspended an order
of the department. This order was issued
last June, and directed that by the 1st of
May, 1895, all railroad mail service employees
should remove to some point along the line
of the route on which he was employed.
This was unsatisfactory to some of the
clerks, and they obtained legislation over
ruling the order. The reason for issuing
the order is explained at the department as
necessary, because at the time the order
was issued there were about 1900 of the
1000 clerks in the service who did not live
on the lines where they worked. When
there was an accident or anything else
that required the emergency men, those who
were on leave and away from the line
where they worked, escaped the extra duty,
and it fell on those living on the route.
OF the 300 who were living off the lines
where they worked, all but about three
hundred have notified the department that
they have or will remove their homes to
where requested. Probably all of them will
so remove, Notwithstanding the legislation
overruling the order.
The department is now informed that
since the failure of legislation in the last
Congress increasing the pay of employees,
a combination has been formed to pass this
legislation and also to o%verturn orders and
rules of the department which are UNI
satisfactory to them. A high official of the
department said to-day: This combination
includes some thousands of employees in the
railway mail service, the letter carriers
service and in postoffices- They are all In
fhn n L SSjRad cpruipa and DrOfarfGd from
removal. The aggregate amount of the in
crease demanded is about S5,000.000. That,
the effect on the discipline of the depart
ment and the efficiency of the service
These employees, numbering about, 5000. py
a contribution of S. each would raise a fund
of $3.50, 600 for the maintenance of a lobby.
One effect of this combination would be
to create a sentiment against the civil
service law which protects the employees.
How formidable the combination may be-
come is a matter of conjecture. but the
whole affair is the result of Congress leg
islating to overturn the rules and regula-
tions of the department as affecting it's
employees
Complaint has been made about the or
der of the Postmaster-general in directing
the recall of passes to railway mail clerks
who did not live on the line of road where
they worked, but it is said that the order
was issued while Congress was in session
in order that the clerks and their frienos
might secure legislation on that subject if
they could, and as an intimation to Con-
gress that the department resented inter-
ference with its legitimate affairs.
Assistant acknowledgement Jones to-
day ordered the dismissal of a letter carrier
at Youngstown, O. An Inspector had made
a report on the case, and the carrier was
charged with conspiracy in trying to defeat
the order of the Postmaster-general making
regulations preventing overtime charges.
1t was learned that the Youngstown carrier
had taken advantage of leave of absence
to go to Canton and was about to perfect
an organization of letter carriers so that
they would stand by each other and prevent
the discharge of any man for any cause
whatever. Mr.. Jones says that combina-
tions among employees of this kind will not
be tolerated.