The times., 1897-06-27
MAIL CARRIERS COMPLAIN
Charges Before the Civil Service
Reform Committee.
POLITICAL BIAS Is ALLEGED
Witnesses Claim They Were Dis-
crininated Against Because of
Party A Affiliatious-A A sser tion
That Roosevelt Applied the White
wash Brush.

II Senator Pritchard, chairman OF the
| committee now engaged in investigating
the working of the ciyif service reform
| law, il seeking to prove that Federal
officials bave been discharged for political
| reasons, he had great dead OF that sort OF
| testimony submitted TO his committee yes
terday. 1t came from a witness repre-
sRting letter carriers In Phila delphia, who
| alleged that they had been Disseminated
against, and from a former enlpioye of the
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing, who
submitted an array OF data to show that
politics was factor In tie status OF
employees at that bureau.
The first witness was William NJ Butcher,
Of Philadelphia, representing the eighty
two letter carriers OF that city who had
| been reduced to substitutes or waiting uien
in 1895. He read from the speech OF Post
master General Wilson Co the letter carriers,
in which that official stated that faithful
and efficient men would be rewarded by
the Government. Shortly after came the
reduction, aud of the eightytwo lowered
on the list seventy two were Republicans.
among whoRa were sixteen veterans OF
the war The Democrats reduced were
only those who had failed to pay their
assessments
The witness read an affidavit from John
A. Felix, in which Felix said he was re-
duced because, as he alleged, he failed to
pay camp aign assessment. Mr.. Butcher
said that hc himself was told by officials
that he was reduced because of political
reasons. This was frankly admitted by his
superior officers
Replying to- the testimony OF Supt. Ma
chen, of the free delivery service, relative
to the investigation of the Philadelphia Of
flee. witness said it was of the most super
ficial character. and had been proven to
be worthless The, street railway nail OF
| which so much had been said, was tested
by the witness. with the result that it
required twenty-four hoars for letter
over that route to travel three miles
In 1s9 4. he said, the service was
'loaded.'' increased more than officials
found use for There Was such i, small
amount of territory that when the IN
spectors came they foJnd these men, very
naturally, endeavoribg 20 put in oil the
time they could Other men were max
ing overtime The Republicans were re-
dueed to the positions Of substitutes and
the Democrats advanced To regular posi-
fions-
Referring TO an investigation made by
the civil service, Mr.. Bstcher said the
characters OF the carriers were attacked
and all sorts of things said about them
The commission stated that the men found
guilty of drunkenness and other derelic-
tons would be dismissed, but as n matter
of fact the men dismissed were not charged
with such offenses at ali. The men thus
let out with hlackened chars eters could
not get employment elsewhere, for private
business men would not give employment %
carriers who we're officially de cIared 10
be inefficient.
The carriers were powerless TO do any
thing, for. as the witness stated. First AS
sistaut Postmaster Generel Jones had stated
that he would permit no criticism from sub
crdinates Carriers were, therefore, COM
PEELED TO be silent. for to complain meant
certain loss OF position. while by keeping
silent they might continue In office.
why did you not appeal TO the Civil
Service Commission here?'' witness was
asked
I've had heard how they investigated
things, and did not believe it would do any
good,'' said the witness.
Mr.. Butcher called attention to the
fact that in the House OF Representatives
the reduction OF eleven experienced car