The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-05-15
THE MAIL BAG REPAIR SHOP
The Special Investigating Com
mittee Concludes Its LabOrS.
GIST OF THE TESTIMONY
Complaints Which Gave Rise to
the Investigation n Hard Work
and Poor Pay-The CulIin Scandal
and What Came of 1.-THE Com
mitIee's Report.

The public has been RECALLED from time
10 time with curious stories about mail bag
repair shop. Among other things, it
was charged that the women were mere
drudges, d0inganinhuman amount of work,
aud very disagreeabIe work at that, for
scandalously small amount of pay The
women We're, it was alleged, afraid TO
make complaint, because where complaint
was made they were told that if they
didn't like ii they could get out aud their
places would be promptly filled This they
knew to be true from the number of girls
10 whom any Government position carries
with IL bonanza compared to the pay
OF a great many shepgirls
This was formally brought to the atten-
ton of the POstCffice Department under
the last Administration, and although the
delegation OF women was not assured Of
any immediate relief, their condition was
eventually made easier and in some Cases
the pay was raised Complaint was made
OF the disgusting condition Of some of the
bags the women were obliged 10 handle,
and this, too, was remedied as far as
posi- bic. Yesterday it was stated by
more than half dozen Of the employees
that things were now much better than
heretofore in these respects, though they
still say that compared with the work
done by women i'll the departments the
compensation is out of all proportion
Scarcely had the agitation of the pay
question subsidized, when the social scan
DIAL, in which Superintendent CuIlin was
I'M Il = in liz
discharge and also that OF one 0f the
employees At that time il was stated
that the CuHin case was not the only
one, and there is good reason to believe
that this statement had a great deal
TO do with the appointment or this spe-
cial committee, which h as just made
its report.
IL il the impression at the repair shop
that the principal reason for the investi-
CATION was the desire OF the department
TO know whether the work could rot be
done at less expense, IL the Government
had the work done by contract, which
was the plan lefore the shop was es-
tablished The contract system was abCl-
ished some years ago, and it is said that
this was done to prevent iohbery, " hich.
it Was claimed, was very common.
The special committee has undoubtedly
given much attention to this matter OF
a return to the contract system, one Of
the parts OF the report being Compa rative
statement Of the cost OF the work under
tire old system and the new, allowances
being made for the increas ed amount Of
Tags. locks, etc, since the Government IN
dertook the work The recommendation Of
the committee is said, on good authority,
to be against a return to the contract
system.
The witnesses before the committee are
not willing Co give up the drift OF TIE
on the subject of the morals
of the instit ution, but it is the fact
that the examiners endeavored 10 get
from the witnesses the general charLcteF
OF the place, and also, if possible. specific
cases of misconduct. 1t was stated yes
teIday, although Only from hedTsay, that
a number Of persons, male andfemaIe, who
had been discharged from time TO time
offered themselves as witnesses, and tHat
the statements Of some OF them were
taken.
The most important testimony on the
morals of the place was given by those in
authority, who, like all the other wit
neSses, regard their communications to
the committee as confidential. Il was
stated by at least three OF them that the
mail bag repair shop was IS free from
criticism as any other Government insti-
tuition where an equal number OF women
were employed.
Tie feeling around the shop today was
that no discharges were TO be expected
from the testimony given the committee.