The San Francisco call., 1897-09-08
WANT TO TALK
BY EXACT RULE
Eloquence Burst Out Ere
quently at the Carriers
Convention.
The Members in Doubt as to
Whether the Meeting Was
a Legal One.
Many Letters of Regret Received and
Reports In From the Commit
tees on Preliminaries.

opened yesterday morning in Odd Eel
lows Hall. Owing to an unavoidable de-
lay in the transmission of credentials from
Washington to this City and the fact thai
many members who had attem pied to "do'
Chinatown the night previous, found
themselves slightly done up and used q
couple of hours which rightlully belonged
to the convention in resting up, it was
after IL o'clock when President Parsons
called the meeting 10 order.
The first business on hand was the ap.
pointment Of ommittee on credentials,
and the following were selected: B. F
Newell. Denver, chairman; John c. Kel
lar, Cleveland; w. II. Gels, Baltimore
o. ]. Burson, Kalamazoo; ]. E. Havens
Brooklyn.
committee consisting OF Thomas
Smith, Barney Curtin and Thomas Farm
er was, appointed to draft set OF rules
governing II e convention.
Pending the report of these com mittees
George King of Washington, the legal rep
resentative of the letter carriers, was
granted the floor. and spoke at some
length on the subject of the eight-hoCI
law, free delivery and the proposition by
the Government to settle all Just claims
for overtime due the letter carriers.
Mr. King stated that his law firm was
vainly trying on their behalf to secure
some chance to prove their overtime
Claims and have them considered on their
merits by the Court of Claims. The car
riers have already received as the result
OF the firms legal battle something over
$3,000000 by appropriation OF Congress.
The speaker assertei that nearly all the
Tree delivery cities OF this country except
the Pacific Coast States have been paid
on their claims. He extended hope 10
the San Francisco letter-carriers, who
nave a big claim against the Government,
with the statement that the contract to
which they affixed their names, signing
away their statutory rights, would not
to the statute of limitation the speaker
said that at the proper time Legislation
would be requested favorable to the car
riers for the just claims for overtime serv-
ices subseq uent to 1888 A vote of thanks
was given Mr.. KING. The noon recess was
then taken.
The afternoon session opened at about
o clock, and throug hout the session the
chief motive of the delegates seemed to
be 10 put themselves on record as parl.a-
mentarians and speech makers and
President Parsons displayed his excel
lent abilities as a presiding officer by his
uniform GOODNESS and the fairness OF his
decisions.
The first business of the afternoon was
the reading of responses to the numerous
letters OF invitation which had been sent
out Letters of regret at being unable to
attend were received from John Wana-
maker, Congressman William Sulzer,
Postmaster c. Van Cott of New
York, Postmaster General Gary, Will
liam L. Wilson, C. w. Fairbanks, William
NJ. Smith, George W. McClelland, N. D.
Sperry, Thomas McEwan, Congressman
Charles J. Faulkner. Senator Mark A.
Hanna, Governor Budd and many others.
President Parsons then made brief re-
sumo of his work during the year as Ma
tionaI president, which was in part as fol-
lows:
my work for the year commenced by
making q trip TO Washington, where |
used my utmost endeavors to bring closer
together the heads Of the departments and
the carriers themselves, feeling confident
that by bringing about friendly relations
more good can be accom- pllshed by petit
tioning those in power than In any other
way. | think there is intelligence enough
in the officers of the association to sue
cessfully adm mister its own offairs with
out any outside assistance whatever. Dur
ing the year | have visited many of the
branches in my jurisdiction, both in my
official capacity and as personal visitor.
and | think l have accomplished much
good in this way, as l have brought the
individual branches into closer touch with
the National association"
A motion that this report be acce pied
and The recon me2dations EN- bodied in it
be turned over to the proper committee
Tor consideration provoked a discussion
that lasted half through the afternoon.
Mr.. Quinn OF Philadelphia seemed to
have tie impression that Mr.. Parsons had
mn n fiot,
OF his official actions during the year in
his report, and would not consent 10 It's
adoption until he was satisfied on these
points, but did not get an opportunity TO
state his objection, as he was called 10
order on the ground that, as the creden-
tlal com mittee had not yet made its re-
port the convention was not yet organ
lzed and the report could neither be re-
ceived nor any official action taken on it.
This point was decided as well taken,
and solutions, points of order 10 show
they could not be received, m actions 10 ad-
journ and halt made speeches occupied
a bout two hours. Finally Mr.. Cam brio ge
came to the conclusion that, whether
they were organized or not they were
there in a body, the report had been
given them and was their property, and
as such hey might .spose of it as they
saw tit. After some more discussion, in
which Mr.. Quinn maue strenuous efforts
10 make MS objections, but was seated
time after time on points of order, the re-
port was finally adopted.
Mr.. McErov then moved that the con-
vention adjourn until 8 P. NJ when the
re port of the creden tials commit ee would
be ready, but at this juncture the c1m-
mittee put in its appearance with the re-
port and the motion to adjourn was with
drawn. The report showed the actual al
tendance to be as follows: Officers II.
Stale vice presid snts 7, delegates $50
branches represented by delegates 141, by
proxies III.
The committee on rules then presen ted
a set whicn 1t had drafted, which differed
very little from last years, and they were
adopted.
1t was then decided to devote some one
session exclusively 10 matters pertaining
20 the Mutual Benevolent Association,
the day 10 be fixed by the board of trus-
tees.
Mr.. Morrison, secretary of the law and
legislative committee, then made
lengthy report of the doings of that body
during the bast year, relating mainly to
the efforts it had made 10 have a law
passed providing that the salary of letter.
carriers be not less than $1,000 per annum.
but which was rril, d out by Speaker Reed.
The convention then adjourned till
D CLOCK this morning j
After the convention adjourned MANY
)f tie visitors made trip through China