The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-27
NAY CARRY THEIR CASES UP.
-r,v,sTER DOYLE's RIGHT TO
~rprc C EMPLOYEES QUESTIONED.

u,,o Who Have Bee" Cut Down in
and Lowered in Position May
al 10 the Civil Service Com
tan to Pass ON the Question.
a.. ,Vav by Which Changes May
-. wade Under the Civil Service
Law.
-.-u Service Commission, which is
.--s-ution not at all in high favor
al, politicians of the Jacksonian class
.-srls spoils, may have an opportu-
90. IN examine in to the affairs of the
,.,..rrea postoffice as result of some
obanees there which went into effect yes
LII The victims of the changes are
't..,,rb1v dissatisfied and an appeal may
=. t,-uarded to Washington to the COM
,,fssion requesting an opinion as to the
-.-bt nj a postmaster to displace men
t-,r, their positions without questioning
- ability to do the work and without
any charges being preferred against them.
Under The civil service law the post
v,seter cannot remove the clerks or letter
carriers without charges having been pre-
ferred and proven sufficiently grave to
ius-ifv such action. The law protects the
empoves in this way from the fear of
dismissal from the service for political
reasons. The question that will now be
Tr.seuted to the commission is as TO
1.batber a postmaster, for political or
nersoual reasons, can reduce employees to
inferior positions, with much smaller sal
aries attached, practically driving some
of them out of the service, or opening the
uav for such a method of Kidding an
Office Of a man who was Objectionable
from political or personal reasons.
Yesterday Mr.. R. w. Greene became
mailing clerk at $500 a year. Heretofore
he has been chief of both the mailing
and the free delivery departments at
salary of 81 200 a year. Mr.. H. B. Lemcke
AT the same time assumed the duties of
stamp clerk and assistant distributor at
$500 a year, having been denoted from
the position of registry clerk, where he
received a salary of Sl,1OO a year. Each
of these employees suffered a loss of $500
a year in his salary, in addition to the
humiliation of being reduced to an infe-
rlor and much less desirable position in
the service Mr.. William Coolidge was
placed in charge of the free delivery de-
Uartment as chief distributor at a salary
of POO year. He has been acting as
distributor at 5000. Mr.. r. H. O'Donovan
was made chief mailing clerk at 81 200 a
year Heretofore Mr. O'Donovan has
been mailing clerk at $1,000. Mr.. J. Ed
Lege. who was stamp clerk is now mail
ing clerk and distributor at $500, his
former pay in the position to which Mr..
Lemcke was reduced having been $500.
Mr.. j. NJ Black was put in Mr.. Lemcke's
former position in the registry depart
ment at N.100 He had been mailing clerk
at $780, The two night clerks, Messrs.
Thomas and McHenry, received a raise
in salary from 500 to $500.
Heretofore Mr.. Greene has had charge of
both sides Of the postohice. Now Mr..
Coolidge will be in direct charge in the
free delivery department, while Mr..
O'DonOvan will be responsible in the mail
ing department. This will greatly relieve
the assistant postmaster and it is claim
ed result in an improvement in the SER
vice
OF course all the employees interested,
except Messrs. Greene and Lemcke, are
thoroughly satisfied with the course of af-
fairs. But the latter two are not slow
70 express their dissatisfaction and ques-
uon the right of a postmaster to reduce
employees in rank and in salary in this
way without any charges of incompetency
or inability to perform the work.
B9th men claimed that Postmaster Doyle
told them that he had no charges to make
"7''''i'e '4iNtA anu Gdtn uOluS tndI ne mas
SIMPLY been sacrificed in order that the
postmaster might favor his friends No
sucn question, as far as in known, has
ever been presented for the consideration
OF the Civil Service Commission, and if
lAe cases are carried before that body
mere will be great interest in its decis-
ION. As it is now, a postmaster could get
around the law, it is claimed, by so re-
eucing men in position and pay as to
iorce them out of the service The changes
mere Mr.. Doyle says, are entirely for the
tooa OF the service, but the sufferers in
slSt mat they are experienced men in
tleF former respective positions, had per-
formed their work satisfactorily, and that
me changes are in violation of the spirit
Of the law.
ME- Lemcke expects to file an applica-
uoh with the department for transfer to
Hle santiago or Porto Rico service, he hav-
ns had yellow fever in 1876 and being
ABOUT rs much of an immune as can be
FOUND in The department.
All OF the employees who have been pro-
mo.ed are recognized as efficient and ex-
peieneed men. Mr.. Coolidge has been
N Inc office for years. Mr. O'Donovan
nds olen in the office a number of years.
nolu are experienced and thoroughly ca
pag'e LOT their new positions Mr.. Black
anI air. Lege are also capable and trust