The Sunday globe., 1901-07-21
A REPLY
To the Complaints from the Mail
Bag Repair Department.

Washington, D. c., July 49, 1901.
To THE EDITOR OF THE GLOBE;
In looking over last Sundays issue
of The Globe (July Ia, | noticed an
article entitled "The Worst So Far"
and beg permission to answer the ar
ticle, so that the editor of The Globe,
with its many readers, may better un-
deTstand the situation at the Mail Bag
Repair Shop, and at the same time do
Justice to all concerned Most un-
doubtedly the one who gave you the
article is not familiar with the manner
in giving out the work at the shop,
nor the reason why some of the piece.
workers are not making higher wages
at present The statement about the
salary of 40 cents per day is entirely
wrong. Some one may have made that
amount on some special work, or on a
day when work was not to be had ow.
ing to two reasons, which ! will give,
lrst, the elimination Of heavy leather
pouches and jute sacks from the serv-
ice and the substitution of canvass
pouches and sacks, which are more eco
nomical and give better results, are the
causes of a falling off in the repair
work, especially in the section of the
shop under the leather workers. Sec
ond, the amount of repair work receiv.
ed daily at present is not very large,
and after inspection, and the condemn
ed pouches and sacks are thrown aside,
it sometimes leaves only a few pouches
or sacks for each employe to repair,
the result of having too large a force
of employees and too little work at pres.
ent. o.
AS for Mr.. w. B. Severe, the superin.
tendent, having any favorites, such Is
an unmitigated falsehood, He is kind
and impartial to the employees, and al
ways looks out for their interest and
comfort, He is a practical man, thor.
oughly Conversant with the work, and
has inaugurated many reforms in the
method of doing the work to the best
interests Of the service and employees;
also designed several new classes of
pouches, which have been of great ben
eft to the service, and he has always
been on the alert to improve the serv-
ice. The work is now distributed equit-
ably, share and share alike, and as
soon as the employees finish their daily
portions of work they are Immediately
dismissed.
1t might be well to state that during
the Spanish War Mr.. Severe secured a
contract from the War Department for
the benefit of the employees of the Mail
Bag Repair Shop, and made over $1,000
common and conical tents, besides, he
also made for the Postoffice Depart
ment 10000 canvas sacks. The en-
ployes We're then able to make fairly
good wages.
The amount they draw now for the
work and time engaged upon same is
higher than they could earn elsewhere
for similar work and time, and yet,
am sure that Mr.. Severe would like for
the employees to earn more than they
do at present
Mr.. Sewers father is a practical can
vas-worker, certified to his position by
the Civil Service Commission, and is
paid piece-work rates, and does not
earn any more than anyone else en-
gagged upon similar work. He may
make four dollars (S4 per day If he
does it is done by piece-work, the same
as all OF the other employees do when
the work is plentiful or when it be-
comes a certain employees duty to per-
lbl III WI ~ 0utu do repairing tdltlleI
pouches or special work. The state
ment of 40 cents a day wages, stated
as it was leaves the impression that is
all the employees have been earning
and are earning at the present. Such
is not the case, and it must show base
ingratitude, and can never help the en-
ployes Of the shop to better their con-
dition in the leastwise.
me kindly disposition of the Second
Assistant Postmaster-General not to
furlOugh or dismiss any of the en-
plOyes, believing that half a loaf Is
better than none is why these employees
can not earn more than their share,
and sVch consideration for the EN-.
ployes and their families is evidently
not appreciated.
Thanking you for space in The Globe
for this article / remain
Yours truly
II. ], MoFFArT.
Hyattsville, Md
u. A. .f..l. -