The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-31
WALKOUT Al,
POsTOFF|CE
Mail Clerks Refuse To
Work Overtime.
QUIT THEIR JOBS At 6
If They Do Not Turn Up This Morn
ing a Strike Will
Be on.

If the clerks of the mailing depart
ment of the postoffice do not report for
duty at 8 o'clock this morning their
absence will mean that they have gone
ont on a strike Strained relations
between the men who work the mail
and the men In charge eliminated last
evening at o'clock in the subordinates
walking out Of the postoffice and refus-
ing to come back after that hour 10
separate and place in the letter boxes
and various compartments much OF the
mail which arrived yesterday morning
on the Sonoma.
None of the heads Of the postoff1ce
would state last night that strike was
in progress and Postmaster Oat refused
to be interviewed upon the subject. 1t
was ascertained, however, that there
has been a good deal of grumbllng
among the men for some time and that
the pleasant relations which existed
during the days of the Republic nave
not existed with the coming OF the
United States regulations and methods.
The men have claimed that they should
not perform overtime work without be-
ing paid for it, and at last decided that
they would not give and take, as the
mail was great or small.
Yesterdays mail was one Of the larg-
est received at the Office for many
weeks. The letter mail was assorted
during the afternoon and by the time
! the office was ready to close regularly
at o'clock the paper mail was ready
| to be looked after. It was piled up in
huge sacks. One or two of the men
went out for their supper shortly before
6 and came back after the hour only to
find the office in comparative darkness
and the employees. absent. The blame
for the walk-out Is. placed on mar
at the general delivery window, Ha.
waiian employe and one or two Others
who were disgruntled because they
were asked to continue at the work
On Tuesday morning one of the en-
lployes was suspended from duty for no
reporting for duty for three successive
days. with the recommendation that HI
he discharged from the department. HI
left but came back yesterday morning
land asked to be reinstated, but the OF
"details were inexorable. Whether or no
this action had anything to do wit
last nights movement Is not yet deter
good part of the week have had little
nothing to do and are granted many ia
yors In the way Of half-holidays an
the shortening of slow days. On occa
isions when steamers arrive In port fror
San Francisco 1t has always been a
understood thing that the mail b
worked until it Is cleared from tn
/ sacks. Lately there has been a DISPOSE
Ix.- l,>J, %I.1 1t,fu
spector Robinson said last night tina
the conditions In Honolulu are not en-
countered in any other postoffice in tn
limited States. The Office Is not exact
IIy classified and according to the ethic
: and regulations of the Postal Depart
lment. all mail must be worked" OF
: on arrival. which means the men mus
4 stand by until 1t Is finished. In othe
: cities the men work in eight hour shift
but when q heavy mail is encountere
the ''off'' shifts assist those working.
q Honolulu receives on an average
h only one mail a week from the Goa!
o and the addresses want their mail bae
: ly. but the office force has neglecte
g getting out the paper mail for SON
!, time and the community has suffere
lin consequence. The Inspector believe
: that as the men do not perform ar
work to speak of for several days in tt
= week they should be willing to get OF
a big mail when it comes, even If the
do have to work late at night. Unc
Sans requirements are that the ms
must be gotten to the addresses Wi
, all the expedition possible.
"The Postoffice Department intends
shall run it's Offices and not the clerl
run the department" said Mr.. Robi
son. ''The mail must be gotten out
If the men do not report for wo
this morning it is quite likely that Il
postmaster will take summary acti
- and discharge all Of them. There
~ three and four applicants for every p
L sition in the Office and there will
little difficulty in filing the places
the disgruntled ones. AS to overtin
= the Postal Department makes no prov
sion for paying for 1t.
Trouble on Sonoma.