Evening star., 1903-07-01
IN LABOR CIRCLES

ing Investigations in progress into the af-
| fairs of the Post Office Department. in 50
far as working men and women allied with
| that organization. directly or indirectly. are
in the least concerned. This was decided
upon when the officials Of the Central La
Dor Union arrived at the conclusion that
the charges of misnanagement, favOritfsm
and of discrimination against members Of
organized labor. which were originally SUBJ
mitted April % last. had not been duly
prObed.
Following out the instructions of the Cen
trail Labor Union. the special committee of
the body. composed of Messrs. E. ]. Rati-
gan. Harry w. Sherman and Milford Spohn.
called upon Postmaster General Payne
Monday and resubmitted the charges.
statements and complaints made against
the methods in vogue and the present ad-
ministration of affairs in the mail bag re-
pair shop of the Post Once Department.
The text of the charges, etc. were publish
ed in The Star when first submitted.
The papers submitted to Postmaster Cen
eral Payne Monday were accompanied by
a letter signed by the committee Of the
Central Labor Union. as follows:
please find inclosed charges which are
respectfully submitted to you for investf-
CATION. You will observe that the charges,
sta tements and complaints are substantial
ly the same as those submitted to you on
April %. 1903. by the undersigned commit
tee of the Central Labor Union.
I'VE are informed that the matter was
replied to you by Mr.. w. s. Shallenberger
under date Of April 20, 1903 which dispOses
of the charges as not being sustained.
THE committee begs to state that they
are not aware that the charges were fully
investigated. and as they are submitted in
good faith. and believing that. In the main,
they can be sustained. they are again sub
mitted for your consideration. and we re-
spectfully ask that they be referred for
thorough investigation, which we believe
the character of the charges require
The members of the committee also sub
mitted to Second Assistant Postmaster
General Sha1lenberger withdrawal of
their statement, forwarded to him several
months ago, in which the leather workers
of the shop informed him that they are
not efficient at the work assigned to
canvas workers as to Justify their detail
to that work. as contemplated by the Post
Office Department.
In the communication submitted to Mr..
Shallenberger 1t was stated that the leather
workers wish the statement withdrawn for
the reason that 1t is declared, 1t was prot
cured through the efforts of the superin-
tendent of the mail bag repair shop and
canvas worker. under duress. The request
of withdrawal was signed by all the leather
workers of the shop who had signed the
original statement
Still another matter which was brought
to the attention of the department in
wolves the conditions of employment in the
mail bag repair shop This, it is said. is
in line with the suggestion OF Second AS
sistant Postmaster General Shallenberger.
at recent joint conference with COM
mittee representing the employees of the
mail bag repair shops and the Central
Labor Union committee. This conference,
which was held about two weeks ago. was
arranged between the Central Labor Union
and the post office officials after the recep-
ton of Mr.. Shallenberger's reply to the
charges made by the committee. The reply
to the union committee was substantially
as follows:
1.-The communication Of the committee of
Central Labor Union, addressed to the
Postmaster General under date of April
%, was referred to me with accompanying
papers. and under date OF April 80 l re-
turned the same to the Postmaster General
with my reply. In this reply I referred to
the previous petition which the leather
workers of the mail bag repair shop ad-
dressed to the Postmaster General In jan
uary of this year. asking better pay and
had received no reply. That petition was
also referred to this Office and a full reply
was made under date of January IL and
IA. All of these replies are, Of course, in
the nature of confidential correspondence
to be considered and acted upon by the
Postmaster General as he may deem
proper. -. -e..ts -s.,. > .,-..- e.
In a recent conference, however, with
him suggested the propriety of asking
your committee to call at my office In
order that I might convey to them the
substance of these replies, with such other
explanations as would lead not only to
labor union employed in the mail bag
and mail lock repair shops to understand
more fully the position of the department
and it's desire to subServe the best inter-
ests of postal employees at all times.
If you will indicate time when 1t will
be convenient for you to call on me, either
alone or in company with committee from
the leather workers of the mail bag repair
shop. 1 will be pleased to make an early
appointment.
"A full month having elapsed since this
report was made, We are better prepared to
speak of the conditions which have neceS-
sarily reduced the amount of work that can
properly be assigned to the leather work
ers."
This was signed by w. 8. Shallenberger,
second assistant postmaster general.
At the conference arranged through the
medium of this letter, 1t is alleged Mr..
Shallenberger recommended that he pro-
pose to the civil service commission a
classification Of the employees of the mail
bag repair shop, by which those leather
workers who were competent to do canvas
bag repairing should be assigned to that
work.
The local labor leaders attach much sig
nifcance to the fact that the Central Labor
Union committee ignored Second Assistant
Postmaster General Shallenberger in re-
submitting the charges to the department,
and say 1t evidences the determination to
have the charges thoroughly probed. 1t is
intimated that should the latest charges
De O1SpOSeQ OF as were the nrSt papers
higher power will be appealed to.
An effort is being made by the officials
of the International Association Of Machin-
lists. in conjunction with those of the local
branches Of International bodies Of the
molders and blacksmiths. to have the board
of wages of the Navy Department recon-
slider it's action relative to the petition for
the employees Of the yards for an increase
in pay.
1t is the opinion Of the labor officials that
the increases in pay recommended by the
wage board to Secretary Moody Of the
Navy Department are not in keeping with
the rate of wages in vogue in private estab-
lishments of Washington and the cities
| within the radius allowed by the wage
board. For this reason the board it is
said, will be requested to increase its rec
ommendatton. so to speak. In furtherance
| of the present movement delegation OF
officials of the machinists, molders black
smiths and the other crafts interested
| called on Secretary Moody Monday. Seo-
| retary Moody. it Is said. assured the union
| officials that he would take the matter up
| personally and make an investigation. The
| report of the wage board was published in
| The Star Of Monday.
An effort is being made to effect a union
| among all nOldera emplovod ~, VIZ,