The Washington times., 1906-10-12
Business Men Criticised
for Getting Rid of En-
pIoyeSUnder Those
Conditions.
COMPANY COMMANDERS
POWFRLESS TO ACT
Each Year 1t IS Said Large
Numbers Lose Places
for Leaving
Work.

No little criticism has been directed
toward local business men Who dis
charged members of t1c District Militia
because they participated ia the annual
encampmsul at MI Grctna, Pa, last
July It is said that as many as 5a men
lost their positions because their mills
taTy dutJ called them frou their work
tr Washington business houses. This is
not believed 10 be more than tLree-nftEE
OF the total uumber who lost their posi-
tiOns because of leaving the city for
uiDe days 20 participate u the CnCamu-
ment, hut it represents tho number that
has been brought to the attention OF
Cihcers Of the general STAN, company
commanders ana civilian employees ut
the militia.
This happens each year, and the Off
GERS of the Guard say they do not
think IL is fair toward The military
Tor the merchants 10 take tlls means
of Tiddiug themselves of the services of
an undesirable empIoyc Major Lloyd
n. Brett, First United States Cavalry
detailed as adWJJut az National Guard
Headquarters, stated today that Dee. as
the man who mapped out the work for
the mili;iamen, subject 90 Gen. George
il, Harries' approval, took them from
their business just as little 3s possible.
Object Of EuCampmeuts.
The aim and object of the command
ing general and his adiutant is 10 give
The citizen soldiers sufficient military
training each week TO hold their interest
and move them slowly along the uao OF
progression. and the interests OF Wash
ington business men are always re-
Earded and reckoned with before the
militiamen are taken from their places
of employment
Al the Spanish War Veterans BAN
uuet In the Willard last night the vol
unteer, OF citizen-soJdier. was given the
highest possible praise Toy men high up
on the military ladder, and whose words
count for much. Judge Advocate Davis
said there need Zoe no fear for the
safety of the country if all the Ma
tional Guard makes the giant strides
which we in the regular establishment
notice in the District OF Columbia ma
liua."
Praised for Their Efforts,
Several officers Of the District militia
attended the banquet. chief among
whom were General Harries and Major
Brett IL was remarked that the Dis
trict militia was 90 be further CUmUli-
mented ON having achieved SO much in
the face of the discouragemeut offered
by business men of the city,
Inquiry today disclosed the fact that.
each year between twenty ana seventy
men lose their positions because they go
10 camp for a week or ten days OF i'm
struction. Whether the employees are
incompetent or business is lacking and
their services are not required, or for
other reasons. does come C. the atteu-
tlon OF officers at headq IarteTs They
receive the bare information that this
or that numl ct of situations have been
lost by men faithful Go tle National
Guuard-
Commanders Are POweIless.
After the Mt. Gretna eucampmeut per-
sistent rumors ot a large number OF
miltamen having lost their situations
reached headquarters. Company COM
manders We're informed by the men
who lost their jobs but were powerless,
because, as civilians they would have
hut little weight with business firms.
When IL was rumored that fifteen of
The twenty men had been 'nred' for
taking the time of i'm crder 10 80 TO
camp Major Brett ISSUED a circular to
The officers, instructing them 90 ascer-
tain the exact number of when who wer
SO discharged. This circular brought
forth nineteen new names from the
ranks of the white mon.
In the First Separate Battalion, com
ToSed OF coloTcd men OF good moral
standing education and more pride than
can be- found iu ahy other OgaulZaton
iu the militia, Che business men are
said tu have played havoc. II Is kusWn
that as many as forty and probably
more COlOred men, chiefly pOTters, bell
hoy-. walters. employees of stores ana
clerks found their positions nil~d bN
others when they returned The best
class of COlOred men iu Washington
compoSc the First separate Battalion.
end Major Brooks. commanding De-, feels
as though an injustice IS being done
nv the employers VINO 'let out q man
who remains loval Jo an organization
vrbirb benefits him immeaSurahly and
AZ the same time is benefited by him.
Government Employees Protected.
The Government employees are well
,rotertej In addition to their regular
on5 Si,.l- leave they arc allowed military
leave. The company commanders never
have any difficulty I'm getting the Ge-
partmeut workers into the ranks Tor any
and an occasions. such as camp, parades.
siee practice and other duties TIE Gov
ernment empltyes are given certificate
by the company commanders who GER
ufv to the fact that the department
workers have performed military service
during their absence from the oltice.
This Is always accepted bN the thieI
of the division and the G5Ne-nnent em-
Move does not lose his position OF
penny from IBIS pay