Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03
Explanation of Reorganization
of the Shop.
ANALYSIS OF THE WORK
A Complete Encouragement of Salaries
is Involved.
WILL BE NO MORE PIECEw0RK
Force Was Too Large and Burroughs
Were Frequently Made-Now Down
to Practical Working Basis.

The reorganization of the mailbag repair
shop, ordered by Postmaster General Cor
telyou, involved, as stated at the depart
ment complete Encouragement Of the
salary basis. Many of the employees here
tofore have been paid at piece rates
and the plan has been to give all
persons engaged on certain class of piece
work the same opportunity for earning
daily wages. The result has been that the
able and rapid employees have been held
back by those unable to do the work with
the same rapidity. The earning power OF
the employees has been gradually reduced
in the last ten years. The Encouragement
of work decided upon, according to
the officials, involved the reduction of
the force, but those that remained will
receive much better pay. In fact, al
most every employee of the mailbag repair
shop will receive fixed and substantial
increase. Under the orders Of the Post
master General forty -one employees were
dropped. HIS order Of yesterday calls for
the promotion of 141 employees. which, as
stated, means almost every employe re-
tanned in the shop.
Analysis of the Work.
vine HIty-tWO canvas anu leather WOTheTS
heretofore have earned a maximum of So
per day. This sum Is increased by the
Postmaster Generals order to $3.50 per day
straight compensation. That is to say, piece
work does not enter into the proposition.
The twenty-five women employed as ma
chine workers have been earning on an
average about 81 a day. They will now re-
ceive $2.25 per day. The sixteen woman
engaged as darners have been receiving
about $17o per day. They will also get y;
Very trying manual labor is required of
the forty-eight male employees. classed as
laborers in the mailbag shop For this
work they have been receiving $50 and 500
per month. The Postmaster Generals or
der promotes them to $50 per month.
Force Too Large.
The force employed in the mailbag re-
pair shop has been too large, and often
times the employees have been furloughed.
The present plan contemplate the reduc-
ton of the whole force to a practical work.
ing basis SO that employees will be able to
earn a good days pay. 1t has been a COM
mon thing for employees to report for work
in the morning, work perhaps an hour or
two and then be excused for the remainder
of the day, being paid, however, only for
the short time they worked.
It is understood that the work of the
mailbag repair shop Is very heavy and un-
desirable. so much so that 1t Is utterly Inn
possible for infirm persons to do the work
with credit to themselves or to the service
Promotions Announced.
The Postmaster General announces the
promotion Of A. A. Fisher of Vermont from
assistant chief clerk to chief clerk, division
of railway mail service, to succeed Mr.. Hol-
lyday, who has been made chief clerk, Sec
ond assistant postmaster general. and Mr..
Henry A. Shore Of North Carolina. pro-
NOTED from clerk at 81 600 to assistant chief
clerk, division Of railway mail service, at
81 800, vice Mr.. Fisher, promoted.
Indignant Denials.
When some Of the dismissed employees
of the mail bag repair shop were told Of
the official statement intimating that
they were not as expert as those who
were retained they were indignant, and
an emphatic denial was entered 1t was
stated that some of those discharged
were among the most expert workers in
the establishment. A number. Of the dis
missed were seen by a Star reporter. and
they asserted that some of those who
had been retained in the service were
1.-The drones of the official hive"
One, of the discharged women is the
daughter of q civil war veteran who was
a member of Farragut Post, G. A. R., but
who has been dead several years. In ad-
dition to having to support her widowed
mother, seventy-two years of age, she
has three dependent children.
copy of the letter of dismissal re-
ceived by the woman was as follows:
"Madam:-An order has been made dis
continuing your pay and services as a
sewer at piece-work rates in the mail
bag repair shop, Office Of the second as
sistant postmaster general, effective Feb
ruary %, 1907. By direction of the Post
master General"
The signature is that of Chief Clerk
Chance.
The dismissed Employees.
The veterans dismissed are said to be
Capt. B. F. Smith. who lost his right arm
on one of the battlefields of the SOUTH
and W. s. Harris. The widows or daugh-
tiers Of veterans are Mrs. M. E. Gates,
Mrs. B. Diggs, Mrs b. Graham, Mrs. E. c.
Smith, Mrs. A. Blades and Mrs. NJ
OLeary. 1t is said the husband of Mrs.
L. M. Fraser served twenty-six years in
the railway mail service was injured in
an accident and died as result She has
a son in the United States army and is
without means of SUPPORT.
The others dismissed are w. w. Ashby
W. T.. Boston, w. B. Hardester, "A. T.
Sparrow, H. w. Dufenbaugh, H. w.
Hewlett S. A. Fletcher A. Lusby, M E.
Harries, e. Stevenson, L. NJ. Frazier v.
NJ B. Harrison, E. Jennings, c. Kulman
M. A. Sisson, Z. Marvin, H. A. Dickerson
H. Covington, A. Gardiner, M. c. E. Jeni-
fer, A Koch, M. A. Perkins, E. N. Thomp-
SON. M. c. White, s. Fielding L. Lennon,
l. d. HOlZer dane Slant and M F. Coll