The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1911-02-03
MAIL men
INSUFFICIENT HELP ON SEVERAL
LINES OWING TO STRIKE
BOGGLES SERVICE
DAILIES STALE in TRANSIT
Passing Hither and Yon and Doubling
Back Over Line Eight or Ten
Days late---unworked
Mail Piles Up

Conditions arising from the strike
Of the railway mail clerks are growing
more serious daily. This is particul-
arly true on District No. 10, whers
| South Dakota is dire tly affected. On
the line from the Twin Cities t,
Pierre. inexperienced men are now
handling or attempting to handle
work which was formerly in the
charge OF experts and the situation
is growing intollerable.
The action of the district depart
ment in ~suspending the regulars"
because of their refusal to do extra
work without eytra compensation has
aroused the mitigation OF the people
and the topic is the principal n d S
cussed about the capital. Sympa NJ
for the clerks is general. From what
can be learned 1t is evident the o Il
a misunderstanding in Washington of
the conditions of the service thro gh-
out the west and a lack of knowledge
on the part Of the heads Of the de-
partment of the true state of affairs
as exists particularly In so2th Ia
kota and Minnesota.
Senator Wright OF Beadle, who has
carefully looked into the matter Is
convinced there can be no satisfactory
adjustment of the difficulty until the
! COVE nment makes an investigation
In District No. 10. The heads OF the
district are fighting any move of this
nature. contending they are amp'y
able to cope with the situation. Iut
be that as 1t NAV, the fact remains
the service in this section is in 6e-
plorable shape.
Those who are thoroughly conver-
SAINT with the situation are inclined
to the belief there is too much au-
thority vested in the district heads
and that therein lies the real begin
ming OF the trouble. TIE district 8 l.
perintendent is the court of last re.
sort, to whom the men can turn, an 1
1t is with him they are having their
trouble. They are not pc mitted to
offer, any criticism Of the man h gh-
er UP" and must do rs ins'ruc' ed or
suffer suspension. Last week ab u.
a dozen clerks OF long servite we Q
suspended because they would not
consent to work overtime without ex-
ira pay.
Senator Crawford has advised al
the suspended men to return to work
under the existing conditions until an
investigation can he had. but what
action congress- will take in the
premises is problematical. One ting
is certain and that Is that something
tending toward relief must be done
and done quickly.
Huron--Tt was learned from re-
liable sourcec that on Friday the rail-
way mail clerks on the Pierre-Rapid
City run worked mail containing Sailv
papers as late as January Is. Some
We're from Sioux City, Sioux Falls,
Minneapolis and st. Paul. Seventy-fve
sacks were at Pierre unworked and
twenty-five went through here Satur-
day morning eastward for a second
time. Yet superintendent Perkins
says the service is only slightly I'M
paired" Huron business men and
citizens generally are highly indig-
nant and are urging the authorities
at Washington to provide immediate
relief.
Rapid City-Over 200 sacks of Sec
ond class unworked mail Is lying
here and 125 more similar sacks
are reported lying at Midland, east of
here. on accoun of the ina fifty OF
the mail clerks to handle them. or
space enough in the crowded mail
cars on the Rapid City-Pierre line.
The clerks profe 8 to telieva that the
matter will be sree6i'y ad u ted.