The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-28
Railway Postal Clerks Protest
Against Uncle Sam.
Postmaster General Has In
creased Working Hours.
WORK TOO STRENUOUS
And Men Not Permitted to APP
peal to Congress.
Other Items of General Inter
est in Traffic World.

Leavenworth, Kan. jan, 2S.-That the
entire railway mail service of the
country is threatened with disruption,
as the result of recent order OF the
postmaster general who endeayors to
take up the slack in the service, is
plainly evident from the disSat1srac-
ton heard in every large mail center
where it is said, that unless the mat
ter is soon remedied there will be
wholesale designations from the ser
vice
1t is a we'll known fact to all pa
irons of the postoffice that there has
been much unnecessary delay In the
mails, which Is attributed by the post
Office department to the Increased vol
ume at this time of the year. This,
however, is denied by the men who
handle the mail on the trains, who say
that the cause results from the orders
of the postmaster general, issued
through the superintendent of the rail-
way mail service, and that they are
compelled to do extra work, put IN
overtime, until they are unable to nan
die the mail on their trains. This has
been especially so during the recent
holiday season. when mail crews ar
irving at the terminus of their runs
would turn over large amounts OF
"unworked'' mail, which is delayed in
reaching it's destination until such time
as it can be separated and routed TO
the different lines for which 1T was in
tended. This has been noticeable at
large junction points like Kansas CITY,
mail has been piled up on trucks at
the railway station, some of it remain
ing for days before being started to its
destination.
Doing Double Work.
Postmaster General Hitchcock, in
stead of giving additional clerks to the
heavy lines, has compelled the men to
double back and assist the regular
crews, when the time thus employed
should be used by the clerk in resting
up for his next trip and in studying
to keep abreast with the changes in the
service. Frequently has he only been
able to get in from this extra work in
time to start out upon his own run
Under these conditions the clerk is
completely worn out and is in no con-
Cition to handle the heavy mail COM
ing to him.
This condition of affairs has become
so intolerable to the clerks that many
have already quit the service and
there is talk among them Of wholesale
designations to take effect at the same
time in the near future, unless some
thing is done to remedy matters. In
fact on some of the lines in the North
west, the men have quit in a body. This
is true of the clerks on the North
western railroad, running between
Tracy, Mimi, and Pierre, S. d. where
IS postal clerks left their runs, being
tinuous work Clerks eentering at st.
Paul and Minneapolis, Mimi, have just
held a joint meeting at which resoiu-
tions were adopted favoring resigna-
lions from the service rather than keep
up their runs with no prospect for re-
lief.
These resolutions will be sent to the
postmaster general, who will, probably
dismiss all who participated in the
meeting upon the grounds Of insubor-
De- ct I
and Kansas City, some. years ago.
when there were wholesale disrnissals
from the service because the postal
clerks had planned to leave the ser
vice. in body, rather than be dis
missed by ones or twos. The clerks
had formed an organization, intend
ing to lay the matter before the de-
partment. Before a sufficient number
had been enlisted to make the move eff
fectiVe a spy in the ranks carried the
matter to the division superintendent
at st. Louis. He Immediately began
making trips over the lines between
the two cities and succeeded in obtain
ing the names Of the officers of the or
ganiZation, and the result was their
Immediate discharge, and the move
ment collapsed. One of the leaders or
the movement, now deceased, was
resident of this city, having both be-
fore and after that time held import
ant city offices.
A postal clerk, as well as an en-
ployee of any other department Of the
government, is strictly forbidden to
petition his congressman on matters
relating to his work, for a transfer to
another branch of the civil service, or
for an increase of pay. Should he do
so and the matter come to the know
ledge of his superiors. the clerk is i'm
mediately discharged. His constitu
tional right to petition is taken away.
The men are under the "age law" and
cannot complain. Recently the chair
man of the National Railway Mail
Clerks association went to Washing
ton, in an effort to remedy existing
evils in the service, and the postmaster
general refused to see him. The only
knowledge that congress can obtain re-
garding abuses in the service is such
as the postoffice department. secs fit to
give it. 1t can only get one side, not
that of the men.
The delay in the mails has affected
all sections of the country, more es-
pecially in the west, where matter or
iginating in New York and addressed
to Leavenworth. is now frequently from
II to "a hours late in arriving. This
state of affairs has aroused several