The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-22
RIGHT Of CLERKS
To HAVE UNION
sECRETARY MORRISON CHAL-
LENGEs RIGHT OF HITCHCOCK
TO PREVENT EMPLOYEES
JOINING
BODY HAS NO SECRETS
NOTHING IN TTnSETs OF oRGANI-
zATIoN TO INTERFERE WITH
SERVICE TO GOVERN
NEWT.
BODY HAS NO SECRETS

WASHINGTON. u. c, March a.
Challenging Postmaster General
Hitchcock to prove his right TO pre-
vent railway mail clerks rrom Joining
union and threatening to take the
matter before congress, Frank Nor
rison. secretary OF the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, to-day set forth
the union side of the impending strug-
gle In the following statement writ
ten for the United Press:
/ have read the communication of
. Second Assistant Postmaster-G General
Stewart to Superintendent Grant, or
the railway mail service, which was
communicated to the district super
intendents OF the railway mail SER
vice throughout the country. The
communication states that he (Stew-
artl desires that steps be taken at
once to acquaint the clerks that an
organization Is inimicai to the In
terests of the government, but he
tStewart) fails TO give any reasons.
He intimates that to Join an organi-
cation would be in violation OF their
oath of office.
He says further, in substance. that
when clerk takes hts oath of Of
Ace, it liz Impossible for him to join
q union that would not interfere with
his work as railway postal clerk.
These two statements are prepos-
ferrous. There is nothing In the oath
that a clerk takes that prevents him
from Joining union ror MS self inn
provement. There Is nothing in the
obligation clerk may take in be-
coming a member of union. that
can in any way interfere with his
, duties as a railway mail clerk, or
his oath OF Office.
l challenge the post-ofTice depart
ment TO point out in the oath or
/ Office taken by the clerks, anything
/ that prevents them from Joining a
union.
The union obligation taken by the
railway mail clerks Is not n secret
obligation. The union ia not secret
organization. | am satisfied that the
officers of the postofflce department
are fully aware of this fact,
1t appears 10 me that IL may be-
come necessary TO have congress de-
eide whether the section OF the statute
l granting the right TO wage workers
! to organize for their self improve
ment. covers government employees. or
II when a government employe takes
his oath OF office, 1t strips from him
every right he enjoyed as citizen
prior TO becoming an empioye OF
Uncle Sans.
oring to make this an entering wedge
to destroy the unions now in exis-
fenCe.
i The fact that the department has
/ issued an order that the clerks should
be persuaded" not to Join the union.
instead OF ordered" not to icin. 10
evidence that the department had in
mind that statute permitting wage
workers to organize. and they intend
to get around the statutory pro-
vision by using tho tremendous In
fiuence of the officers of the depart
ment to eoerce the railway postal
clerks into submission.
The wage workers OF America do
not easily submit to coercion Gov
ernment employees either have the
right to organize. or they have not.
Postmaster General Hitchcock is fully
aware of the fact that they nave that
right. The endeayor OF the depart
ment to take II from them by the most
hateful form Of Intimidation that can
be conceived. is nothing short OF ty-
ranny.