Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-09-05
CONGRESSMAN PRoUTY TELLS
POSTAL CLERKS THEY SHOULD
HAVE RIGHT OF APPEAL.
WOULD NOT ACCORD THEM e "
PRIVILEGE OF STRIKING
Prouty to~1e Factor In Formulating
leeisIation Pertaining to Govern
mont EmpIoyss-lsaisIati Prob
ably Will NuIlffy Orders Of Roeso.
welt and Taft.
Special to Times-Repub,ican.

Des Moines, Sept. 5.-Shall the hun
dreds Of thousands Of government en-
ployes in the classified service have
the right to conspire together and use
the compulsion Of the organized strike
to make good their desires?
That is in the opinion Of Judge
Prouty. member Of congress for the
Seventh district, the largest single
question before congress at this time.
And it is more than probable that
Judge Prouty will have great deal
to do with deciding what answer the
federal government shall make to the
question.
The public is somewhat familiar with
the situation. President Roosevelt is
sued An executive order forbidding all
persons in the classified service from
appealing to their congressman for re-
dress Of their grievances. President
Taft has confirmed this position and
added to the orders. The Lloyd bill is
before the committee on civil service
reform of the house, Of which Prouty is
d member. The hill II adopted would,
in effect. nullify the orders of Roose-
Welt and Taft, and restore to the clerks
their former rights and privileges.
Judge Prouty says that the original or
der grew out of the fact that the clerks
were too importunate in reaching the
congressman. and the latter perhaps
too jealous in presenting to the depart
ments at Washington the grievances
Of their constituents. However, that
may be he says that among the strong
er men of congress there is well de-
fined feeling that the executive orders
went far beyond that which is right or
proper. On the other hand the Lloyd
bill would virtually declare to all in the
classified service that they have right
to meet, organize and If deemed prop
er, to strike.
Prouty Favors Right Of Appeal.
What Prouty proposes is that the biz
shall provide that no person shall be
discharged without a right of appeal to
some impartial tribunal for review of
the whole case. and as a corollary that
the persons IN the classified service
shall not have the right to strike.
The convention Of postal clerks,
which is one department OF government
much affected by the order and the bill,
gave instant approval to this plan OF
Judge Prouty when he presented 1t to
them in their national convention In
session here now. In return for this
approval Judge Prouty assured them
that there was no doubt the amend
ments he has prepared will be included
in the bill when it is passed next
winter.
Nub Of Whole Question.
This question OF the right of a gov
eminent employee to strike is the real
nub of the whole matter" said Judge
Prouty last evening. 1T Is a serious
question. The argument against it is
that the individual in the classified
service takes a special oath of al
legiance and becomes in fact part Of
the government Just as much as the
soldier or the sailor on duty. To permit
him to combine and organize for
strike would be like letting the pri-
Yates in the army dictate what they
should do. Look at the danger. If, for
service should all go on strike at once.
what a calamity 1t would be. 1t would
lie, in my opinion, as far re ichlnS IN
it's disastrous results as if Great Brit
ain should declare war against US.
Look at the situation in France today
where tho government: employees in the
classified service Of the railroads ave
OK, strike, ard see what harm is done.
Jusecs in Right to Appeal.
"But on the other. nend a member o.
congress is chosen as the representa-
tive of the people Of his district. not
a few but all Of them, and have new
er heen able to bring myself to believe
that because one Of my constituents
happens to have accepted service in
the government he should he deprived