The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-02-02
SWAMP MAIL men
INSUFFICIENT HELP ON SEVERAL
LINES OWING TO STRIKE
SOGGLES 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 Gle. ks are growing
more serious daily. This Is particul-
arly true on District Nc. 10, wh,re
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 intolleraLle.
The action of the district depart
meut in suspending the regulars"
because OF their refusal to do e ira
work without ira compensation has
aroused the mitigation of the people
and the topic is the principal one d s.
cussed about the capital. Sympa H.
for the clerks is general. From what
can be lea ned it is evident the e l.
a misunderstanding in WASHINGTON Of
the conditions Of the service thro gh-
out the west and a lack Of nowledge
on the part of the heads of the d.
partment of the true state of affairs
as exists particularly in South 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 unit the
COVE nment makes an investigation
in District No. 10. The heads OF the
district are fighting any move OF tbs
nature. c%Ontending they are amp'y
able to cope with the situation. hut
be hat as it NAV, the fact remains
Nla -Dr,f., l.. yLs-
plorable shape.
Those who are thoroughly CONVEX
SAINT with. the situation are inclined
TO the belief there is too much au-
thority vested in the district heals
and that therein lies the real beg
ming of the trouble. The district s l.
perintendent is the court of last re-
'ort, TO whom the men can turn, an I
it Is with him they are having tn ir
trouble, They are not pc mitted to
offer any criticism of the man h gh-
er up and must do as instruc ed or
suffer suspension. Last week alb VI
a dozen clerks OF long servire we e
suspended because they would not
consent to work overtime without ex-
ira pay.
Senator Crawford has adviser al
the suspended men to re'urn t. work
under the existing conditions until an
investigation can be had, but what
action congress will take in the
premises Is problematir al. One e. ing
is certain and that Is that something
tending toward relief must be done
and done quickly.
Huron-t was Learned from re-
liable sourcec that on Friday the rail-
way mail clerks on the Pierre-Rapid
civ rrn worried mail on a n~g al
papers as late as January IS. Sons
were from Sioux City, Sioux Falls,
Minneapolis and st. Paul. S~eventy-fve
sacks were at Pierre unworked and
twenty-five went through here Sstur-
day morning eastward for q second
time. Yet superintendent Perkins
says the service is only slightly I'm
ra'red." 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 sa"ks of sec
ond class unworked mail is lying
here and 125 more similar axis
are reported lying 1T M'dlond, est of
here. on count Of the ira i'itv o.
the mail clerks to han'lo them, or
space eno"gh in the crcw'e1 mail
cars on the RaDid Citv-Pierre line.
The clerks profe s to te'iev thot the
matter will he s~ea5i'y ad'u ted.
Will tmnrOua PnaJhaI