The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-17
REILLY MAKES LONG SPEECH
 ON 8-HOUR DAY
Urges Congress to Pass Post Office Appropriation Bill That Insures Shorter Working Hours for Elm ployes and Abolishment of the "Gag Rule."

Congressman Thomas L. Reilly, as l member of the committee on post l offices, has urged Congress in long | speech to adopt the provisions of the proposed bill that insures an eight and abolishes the "gag" rule prevent ing government clerks from bringing their grievances to the attention of Congress. The speech follows: The enactment into law of the legislation recommended will give to the letter carriers and post office clerks the benefits of an eight hour work day such as is now enjoyed by other government employees, and is the we'll settled policy of Congress on thls important question. It is my be- lief that the best interests of the postal service will be conserved by placing the clerks and carriers on an eight hour basis, as the men will then know just how many hours of service they will be required to work and can give a better and more satisfac, tory service when they know that they will not be required or permit ted to work an unlimited amount of time on some days when not required to do an ordinary days work on other days
 Representative Reilly quoted a iet- Q cock in opposition to the strict eight hour legislation which he supports and he then proceeded to tear the argument advanced by the department head into shreds.
 He compared the business of any commercial office with the postal ser vice.
 Tt is the contention of the depart ment that the mails do not flow ev- enly or uniformly in quantity on each day of the week That the mail var. ies in volume is unQuestionably true, and is it not fact that the ordinary commercial business varies in actiV> ity from day to day and are not men expected and required to put forth extra effort on busy days while they can relax from their efforts on days when the volume Of business is not so great. It seems to be the conten- tion of the department that the men should be required to work contin. uously up to the highest pitch of their ability and should not be allowed any breathing sDell.''
 MT. Reilly found strong words with which to denounce the "gag rule'' and to urge US abolition by a congression- al enactment.
 "This rule, which is known by the employees as the gag rule. has effec- tually choked these employees of the United States and tied them hand and foot and has prevented them from uttering any. word of complaint, even against the most outrageous treatment that could be heaped upon them,'' he said. Ut has denied them the right of petition to congress of their griev- ances unless their petition is present. ed through the head of the depart ment under which they serve.
 '1 believe that it is absolutely wrong and manifestly unfair and un- just to place the welfare of thou sands of our citizens in the hands and at the mercy of the whims of anr sin gle individual whether he be a cabi- net officer or anyone else. >~The ern- ployes in the postal service are as a rule men of high ideals and of good standing in their respective commun. ities and any law or rule that has for its obect the curtailment of their rights will meet with just resentment.
 ."Let us lift this ban from around the necks of these men and take the gag from out their mouths and give them the assurance that the fact of their accepting a position in the gov ernment service will not disbar thefn from presenting their proper petitions to Congress"
 Mr. Reilly condemned <he "spy sys- tenn" about which he said, he had re- ceived complaints. The cure for such conditions, he said, was to enable the employees of Uncle Sam to submit their grievances to Congress.