The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-27
RAGE PROBLEM IN RAILWAY
 MAIL SERVICE
Monster Petition Filed with Post master General BurIeSOn
 Asks for Action

The proceedings of tha National Association of Railway Postal Clerks just concluded at Cincinnati, O., have been watched with more than ordin- ary interest by the railway postal clerks of Bridgeport and vicinity. Among the important questions dis cussed and settled there was one which has long been debated by the members of the organization. It is the ever troublesome race question. The Civil Service rules permit the ad- mission of co1ored citizens into the Railway Mail Service upon equal terms with whites and in the South where the co1ored population is much larger than here, a considerable mum Der of appointments have been made
 All railway postal clerks are re- Quired to take annual examinations upon the distribution of mail which they are required to assort in their as- signment upon the trains and it of ten happens that while a man may etcram" for and pass good examina- ton, his car record is more or less faulty. Clerks in charge are expect ed to make proper reports concerning the men under them and these, with the seniority and annual examination records are taken into consideration when prom are made.
 With the growth of the service some of the Southern colored railway postal C40EAS nave ElS0n to POS1LlOnS Ol SUI periority and the result is that in a crew of ten to fifteen men the one in charge is often a colored man. The high strung temperament of the Southern white is not improved when he is supervised in his work by a ne- gro boss, and as itzis alleged that in long runs the whites are obliged to sleep in the mail cars in close contact with the coIored railway postal clerks, they are up in arms over this condi- ton of affairs.
 Repeated petitions to former Post master General Hitchcock were with out result and now a monster petition clerks of the country has been en- dorsed by the Railway Mail Associa- ton and immediate action upon 1t will be urged to Postmaster General Bur Ieson.
 While the petition was being circu- lated it was suggested that while seg- regation might accomplish the end de- sired, it would be a better plan to transfer large numbers of the negro clerks to the North and especially to the New England States where the coIored brother is generally well re- ceived. There are a few coIored clerks on the main lines of mail trains between Boston and New York upon which many Bridgeport railway pos tai clerks are employed but nothing objectionable has ever developed from their association with the whites and none of them occupy positions of su- periority- nor do they outnunaber the whites as is alleged is the case in some parts of the South. As for sleeping in close contact with them the work is so heavy that there is no time for sleep at all for anyone.
 When it seemed that serious con stderation might be given to the sug- gestion to the plan to transfer the col l ored brother in wholesale patches to staid old New England the Bridge port railway postal clerks Joined forces with the rest and the result IS that the resolution was passed sug- gesting segregation as the best soIu- ton of the problem. It is expected that Postmaster General BurIeson will shortly issue an order to this effect.