Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-01
BurIeson and Praeger Reply to
Resolution of Inquiry Passed
by Senate.
SAY IMPROVED SERVICE
WAS THE ONLY OBJECT
Some of Dismissed Men, Postmaster
Asserts, Were ''Pensioners,r in
Violation Of Law.

nave peeh oischarged, denoted. or whose
designations have been demanded In the
Post Office Department in the District Of
Columbia, and in the Washington city
post office since March 4. 1914. Postmas-
ter General Burleson sent q report to the
Senate today
The report shows that only one veteran
OF war Of the United States George
Marshall. Spanish American war vet
eran. has been denoted in the Post Once
Department In the District Of Columbia,
ana that none has been DISCHARGED or
has resigned in that time.
However. ten veterans. one q Confeder-
ate. have resigned, been denoted or
dropped from the rolls of the Wash
ington city post office since March 4 last
The youngest Of these men is sixty-eight
and the Oldest seventy weight.
Postmaster Generals Letter.
The Postmaster Generals letter to the
Senate was in part. as follows
In compliance with this resolution, I
wish to state that none of the employees
of this department who served in any war
of the United States has resigned or
been removed since March 4, 1914. The
only such person denoted is George Mar
SHALL who March "a, 1914, was reduced
from fireman at $72O to laborer at $3.50 ON
y
cants.
Mr. Marshall is forty-eight years old.
has served in the department five
years, and is veteran Of the Spanish
American war He was informed at
the time of his reduction that il his
record warranted such action he would
be restored to his former grade at the
expiration OF two months and he was
SO restored on May a. 1914"
Mr.. Burleson outlines the letter by
fr,a Sfa a
clerks who have resigned or been dis
missed or denoted. and continues:
There have been no removals or reetg-
nations during the present administra-
the Washington post office who served
in any war of the United States. and
the only such person denoted during that
time was Henry L. johnson. who was
reduced in rank and salary June :. 1913.
on charges preferred by Mr.. Fulton r.
Gordon Of Washington. d. C., who stated
that in doing so he was simply perform
ing a patriotic duty
There is inelosed copy OF letter
dated May %. 1914, from the postmaster
of Washington explaining why the action
recommended by him was necessary.
Praeger Explains Position.
The letter Of Postmaster Praeger to the
Postmaster General in regard to the
Jones resolution was, in part, as follows:
ct transmit herewith the names. ages.
length of service and efficiency ratings OF
the war veterans in the employ Of the
Washington pest office who have been
denoted or dropped from the rolls or have
resigned from the service since March =.
1914. The ratings here given were made
January l, 1914, and covered the period
from July 1. 1919. to December 81, 1918.
They were the only ratings with which
a
1914 or at the time of their demotion or
separation from the service. The infof-
nation. as far as ] am able to ascertain
from the records of the office or from the
employees in the Office, is as follows:
william r. Tew: salary. 5000: age.
seventy-four years; period OF service,
thirty-seven years rating. IS4 per
cent; Union civil war veteran; resigned.
Samuel r. Strattan: salary. $1,000:
age seventy-four years: period Of serv-
ice seven months; rating, IS per cent:
Union civil war veteran; resigned.
William A. Hutchips; salary. A.@:
age. seventy seven years: period of
service. nineteen years: rating. s46 per
cent: Union civil war veteran: re-
signed.
Joseph Randall; salary. $1,000; age.
seventy seven years: period OF service.
forty seven years: rating. S4.s per
cent: Union civil war veteran: resigned.
John J. B. Lerch: salary, $500: age.
fifty one years; rating. $50 per cent;
Union civil war veteran: resigned.
&c T. Galliher: salary. $1,000; age.
sixty-eght years. period of service,
thirty-two years; rating, - per cent
Confederate civil war veteran: reduced to
$500.
20 T. Putnam: salary. $1,000; age.
seventy lone years: period Of service
eleven years: rating, IS per cent: Union
civil war veteran; reduced to 500.
Augustus Ridgely; salary, 81, 100: age.
seventy eight years: period OF service.
ffty-one years; rating, 691 per cent:
Union civil war veteran: resigned.
civilian W. Mills: salary. s.. 200: age.
seventy-seven years: period OF service.
forty-two years; rating, ss per cent;
Union civil war veteran; dropped.
George Dean: salary, S1.5O; age. sixty
nine years: period of service. forty-ons
wears; rating, IS per cent: Union civil war
veteran: dropped.
other Employees Affected.
These separations and demotions
were only a small part of the results OF
the reorganization intended to put the
of the Washington post
office on a business basis. Less than
% ner cent of the employees affected by
the reorganization were veterans OF
wars. which is a small percentage when
Is
of the older employees i'll the Office are
war veterans.
"In order that you may be fully in
formed as to what has been undertaken
In the Washington post ONCE, i beg to
report to you the results to date of
his REORGANIZATION which was UNDER
taken to enable the post office to
render greater efficiency to the public.
10 keep the expenditures of the oa6ce
within the allotment Of money avail
able for this city. and to comply with
the spirit and intent of the law.
Growing out from this reorganiza-
.ion there have been to date eighteen
and thirty demotions.
while three employees have been drop
bed from the rolls. With three ex-
,eptfons, those who have either re-
Iisned or been dropped from the rolls
we're no longer necessary to the serv-
ce, and the department has been ad-
,ised that no appointments will have
o be made to fill the vacancies thus
caused.
Efficiency the Sole Test
Separations from the service as re-
,ult Of this reorganization had nothing
o do with the nationality. religion. or
politics of any employe concerned, but
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