Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-02
BURLESON REPORT
CARRIES THREATS
POSTAL EMPLOYEES ARE WARNED
AGAINST TAKING UP PROB
LENS WITH CONGRESS.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, D. c., Dec 30. "A
threat that unless the organizations OF
postal employees shall cease to lobby
for wage increases and other better
ments Of the condition of their men,
bers, before congress the postal serv-
ice will either free itself of the merit
system or will secure the repeal of
the "anti-gag" law, is contained in the
annual report of Postmaster General
Burleson. His attack on the organiza-
tons of employees is directed chiefly
at the rural mail carriers, the railway
who have legislative agents in Wash
ington. The adoption by congress last
year of clause in the postoffice bill
which compels Burleson to pay to the
rural carriers nearly 100000 which
he withheld from their pay in 1915
when congress GAGE them an increase
of 500, is the cause of most of the
feeling shown by him.
'.The department. he says in this
report, feels constrained from a
sense of public duty to state that its
efforts to properly administer the
postal service have been made ex
tremely difficult owing to the activi-
ties of certain organizations of postal
employees, which are becoming more
pronounced every year. They have
been most persistent in their efforts
to secure legislation favorable to
themselves without regard to the in
terests of the service. Information
now reaches the department that
these organizations are becoming act
i've politically and are attempting to
control the nomination and election of
candidates to public offices as well as
to influence administrative officers in
the matter of promotions, reductions
and removals, in violations of the
spirit of the civil service law and the
merit system. Unless such activities
cease they will nullify the effect of
the merit system and ultimately re-
suit in either the withdrawal of these,
positions from the classified service
or the repeal of section of the act
of August "a. 1912"
This section of the law of 1912.
known as the Lloyd-LaFollete amend
ment. restored to civil service en-
ployes the right. denied them by ex-
ecutive action of Presidents Roose-
welt and Taft, to directly petition con-
gress. and to affiliate with outside or
CARNATIONS not imposing a duty to
strike.
Postmaster General Burleson is in
struggle with the organized en-
ployes of the department. and he pro-
poses to use all the weight of his all
thority to discipline these organiza-
tons if possible His fight against
the rural mail carriers association is
no less bitter than that against the
Federation of Postof1ice Clerks, which
is part of the American Federation of
Labor. He regards them both as enc
mics of economical management of
the business. He looks upon the post.
al service as strictly modern bust
ness undertaking, in which the en-
ployes bear the same relation to the
management as do employees in pri-
vate business. He wants loyal ser
vice, high efficiency and no appeal
from his judgment to that of commit
tees of congress.
OF course the army of employees of
the department take a different view
of their position. They consider them.
selves part of the employing element.
as well as the employees, or the prob.
lem. They are citizens, and have an
interest in the service from that view.
point. Then. as employees, they are
better informed on the needs of the
employees of the service than are ord.
mary citizens. Hence they propose to
use their full power as citizens, and
their information as employees, to
bring congress to carry out their ideas
as to wages and conditions in the lie.
partment. When denounced by the
postmaster general. and when their
demands for higher pay for the rank
and file are vetoed by him. they nat.
urally turn to the members of con.
gress, where they get more sym.
pathetic hearing.