The Washington times., 1917-12-19

he has learned the intrIcacIes of the
postal serviea-and Il especially
adapted to postal work. nothing that
he has learned would be Of use in any
private enterprise he might under
take. ~. .. --... y
OF employees with whom he has
come in contact he said all would
have to have a raise unless they were
willing to make radical changes in
their way OF living.
ct do not enjoy barring to this COM
mittee and the public my present
financial condition, but my case is
typical and am testifying in justice
to my fellow workers as wen as to
my family"
Carrier Relates HardshIps.
The next witness called was Gran
Vile L. Soper, a substitute carrier,
Of Baltimore. who testified to the con-
ditions under which the substitute
carrier has to work. He said they
have to report at the office in all
sorts OF weather and under the most
trying conditions without even a
guarantee they will work that day.
Their day is wasted. however. as
they have to be "on CALI although
they receive only. IS cents per hour
for the time they actually work
when we reach the office" he said,
before we officially report we have
to find out IL we are wanted. We
nave no regular hours. II we work
one day we are told to be at the
office at a certain hour the next day.
We then may learn that we may work
one hour or more, but we do not get
paid for the intervening time
Need 50 Cents An Hour.
Congressman Steenerson asked II a
minimum salary OF 35 cents per hour
for a half day to be paid whenever
q man was called, but was not put
to work, would meet the situation.
The reply was that IL might barely
meet his situation. He was single,
but many of the substitute carriers
were men with large families to sup
port, and he thought nothing less
than 30 cents per hour would beneht
them, and they would have to skimp
along without coSnfort at that.
The witness was not prepared to
testify as to the schedule OF increase
or system of pay. but was inclined to
believe that substitute carriers
should be provided for on the annual
roll.
The letter carriers OF the perma-
nent organization were represented
by Edward ]. Gainor. president of
the National Letter Carriers Asso-
citation. He said that he recently re-
signed his position as carrier at Mum
Gle, Ind. because the postal authori-
ties would not grant him an inden-
mite leave OF absence to attend the
associations business. He charged
that the eligibility list for letter car
riers was exhausted because men
could not be induced to take the exam
nations owing to the low rate of pay.
Although the hearing was primar-
ily for the purpose OF determining the
justice Of the employees demands the
committee has permitted the interjec-
tion OF questions relating to the old
Postofflce controversy. Matters OF
policy that have long been under ire
for the purpose Of making political
capital have been injected into the
proceedings. This was particularly
true at yesterdays hearing while z.
J. Ryan, president OF the Railway
Mall Clerks Association. was on the
stand.
Tactics Are Opposed.
There is no doubt in the minds OF
many OF the advocates of an Increase
for the postal employees that their
case is not being strengthened by such
tactics Such was the opinion ex-
pressed by several OF the auditors
who are interested in the Keating
bill for q general increase which is
being considered by another commit
tee.