Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-19
HALTS HEARINGS
ON SALARY ISSUE
House Subcommittee Post
pones Postal Investigation
Until January 7.
CRITICISM BY WITNESS

Hearings before the subcommittee of tne
House on post offices and post roads re-
garding salaries of postal employees were
closed today until January Z, when oo-
jectors to an increase will be given an
opportunity to be heard
The civil service has practically been
relegated to the discard as regards postal
employees, the subcommittee was told To-
day. The statement was made by Gilbert
E. Hyatt. president of the National FEEDER
alton of Post Office Employees.
The committee was told that TINS
condition has resulted from unde-
sirable working conditions and the
low salary scale which is very much
under what the men can get in out
side work. In many large ofhces' ne
said, it has been found impossible 10
recruit men through the civil service
to replace the men who are leaving TO
accept outside employment.
Effect Will Long Be Felt.
The effect of the present situation.
he predicted. will be shown in the
service for long time owing to the
fact that temporary unframed neIp
cannot effectually replace the trained
is that a heavier burden is thrown on
the lessening number Of old and
skilled employees. The expediencies
that have been resorted to cannot
keep the force up to standard, he
said, and the conditions of the postal
service during the abnormal Christmas
rush will be poor, according to his
prediction.
Other agencies which enter into the
spirit of dissatisfaction among the men,
Mr. Hyatt pointed out, are the Wei
known attitude of the department lin
unduly attempting an invasion OF the
rights of the men and long line OF
transgressions of the anti-gag Hegisla-
tion of 1872
Men Dropped From Service.
1t was asserted that President White
of the Rural Free Delivery Carriers
and E. j. Ryan, president of the Rail-
way Mail Clerks Association, have been
dropped from the service for perform
ing duties assigned to them as presi-
dents of organizations of postal en-
ployes-. 1t was also stated that Ed
ward ]. Gainor. president of the Ma
tional Association of Letter Carriers,
and Mr.. Hyatt himself were forced to
resign from the service to take posi-
tions they now hold as representatives
of the employees.
Charles v. Schneider, "a utility man
fourteen years in the service, was the
first witness called today. He told the
subcommittee that he had been directed
to attend by the hrRtss, aSsistant post
master general. for what reason he DID
not know.
Behind $7OO in Three Years.
He told how he had been advanced
in the service until he received the
81, 800 rate, starting December OF this
year. He said he is married and has
two children and has been fourteen
ing his house and paying on life i'm
surance, but that he has gone behind
500 in the last three years and must
draw more soon on his life insurance
to meet the cost of living in spite OF
the fact that in his home very strict
economies have been practiced.
In answer to inquiries he stated that
all the men in the service are going
getting He said he believes substan-
tial increase is necessary unless all the
men in the service make radical
changes in their mode of living. He
thinks that an increase should be al
lowed at least sufficient to meet the
cost of living as long as the present
conditions continue. -.
Grenyille l.. Soper, substitute cierk
xrom the Baltimore Office. testified that
the substitutes get 25 cents an hour.
they can't take other work outside be-
cause they cannot depend on having GER
tain hours that they can give to the
other work. He said that the married
men could not live even on the $500
which the regular carriers receive to
start.
Allows Reasonable Increase.
Edward j. Gainor. president of the
National Association of Letter Carriers,
indorsed the Madden bill. which, he
said allowed reasonable increases where
they are most needed. He said this
would be a great relief even though the
initial increases are very slight.
He took issue with the first assistant
postmaster general regarding testi-
mony as to the number of designations
from the service and other statements.
He said this testimony does not square
with his own observations. In a num-
ber of centers, he said, the postal serv-
ice is demoralized on account of resig-
nations. the eligible list is exhausted,
and in some cities women are being
sent out to carry the mails because the
officials cannot get the men.
| Representative Madden brought out that
the committee would be recommending in
creases for salaries in a branch OF the
government service which is operating at
/ profit and furnishing revenue to the
government 1t was emphasized that the
| Ss. .ooo. 600 profit made by the Post Once
! Department last year would be several
times that amount If it got paid = for
handling the ranked mali.
Equipment Costly.
| j. Celtus Stambaugh of York. Pa.
president of the Pennsylvania Associa- :
+, tion of Rural Carriers. filed statements
/ of expenses of rural carriers, which. he
said, will be found to be below the
| average. The gross salary, he said, is
| 81 200. but out of this the expenses of
maintaining equipment Is s35 to $40 a
month, so that the carrier who faces
all sorts of weather really has but s72e
or $3.50 year net
! He asked that the department furnish
and maintain the equipment or make an
allowance for this purpose to the rural
carriers.
CHARGED WITH VIOLATION
OF WHITE SLAVE ACT