The Washington herald., 1918-02-10
LABOR STARTS
BITTER FIGHT
ON 'BURLESON
Astounding Charges Of In
efficiency and Delay Fea-
ture First Hearing.

Organized labor's fight against Post
master General Burleson, brewing
since the American Federation Of La
bor at Buffalo denounced his refusal
to permit employees to organize. broke
in Congress yesterday.
Presidents OF two national unions
appeared before the House Commit
tee on Expenditures in the postoffice
with astounding tales of how SOL
diers' Christmas mail was delayed.
destroyed and lost In the New York
mail terminals.
The two were President c. e. Hy-
att Of the Postal Employees Union.
and President E. ]. Ryan, of the
Railway Postal Clerks Union.
Both declared that ..oheap. inefi-
GENT help. hired in a penny -pinching
policy" was responsible for much
delay. They charged Civil Service
regulations were disregarded in this
policy of economy.
Representatives Endorse.
Supporting statements were made by
two Republican Congressman, Brit
ten. of Illinois, and Rogers. of Mas
sachusetts.
tons at Chelsea terminal, New York.
In the season when soldiers letters
and packages were piled highest:
The mail was delayed SO long that
Christmas supplies deeomposed. Tur-
keys, jams, cookies. even puddings
became putrid.
There were so many packages that
doorways were blocked. Men tram
pied over parcel post matter-they
had to to do their work / want
to say that Civil Service rules were
disregarded. and the employees were
temporary and irresponsible. despite
the fact that many were waitiig
for work on the Civil Service list.
These men had to be watched
every minute. In the district attor-
ney's office today are six indict-
ments for mail rifling by this crew.
The pay allowed was $50 a month
many unskilled women worked. A
niggardly. despicable policy of penny
pinching on help was responsible
fol-. the trouble. The force did not
know how to work.
THE Foreign Station. where navy
mail was sorted, was no better. From
November IL to January 6. the force
worked holidays, Sundays and all.
There was still much mail which
had not started to Europe by Jen-
uary 6. OF the crew of thirty en-
packages, many of them fragile,
were trampled on here. too.
QUESTIONABLE Held Up.
"A draft QUESTIONABLE mailed
December 19 was found held UP on
January 2. One employe accident
ally found his own in a supposedly
empty sack"
Representative Rogers declared
that at Chelsea terminal. there was
such congestion that shoSels were
used to clear pathways, running
many gifts. He said that Burleson's
statement that mail got TO France
in thirty days was amazing; il was
nearer seven weeks.
What kind of service is that?''
asked Representative Van Dyke, of
Minnesota.
Representative Huddleston, of Ala
bama, said that a 17-year old boy
named Gallagher, got into the army
through deceit. His parents protest
ed, and the department, said Hud-
dleston, sent orders Sept. 26 to return
him home.
The letter." he continued. did not
arrive until Nov. 6. By that time.
young Gallagher. like a true Irishman.
had gotten into the flrst-line trenches
and was captured in a German raid.
He is in the West in a prison camp
now"
Britten and Rogers submitted letters
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.