Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-14
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
C. c. KERNs COMPLAINS
Editor of Az TeIegrabh: !:

To the Editor of the Telegraph:
l, Charles c. Kerns, employed for
nearly eighteen years at the Harris
burg Post Office. have been remoyed
by Frank C. Sites. on Monday, May
is, l received an order signed by
Chas. II. Hoffman stating / would be
transferred from the Maclay street
Station on May 20 to the main Post
Office, the hours of duty to be from 8
p. IN. to II p. m, permanently; 1
took the matter up with the clerk
at the Maclay Street Station and he
took the matter up with 9. II. Hoff-
man at the main office when inform
ed through the clerk of the Maclay
Street Station that l should write to
the Postmaster and state reasons Tor
not being able to obey the order,
master never gave me the courtesy to
reply to my letter. May 20, the day
the change was to take place L again
renewed my statement with the clerk
the main Post Office l cannot meet
the order. l likewise had my ply
sician send q certified statement on
account of partial paralysis and con-
sequent disability that all possible
consideration be extended me.
The day the order went into effect
was informed by the clerk of the
Maclay Post Office that Chas. II.
Hoffman said il didn't take the work
assigned to me l could not work at
all. This was gross violation of
the civil service laws. The post
master does not have the power to
give an immediate suspension, much
less does any subordinate, and fur
the most serious or flagrant offense
the postmaster must send telegram
Immediately to the First Assistant
Postmaster General and receive the
suspension Is made. and follow with
a letter to the department with par
ticulars. This was not carried out
in my case. May % | received
stating he wished me to call at his
office to have an interview concern
ing this work. l called and instead
of conversing relative to work he
berated and used offensive language
to me. The following day l receiv-
ed a letter preferring three, charges
against me: % Disobeyed official
orders; (2) Absent without leave;
CD Insolence to superior and refusal
for duty after personal conference
with postmaster. | answered his
charges with an affidavit stating the
charges are absolutely without foun-
dation. 1 also sent a copy to the
Postmaster General, calling his atten-
G. Sites, postmaster at Harrisburg,
is going to ask for my removal and
l would be pleased to have an in.
spector investigate. Before ans
spector II. e. Lucas and told him l
was going to ask Washington to
send an inspector. He said TASK
them TO send some one, outside of
Harrisburg office" l judged by that
ed to my case but the department
turned the case over to him anyway.
June IA, received letter from
the First Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral, j. C. Koons, advising me that
~ ~
charges against Inc from the post
master of Harrisburg. Why the post
master of Harrisburg didn't turn
over to Washington answers to his
is a mystery to me. July 80, becom-
ing impatient, l called up IL. E. Lucas
and asked him if he had my case.
He said he had and would send for
me in a day or two. July 81 I re-
ceived a letter requesting me to call
at his residence, 2150 Green street,
for an interview and investigation.
He made no investigation. but tried
to scare me and used slurring re-
marks. l also took the matter up
turn took 1t up with the Post Office
Department at Washington, and they
assured him and myself that my case
would be thoroughly investigated be-
gust II l received a copy of letter
purporting to be from Washington
from the postmaster of Harrisburg,
stating that the department at WASH
ington does not deem Mr.. Kerns a
suitable person for retention in the
service and he is removed because
he refused to obey orders. This un-
Just decision by the Post Office De-
partment and bias statements of the
Inspector. and the postmaster spur
red me on to continue my fight for
Justice. 1 also sent a petition of
about three hundred of Harrisburg's
most prominent citizens, asking for
the evidence that was submitted to
Washington and the grounds for
Justification for removal. The Post
Office department totally ignored this
petition, Through these men l have
lost q position ! earned ON merits.
Being idle since May 20, with no in
come from any source, have lost at
least $1,000, and was compelled to
sell the two Liberty Bonds l owned in
order to keep my two motherless
children as we'll as my aged mother.
anguish we have endured since the
10th of May, living in supposed
civilized and Christian country with
no income Yet these same men are
crying at the top of their voices:
'Bont leave your position. stand by
your country, buy Liberty Bonds and
help in the fight for true democracy
SO that all mankind the world over
shall have peace, freedom and JUS
tice, Furthermore as far as the civil
service laws are concerned in the
Harrisburg Post Office, years of serv-
Ice and efficiency don't count for any
'A' CHARLES O, KERNs.