The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-03-22
>BuRLES0N FALLS !.
OUT WITH Lewis.
Forces Labor RepIlesentatIve aid
F: Expert on Telegraph Sys-
tens to Resign.
WASHINGTON. D. C.-That Davi

WASHINGTON, D. C.-That David
). Lewis, expert on telephone systems
and leader in the labor movement.
who was appointed director Of opera
ton of the telephone and telegraph
administration by order of the Presi-
dent when the wires were taken over
by the government. is no longer in
I that position and has not been for
| nearly two months became known
through the National Woman's Trade
Union league. No announcement OF
Mr.. lewis resignation, however, or
| the reason for it, has been made by
Mr.. Burleson's department.. Mr..
Lewis, himself, the leagne points out.
! as an official in another branch of
the - government; (the tariff commits
sion) is barred from comment upon
! the situation.
, In the absence of Mr.. Lewis from a
position of authority, the National
Woman's Trade Union league, which
| is, backing the telephone operators
union in its protest against the Bur-
Lesson administration, sees cause for
all the conditions, which have led to
the widespread dissatisfaction Of the
I organized telephone and telegraph OPP
orators, the dismissal by the compan-
les Of scores of girls for joining the
! operators unions, and the feeling that
has eliminated in a vote for nation
wido strike, on the part Of the tele-
phone operators.
The league also suggests that the
friends of the policy of government
| control. nonplussed by the inefficiency
of the wire sefvices during the last
several months, because ignorant&> OF
Mr.. Lewis lack of power to remedy
the situation, will find in the .revela-
tons concerning his resignation an
answer, which in no sense discredits
the policy of government operation.
The league, therefore, "believing
that the public should have Informal
ton upon a matter Of such Importance
to the whole nation" has sent an open
letter to Mr.. Burleson, asking why Mr.
Lewis resigned and why Mr.. Burleson
has kept the matter secret.
"Is it true, as reported" asks the
league in it's letter, that Mr.. Lewis
during his tenure of office in the wire
administration, was given practically
no authority to carry out the plans
which he. as an expert in telephone
management, was expected to pro.
pose?
ITS it true, as reported, that al,
though appointed director of opera.
ton, he was immediately made one
Of a committee of three to exercise
that authority, the other two mem
bers of the committee having no ex
periences-;in stelephone administration
and no expert knowledge of telephone
systems, and being, furthermore, op
posed to collective bargaining and or
ganization of the workers?
ESPECIALLY is it true that Mr.. Levi.
was deprived of authority to deal with
the human factor in the situation, thu
telephone and telegraph workers, who
for months have been asking for re-
dress of grievances?"
Mr.. Lewis sympathies with orgarf
lied labor are we'll known. He wa:
himself, miner in his youth, and {
member of United Miner Workers O.
America, and was chairman of thu
Labor Committee Of the House O.
Representatives when he was a mem
Der of congress. His pre-eminence a:
a. student of government operation O.
telephone and telegraph systems
which he had advocated for years, LEI
to his appointment as director of Op
Grafton, when the wires were put un
der government control, and this ap
, pointment was widely acclaimed b!
the telegraph and telephone worker
as promising a solution of their trou
h1es with the wire cOmDanieS