The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-27

RESENTMENT INCREASES
 Long before the United States gov ernment took over the telegraph sys- .ems of the country MT. Burleson's cold and autocratic treatment became known to the workers engaged in the postal service. Naturally, resentment has followed this course and this re- sentiment has increased in volume ex- actly in proportion to the increased field over which MT. Burleson rules.
 'The workers in various branches of the Postmaster Generals department have come to understand thoroughly that democracy and the postoffice de- partment have nothing in common eX- cept that they exist under the same government. Time after time these employees have endeavored to secure the opportunity to be heard by the Postmaster General through their rep resentatives for the purpose of present. ing grievances or just causes for com plaint. They have sought to lay before him their complaints In order that they might have his consideration and in or der that an adjustment might be brought about through the democratic procedure of negotiation These plead
 ngs for an opportunity to be heard have been as vain as they have been frequent
 My own experience with the post master general has been of similar na- ture Acting for the workers I have had number of conferences with him in which I have endeavored to induce him to grant the opportunity to his em- ployes to be heard through their rep resentatives. These efforts of my own have also been in vain.
 HIS FAvORITE POSE
 Tt has been rather a favorite pose with Al. {N high minded person, generous and sym pathetic with his employees. Always, how ever, this sympathy has been defined by him to mean that if any one of the em- ployes had anything to present to him that employe might come and present the case. Under any circumstances such course would be unsatisfactory and in tclligent employers nowhere attempt to deceive any one with that ancient and long since exploded idea. Only the most recationary and brutal employers still en- deavor to deal with the workers as in- dviduals.
 'In the case of the postoffice depart ment, however, where the employees are scattered throughout the United States, such an attitude as that assumed by the postmaster general becomes not only ridiculous and preposterous but consti- tutes an affront and an insult to the in- telligence of the men and women in his department and to the citizenship of the country as well.
 OUT OF HARMONY
 ''The position taken by the secretaries of the war department, the navy depart ment and various other government de- partments in dealing with the workers, the declarations of the war labor board, approved by the President of the United States. concerning collective bargaining, have failed to make the slightest impress sion on the mind of the postmaster gen. eral and he has insisted upon line of conduct as completely out of harmony with the balance of the government as it could well be.
 "Mr. Burleson's troubles cannot suc- cessfully be laid by him at the doors of those whom he may assume are his ene- mics for political purposes only, because their source is in something deeper. MT. Burleson's troubles arise from the fact that he has attempted with singular zeal to carry out an archaic, autocratic policy in the conduct of the postal, telegraph and telephone services of the United States. Any postmaster general who will follow the same policy will inevitably face the same public condemnation and eventually walk the same plank that MT. Rurleson must walk sooner or later"