The Washington herald., 1919-12-31
REPUDIATE PLAN
I TO GUST $4,000
Officials Of U. E. Employees
Unions Assail Blackwell's
Quoted Statement.

Repudiating statements. alleged to
nave been made by ]. G. Blackwell,
wee president of Employees Union No.
2 as printed in Washington afternoon
papers, to the effect that the organi-
zation had adopted n new policy"
which. among other things. recon-
mended the discharge of 1900 ineffi-
cient government employees, a state
ment issued from the union headquar-
ters last night declared that "Mr.
Blackwell's views not only do not
represent the union, but distinctly mis-
represent it."
so far as I know" said John s.
Beach. president of the union, they
represent nobody but Mr.. Blackwell,
himself. The executive committee of
the local took no action at the meet
ing or the preceding night that had
the remotest connection with the al
legged recommendation for dismissal of
so-called inefficient employees. and Vice
President Blackwell's quoted remarks
were not made in the meeting or to
his fellow officers"
Z. j. Newmyer. secretary treasurer
OF the National Federation Of Federal
Employees; Miss Gertrude McNally.
vice president of the National Fedora
ton and president of the Women's I'm
lon' or the Bureau OF Engraving and
Printing; w. F. Fraklin, president Of
Local Q, composed of District en-
ployees; Miss Juliette Stebbins. presi-
dent of the women's unit of Local No.
2: Van A. Zahn, treasurer of Local No.
2; S. +. Blassingham, president of the
Postoffice Department branch. and C..
j. Diller. president of the Interior De-
partment branch. and ]. G. Curley,
editor OF the Federation magazine,
were equally emphatic in their repudi-
alton and indignant at what they term
the utter misrepresentation of the or
ganization.
Ncumyer's Statement.
This is the first time" said ecre-
tary-Treasurer Newmyer. that 1 have
ever heard the staetment made that
our organization Is not a trade union.
The National Federation of Federal
Employees, to which Federal EN-
ployees' Union No . is subordinate. is
affiliated with the American Fedora
tion of Labor. and is now and always
has, been. n regular trade union In
every sense of the word. Furthermore
we expect to continue in the future
as we have in the past and do every
thing possible to further the labor
movement as represented by the
American Federation of Labor
"As to so-called inefficiency, after
twenty years of service in the Fed
eral government in Washington I
have no hesitancy in stating that
the great body Of employees here
are as efficient as can be found
anywhere in the country. Not only
Is that true Of the rank and file
here in Washington. but likewise it
Is true with reference to the gov
ernment employees in the field out
side Washington. The only ineff-
cheney which l have found in the
government service is due to the
fact that there are many employees
still in the service who should have
been retired by the government on
pension years ago"
There are 1900 employees in the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing"
said MissGeI trude McNally. secre-
tary of the women's union Of the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
which is Local No. los of the Fed
Grafton. "and every single one. from
the charwomen up To the director
is underpaid. a condition which we
confidently expect the reclassifica-
tlOn commission TO remedy. Every
employe in the Bureau performs u
full days work every working day
in the year and the enormous
amount of securities delivered b.
the Bureau during the year proves
beyond a doubt that we have no
inefficient on our rolls.
Is Political Movement.
According to L. ]. Miller. president
of the Interior Department branch.
Local No. .. Mr.. Blackwell is COM
pletely overlooking the fact that his
union from the time of its OrCaniza-
ton has been fighting 10 secure the
passage of minimum wage bill
which shall give to all employees an
entrance wage of at least enough to
live on.
''IrA>much as Mr.. Blackwell fails
to recognize his organization as
trade union" said S. E. BlassinGham,
president of the Postoffice Depart
ment branch, it is not surprising that
he overlook the fact that the labor
movement of which the Federal En-
ployes Union is part, is a political
movement as well as an economic
one. Federal employees do not use the
strike-they must accomplish their
ends by LEGISLATION and to secure