Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-15
DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST POSTAL
CLERKS DENIED
Second Assistant Postmaster
General Praeger Explains
Situation on Mail
Runs Into Omaha.
BY E. c. SNYDER,
Staff Correspondent of The Omaha
Bee.

Washington. Aug. l4.-(Specia
Telegram. )-Some time ago, Con
gresham Jeffries, who left Thurs,
day night for Omaha, having re.
ceiveo permission from Speaker Gil.
lett to 60 home for a few days tc
visit his family, called the attention
of the postofice authorities to in
formation reaching him that clerks
in Huron and Omaha railway post
offices were being Disseminated
against as compared with clerks al
Sioux City. Second Assistant Post
master General Praeger, in letter
to the Omaha representative, states
that after full investigation the de.
partment finds no evidence of any
discrimination against the Omaha
clerks. The letter says:
"The situation which exists on the
Huron & Omaha R. P. O., which
was established as a separate Of
ganization on October /. last, was
the outcome OF the reorganization OF
what was prior to that time the Min
neapolis & Omaha R. P. O. via Sioux
City and the Aberdeen, Huron &
Sioux City R. P. 0.
THE authorized force for the new
lines on October l, 1918, was 20
clerks and they resided as follows
Thirteen at Sioux City, six at
Omaha, and one vacancy. There are
two sets of trains on which the R.
P. o service is performed, a day and
night run, and to each set 10 clerks
are assigned. The day run, when
started, was manned by 10 clerks,
nine of whom lived in Sioux City
and at Omaha and in order to avoid
deadheading as much as possible,
and not to disturb residences it was
arranged to have runs in that set of
trains begin and end at Sioux City.
OF the 10 clerks assigned to the
night run when the service started,
five lived in Omaha, four at Sioux
City and one vacancy. Runs in this
set Of trains were arranged to begin
and end at Omaha. The present or
ganization of the line calls for Il
clerks. These reside, II at Sioux
City: eight at Omaha and two va
cancies.
when a clerk is selected for the
day run he is required to begin at
Sioux City. II he resides in Omaha
he does not necessarily have to
change his place of residence. but
must deadhead to and from Sioux
City before beginning and after end
ing his tour of duty. On the other
hand, when a clerk is selected for
the night run he must begin at Oma-
ha, and if he resides in Sioux City
he must deadhead to and from
Omaha.
"The information that Clerk A. w.
Zierdt was denied promotion to the
position of clerk-in-charge because
he refused to move from Omaha to
Sioux City is incorrect. His name
was considered with that of other
eligibles and the selection was made
irrespective of the places of resi-
dence. 1t is not practicable to ar
range the service of the R. P. O..
lines so as to permit every clerk to
begin his run at his place of resi-
dence"
T. L. Hall, chairman of the Ne
braska Railway commission, is in
Washington to appear before the in
terstate and foreign commerce COM
mittee of the house, which has un-
der consideration railroad legisla-
ton, and also before the federal cleo
trio railway commission. Mr.. Hall
said he was una1terably opposed to
the Esch or Pomerene bills for rail-
.oad regulations.