The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-10

law intended, transferred most of the
men In the special clerk class 10 grade
v OF the ordinary clerk class at $1,000
a year. thus depriving them OF 1900 a
year which Congress intended they
should have.
sample of BurIeson Methods.
In February, 1919. by order OF Con-
gress. a Federal Salary Commission was
appointed to investigate and report on
salaries paid to Government employees.
This commission asked for the selection
by the employees OF an advisory con-
ference. composed OF one representative
from each department TO aid the COM
mission In its work. 8. K. Blassingham
was selected by the employees OF the
Post Office Department.
Acting In this capacity on December
"a, 1913. he introduced one OF the women
employees In the mail bag repair shop.
who read a statement setting forth
wages and working conditions In that
branch OF the service On March 20,
1920, Blassingham was asked by the
Post Office Department to show cause
why he should not be discharged for
having caused to be prepared" a state
ment on behalf OF women employees in
the mall bag repair shop, setting forth
that they work in an atmosphere satu-
rated with dust" The charge was made
that Blassingham deliberately and will
fully misstated certain facts"
Blassingham entered a vigorous de-
fence and the case received considerable
publicity at the time. He was dismissed.
not, however. on the original charges,
but because he inspired or caused d.
rectly or indirectly publication in the
daily press Of articles or news stories
calculated or intended to lead the public
to believe that the Postinaster-(ienera
was proceeding arbitrarily, unfairly and
unJustly to discharge you from the SER
vice."
A more recent instance OF the opera
ton and influence Of Burlesonism In It's
most aggravated form. was the attempt
by the Postmaster General to stifle po-
litical expression by the 1900 women
relatives of Federal employees. An order
promulgated by the Federal Civil Ser
vice Commission. during the recent cam
paign. and Immediately following receipt
by the commission of letter from First
Assistant Postmaster-General Rooms re-
minded employees In the competitive
class that they were forbidden to take
any active part in political management
or in political campaigns. The order. or
opinion. as officials of the Civil Servie
SoHiilissioH prefer 10 call II, cOHttlHeu
this paragraph:
Employees are accountable for politi-
cal activity by persons other than them
selves including wives or husbands. If,
In fact, the employees are thus accom-
plishing by collision and indirection
what they may not lawfully do directly
and openly"
Blow to Morale of Service.
There is no law on the statute books
that authorized the Civil Service Com
mission to take Jurisdiction over the
political activities of citizens not men,
bers Of the Government civil service.
These are examples of the influences
that have operated to wreck the morale
of the postal service. Old and trusted
employees have been dismissed, efficient
ones have not received the compensation
Congress has provided for them, ineffi-
cient and inexperienced employees have
displaced experienced ones. transporta-
ton problems have been bungled and
deliveries curtailed TO a minimum by Mr..
Burleson's efforts to exhibit a paper
surplus as an evidence Of businesslike
administration of the department.
The other side Of the sorry picture
shows an unwarranted waste of public
funds in unfeasible schemes to exploit
the IeAhS politician lduS. MT. BUT
.eson has complained because Re-
publican Congress would not furnish
him with what he considered adequate
appropriations for the air mail SER
vice. 1t Is contended that the public
gets expeditions dispatch of its mail
matter and that economy Is effected
in the air service. But the Postal
Commission has found otherwise.
For example; II a letter is sent by
airplane from Chicago to New York 1t
must be in the post office at Chicago
by 3:45 In the afternoon. With luck
1t will get to the aviation field some
time before midnight. The air mail
pilots do not fly at night, so that 1t
starts on Its journey at 6 the next
morning and arrives too late for de-
livery in New York that day. The cost
of transporting mail on trains which
run day and night is little more than
six cents per ton mile. The cost thus
far In transporting mail by airplane