Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-23
PLEA TO PRESIDENT
FORBLASS|NGHAM
Federation Asks Speedy Re-
view of Case of Dismissed
Post Office Worker.

In letter to President Wilson to-
day asking action on the case OF
Stewart E. Blassingham. law clerk
! dismissed recently by the Postmaster
| General, President Luther c. Steward
president of the National Federation
OF Federal Employees. said that he be-
lieved the President will not permit
this injustice to stand"
Mr.. Steward told the President that
in view of the fact that by the arbi-
trary action of the Postmaster Gen
eral Mr.. Blassingham is unable to Sc
cure an appointment in any other
Dranch OF the government service I'M
I'll the record in this case is cleared
we urge that the matter be given
early attention"
Reviews Federntion's Action.
Action of the federation Us review ed
by President Steward. as follows:
On June Is. 1920, the National Fed :
Vice President Gertrude~M. McNally
and Secretary Treasurer E. j. New
myer, filed with you an appeal from
| the action of Postmaster General Bur-
Lesson in the case of Stewart E. Blass-
ingham, law clerk in the Post Office
Department.
Mr.. Blassingham was dismissed on
June II, 1920. on charges of having
given publicity to charges against
! MIN or date March 30, 1920, because of
ms having assisted in the prepara-
ton and presentation of a brief to the
joint congressional committee on re-
classification in respect to the condi-
TONS in the mail bag repair shop in
this city.
The federation's letter set forth the
fact, IN respect to the original charges
served upon Mr.. Blassingham, that he
rad acted in his representative ca
pacity as a member of a committee
created by the reclassification com
mission; that he was not responsible
for statements of fact contained in
the brief. these having been made by
and the responsibility claimed by, the
employees in the shop themselves; that
IN any event these statements were
admitted to be esse ntially true in tes-
timony at the hearing before the re-
classification commission by the su-
perintendent of the shop, copy of
whose testimony. together with all
other documents, in the case, was
submitted to you.
ibid Not Cause Publication"
In respect to the second set of
charges. upon which Mr. Blasting
ham was dismissed. after an interval
of two and half months, the fed :
eratlons letter set forth the fact
that Mr.. Blassingham had not direct
~ or indirectly caused the charges
to be published, the publication hav-
ing been made without his knowl-
edge until afterward by the National
Federation of Federal Employees. by
whose designation at the request of
the commission Mr.. Blassineham
was serving on the committee in
question.
Our letter was acknowledged by
secretary Tumulty on June II with
the Information that the matter
would be taken up with the Post
master General. AS we have heard
nothing further to this date. we beg
leave to, bring this matter again to
your attention. In view of the fact
that by the arbitrary action of the
Postmaster General Mr.. Blassingham is
unable to secure an appointment in
any other branch of the government
service until the record in this case
Is cleared. we urge that the matter
be given early attention."