Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-12
BILL OPPOSES
HAYS PLAN OF
DISCRIMINATION
Fletcher Measure Asks Prefer
ence for Men Who
Fought.
CHANGED BY HARDING
By RICHARD LINTHICUNI.

nations Of Postmaster General Hays
against ex-service men in the matter Of
appointments Of postmasters, following
an executive order of President Harding
overthrowing the soldiers preference law,
which are coming to light in various
parts of the country, will no longer be
possible If a bill introduced by Senator
Trammell, Democrat OF Florida, at the
request of his Democratic colleague,
Senator Fletcher becomes q law.
Senator Fletcher's bill gives preference
to honorabIy discharged soldiers, sailors
and marines, and the widows and the
wives Of such, for nomination as post
master, and aside from its general pro-
visions Is as follows:
THAT when a vacancy exists or here
after occurs in the position of post
master preference shall be given to hon
orably discharged soldiers, sailors and
marines, and TO the widows Of such, and
to the wives of disabled soldiers, sailors
and marines, who themselves are not
physically qualified to hold such posi-
tions; and it shall be the duty of the
Postmaster General TO submit to the
President for nomination as postmaster
the name of the veteran, or the widow,
or the wife obtaining the highest eligi-
BILE rating as the result of an open COM
petitive examination conducted by the
United States Civil Service Commission,
under such rules and regulations as may
be promulgated by the Postoffice De-
partmeDt and the commission"
WILSON POLICY
FAVORED EX-SOLDIERS.
Under the Wilson administration the
existing law was construed to give pref
erence to ex-seryice men. This was an
act approved March 8, 1919, giving pref
erence in appointments to clerical and
other positions Of the executive depart
ments and independent Government
establishments to hOnorably dis
charged sellers, sailors and ma
rines and widows Of such, If they are
qualified to hold such positions, which
was amended by an act approved July
IL, 1919, by including the wives Of in
jured soldiers, sailors and marines who
themselves are not qualified, but whose
wives are qualified to hold such posi-
tons"
In an executive order, issued April Is,
1920, President Wilson declared the vet
eran preference status shall apply in the
selection of persons for appointment as
postmaster at offices of the first, second
and third class"
In all appointments to civil service po-
sitions President Wilson was also
stickler for the appointment Of the high.
est eligible on the list and this rule was
where preference was given to ex-service
men, their wives or widows.
CHANGE ORDERED
BY HARDING.
President Harding's first executive or
der with reference to the appointment Of
pOstma sters, issued May 10, 1921, abrO-
gated President Wilson's executive order
making it imperative to name the highest
eligible on the list and provided that any
one of the highest three on the list should
be eligible to appointment. In this way,
If there was one Republican among the
three, although he might have the low
est rating Of the trio it would be made
possible to appoint him over the two
Democrats who would have a higher civil
service rating.
Not content with this overthrow of the
main principle of the civil service law,
President Harding made a new executive
order on Oct. II, 1921, in which he said
that "the appointment Of presidential
postmasters is not within the legal scope
of the civil service law and, therefore, as
a matter of law, no preference is ap-
plicable thereto" and made the provi
sion that persons who served in ths
World War should be given five points in
their rating.
THUS ORDER
WAS OVERTHROW
Thus the veterans preference law, con-
strued by President Wilson to apply to
presidential postmasterships, was over
thrown by the executive order of Presi-
dent Harding, and thus a door was
opened to give Republican politicians
preference over ex-service men by making
any one Of three highest on the list eli
gible to appointment, instead OF the
highest on the list as under the Wilson
Administration, regardless Of the fact
of whether the appointee was a Demo
crst or a Republican.
AS a result Of President Harding's dis
elimination against ex-service men in
these executive orders, determinations by
the Postmaster General have naturally fol
lowed and are beginning to come to light
At Schenectady, n. 7, Edwin D. Condo
was nominated for postmaster over two
ex-service men, one OF whom, a Spanish
War veteran was postmaster at the time,
and the other q major in the World War,
who was also a Spanish War veteran.
At Peoria, Ill, as reported by the
commander Of the American Legion Post
in that city, a Republican ward po-
itician" has been appointed acting post
master over a veteran who entered the
service at the age OF 5s, who was the
son Of a Civil War veteran, a brother OF
a Civil War soldier and the father OF
only son who entered the World War
the same time he did This ex-service
man suffered permanent INJURY In the
service. According to the report, this Re
publican politician was given preference
also over a man who for twenty-n years
was chief clerk of the Railway Mall
Service.
MUST PROVIDE
FOR FAITHFUL.
Senator Fletcher has cited a case in his
own State where an hOnorably dis
charged disabled service man, a Demo-
crat, and acting postmaster, who was
the only qualified eligible in a recent ex-
animation, was not re-appOinted. but
another examination called so that a Re
publican might get the Job.
Another case reported in the news
papers would indicate that in some of the
Southern States poscmasterships are be-
ing given to men who have recently come
to that section from Northern States and
in this particular case at Tallahassee,
Fla, there is a question as to whether
the appointee has lived there long
enough to qualify.
The present Republican Administration
has been accused of re-enthroning special
privilege at Washington, but this is the
first evidence that carpet baggIsm may
also be revived.
Under President HardfuC's aracutfva