The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-08
WESTERN UN|0N-bELL INTERESTS
FIND JOBS FOR k00NS and Lamar

turned against the Pan Motor COM
pany and it's officers.
The postoffice spies, politely called
inspectors, were sent out to get Fred
Schiplin, Postmaster at St Cloud and
treasurer of the Pan Motor company
Upon their reports he was removed
from the service. And yet when a
declared guiltless Of wrong-doing,
Rooms refused to re-instate him and
restore him to his proper place in the
community.
Rooms made much of what he was
pleased to call the moral law" In
his mind personal frailties and mis-
takes were greater than cheating the
public. What is his record?
In 1913 the government took over
the telephone and telegraph systems.
Burleson appointed Rooms, Lamar and
David J. Lewis of Maryland as a. COM
mission to look out for the interests
of the people under government con-
troll.
Lewis had been a member of con-
gress. He was the father Of parcel
post and postal savings. He knew
more about telephone and telegraph
operations than any other man in the
public service. He believed in govern
ment ownership of the wire systems.
He lasted 80 days under Rooms and
Lamar.
1t will be remembered that the Post
al Telegraph company and few
others made the direct charge that
the wire administration, while it ex-
listed, was under the complete domina-
ton of the Western Union-Bell in
terests.
About the first group of telephone
workers to protest against unjust dis
elimination under government con-
ttrol were the employees of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone COM
pany and the Burleson board, DOM
mated by Rooms and Lamar, sustained
the management and disciplined the
workers.
1t was Rooms and Lamar who con-
/ Quoted the campaign against the Com
merclal Photographers Union of Amer
lea and the International Brother
mood Of Electrical Workers, and en-
couraged the organization of "com-
pany' unions created to destroy the
legitimate labor movement.
During the time the wires were
under Burleson's control, it was fire.
quently charged that the government
agents were to be taken care of by
the companies. The articles reprint
ed below furnish their own answer.
Under these circumstances what
other result could be expected?
(Reprinted from '"Telephony">
John e. Rooms, until recently first
assistant postmaster-general,h has been
appointed to the position of executive
assistant to the president Of the Chcsa-
peake Il Potomac Telephone Co., with
headquarters in Washington, D. G.
AS a member of the governments
committee on telephones and sele-
graphs, Mr.. Rooms, with Postmas ter-
General Burleson, had charge Of the
administration and organization Of
the service during the recent period of
experiment. control. It was during
This period that he became acouaint-
ed with many of the independent. as
wei as the Bell telephone men.
A' 1Aoo11S Is d naive OF MARYLAND
and was educated at the Franklin
High School. at Reistertown. He en-
tered the railway mail service. after
CIVIL service examination, as SUBJ
stltute clerk at Baltimore, March 20.
1892 and advanced to the highest
clerical grade
ne was appointed in 1905 postoffice
| inspector in the Kansas Citv division
ana IN 1911 became division superin-
tendent of railway mail service at
C!eveland' Ohio. April 1, 1915 found
MN chief postoffice inspector. and
oep'emoer L. 1916. first assistant post
master general.
IN addition to his regular dut;es
Mr. Rooms served as chairman of the
departmental committee which deve-
loped the parcel post in the 1Jnired
STATES and was a member Of 2 com
m1ttee appointed by the Postmaster.
general in 1913 to assist in the study
OF government ownership Of tele,
graphs and telephones.