Evening star., 1921-08-05
BUREAU EMPLOYEES
CHARGE INJUSTICE
Declare DismissaIs Unwar-
ranted in Complaint to Con-
troIIer of Treasury.

Charging that an item of instruction
regarding selection Of employees Of the
bureau of engraving and printing for
discharge last month "is wholly without
the pale of law or regulation governing
the civil SERVICE" Henry E. Davis. repre-
senting a group Of those discharged. has
presented a brief to Controller Of the
Treasurer D. R. Crissinger requesting
their restoration to duty pending inves-
tigation of individual cases. Mr.. Girls
singer heads a committee of Treasury
officials appointed to hear protests from
discharged employees.
At the outset the brief states that a
memorandum was forwarded from the
director of the hlreAus to an assistant
secretary of the Treasury recittng the
nscs.sty Of Dropping 600 @ rSom the seeosa rS,i.
ing to the brief. stated that. following 2
conferences held by the director id his
offlce with the chiefs Of the divisions In
the bureau, certain instructions look
ing toward such a reduction had been
issued"
- reuF Instructions.
Th24e instructions numbered four.
but only the first is used for the basis
of protest. This instruction reads, ac-
cording to the brief. as follows:
Drop employees. regardless of terms
of service, whose records are poor, In
volving inefhciency. inattention to
duty, tardiness. excessive loss OF
time. aeitators and trouble makers.
In the brief this instruction is called
a Sword in the hand of the director.
to be let fall upon the victims Of his
choice, the objects of his resentment
This statement is followed by the
declaration that the justice OF any
removal assignable to the instruction
is impugned. and indeed negatiVed. by
the mere fact Of its being SO as
signed
"At the time of their dismissal
saws the brief. these employees were
unaware of the existence OF the mem
orandum. and many of them who had
been for varying long periods IN
service in the bureau were equally
grave Injustice at their summary dis
missal and in many instances depri-
walton of livelihood: as result OF
which a committee. of which you have
the honor to be chairman. was ap-
pointed to consider the matter.
! Friction Charged.
"Any one having but partial knowl-
edge of the administration of the
bureau of engraving and printing dur
ing the past few years" adds the
brief. "knows that between the direc-
tor and a certain favored coterie. on
! the one part. and a not insignificantly
small humber Of his subordinates. on
| the other, there has existed a state
| bordering upon friction, and. whether
rightly or wrongly. involving convic-
tion on the part of many of dis
termination, favoritism. unfairness and
even injustice not greatly removed
| from vindictiveness."
Turning back to the instruction
again. the brief AYERS that "the first
and obvious INJURY is. If the bureau
has had among its employees those
who have been inef1icient. inattentive
to duty. tardy and excessively losing
time. why have they been retained
Why were they not long since weeded
out of the service? And the answer
Of this is equally obvious: the bureau
has not. been affiicted with such. and
the enumeration OF the classes in
| dicated is but cloak for the real
intent and purpose of the instruction
| that namely. to be found in and be.
d. o O~Y