Evening star., 1922-09-03
BULLETIN BOARD
ORDER IS DEFINED
Assistant Postmaster Bart
lett Says Service Was Ham,
pered by Public Notices.
PLACED IN W0RKR00MS
Employees Were Led Into Argu-
ments Interfering With
Duties. He Says.
PLACED IN W0RKR00Ms

Search of the files of the Postal Bull
bulletin board" order which has
fee Department for postmasters
throughout the country, reveals the
the bulletin board order which has
led one postal clerks union to assail
John H. Bartlett, first assistant post
master general, another union to come
tn the defense of Gov. Bartlett. and
the two unions to be apparently at
loggerheads.
The famous bulletin board or
der was issued June 81 last by the
first assistant postmaster general, and
supplemented on juno 81 with an
interpretative statement owing to the
fact that questions had arisen.
It is understood that matter had
been placed on the bulletin boards
of post Offices which the Postmaster
General and his four assistants and
other officers. constituting the pos
tai cabinet" had agreed! ought not
be there. in the interest of public
service. The first assistant: therefore
under whom comes the direct man
agement of post offices of the country.
issued an order asking postmasters to
permit no notices or matter OF any
kind to be placed upon any post office
bulletins unless such notices were
10. KID. by the postmaster.
Sees Peril to Morale.
THE order may be best understood
by pointing out the evil aimed at.
First Assistant Postmaster General
Bartlett declared in the supplemental
order. as printed in the Postal Bulle-
tin, June 81.
1T Is not a matter Of place for a
bulletin board or who owns the bull
letin board. but it is question OF
conduct and discipline. The important
question is that the workroom of a
for argument. either written or spok-
en- between different groups of en-
ployes. and therefore notice calcu-
lated to make i'll feeling cannot be
to make i'll feeling cannot be tolerat-
on bulletin board or otherwise.
Such things tend to destroy the
morale of an Office and break down
it's system and discipline. Whatever
difference employees may have with
one another. singly or in groups. mus,
not be aired and contended over IN
the workrooms of post office any
where. either orally, by postal notice
or otherwise.
"Au government workers are in
their places on duty serving the whole
public. They must serve impartially
under their oaths and must attend
strictly to their duties. eliminating
for the time being at their common
place Of service all forms of propa-
ganda. all contentious. by whatever
medium conveyed, which is not deem
ed for the good of the postal service
The service itself must be kept unadul-
terated, clean and American.
Postmaster Must Control.
"It is the duty of the postmaster
at all times to maintain discipline in
his post office. Things which concern
the morale and friendly relations In
an office are matters of discipline,
master determine what goes on in
the workrooms of his post Office IN the
nature of oral or written contentious.
1t is not necessary to narrate the
various items of conduct which have
called forth this bulletin-board order
Notices of meetings Of welfare
councils. organizations or employees
friendly and harmless things that
commonly arise among congenial
workers, are not intended to be bar
red. but as the postmaster is respons-
ible for the discipline of his Office, II
is necessary that he should first se'
is intended for circulation among the
workers in the workrooms Of post
offices.
II am sure the people of our country
desire all post office workrooms to
be preserved as sacred territory
where all workers meet on an equal
ity, serving the public with blind JUS
tice, and where nothing inimfcal. dis
turbing,- extraneous, or foreign to its
own success or the public good shall
gain a foothold of advantage.
ITO this end alone was directed the
bulletin board order, and with this
principle In view the postmasters will
use their good judgement in its inter-
pretation."