The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-04-02
Empleyes' Organization
Floods White House
With Protests.
SENATOR CARAWAY
WILL ASK PROBE
President Is Notified Dis
missed Men Were in
Civil Service.

washington ls agoE as the re-
suit Of President HardinE's drastic,
unheralded reorganization Of ths
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing.
and the summary dismissal Of
twenty-seven division executives.
In Congress a movement is al
ready under way 20 bring about an
investigation. with Senator T. VI.
Caraway, Of Arkansas. taking tho
lead by declaring that he will in.
troduce a resolution tomorrow for
this purpose.
A food Of protests has been re-
ceived at the White House from the
National Federation Of Federal En-
ployes. and the women's Union Of
the Bureau Of Engraving and Print
ing. against the dismissal by
method which impUEns their char
acter and takes away their civil
service status. including the beac-
fits Of the retirement act"
Intimat5 Court Action.
Several Of the dismissed cNecu-
tives have intimated that they
would carry the matter into the
District courts 10 ascertain whether
or not they can be removed for no
other reason than the good OF the
service"
Meanwhile. President Harding re-
mains silent. standing on the or
/ der which accompanied the dis
missals. and Secretary Of the Treas
ury Mellon. under whose depart-
ment she bureau 10 operated. has
nothing TO say"
h..
/ terday brought to the attention OF
/ the President that most Of the
. ousted men were civil service en-
ployes. but thus far no staament
regarding this matter has as yet
been made.
Caraway Is Bitter.
Hints OF sensational disclosure,
I to follow involving serious none
tary losses TO the government made
I Immediately after the order wac
signed from certain quarters. were
/ pronounced empnaticaIly 10 be IN
I founded by Assistant Secretary Of
( the Treasury Eliot wadsworth
There is nothing sensational be-
/ hind the action OF the President
which will reflect upon the inteC-
/ rity Of the discharged men" ne said
Although the meaCer statement
which accompanied the reorEauiza-
tion order stated that there werc
no political motives involved. =
politics" is given as the principal
cause for the action by those res
/ istering disapproval
Senator Carsway. who Is leadin=
the movement for Congressional &C
tion. talked with bitterness regard
ing the Outrage" He said:
wnmeth .Hat q Loss
This action Of the administra-
tion is an outrage. II must be In
vestigated by the Senate. To have
forced Director James L. WiImeth
/ to resign would have been bad
enough. but 20 dismiss him without
notice and to reflect upon his char
acter by inference is an infamous
proceeding.
] IF the Republicans merely want
ed the jobs. they should have said
so. But 20 dismiss old and trusted
employees, with TO eNplanatipR sN-
cept for the good OF the service j.
/ to force them out under a cloud"
Il am still at a loss to know what
brought about this action" said
/ wilmeth. the dismissed director of
the bureau. last night. 7 cannot
understand why the President could
.
Eanizatiou. Since have beer CHIEF
OF the bureau everything has been
run efficiently and honestly.
challenge investigation Of my ad-
ministration.'
Hill Explains Howl
Commenting on the political
charges made in the Senate. Louis
/ A. Hill. the director OF the bureau.
who was appointed simultaneously
with the signing OF the order 10y
the President, said:
''Of course, the Democratic Scna-
tors will howl when they sec good
| Democrats turned out OF ONCE. bYt
they are guilty OF the same thiHt.
There are Republicans who came
back with my appointment yest"r-
/ day who were discharged here last
July by Democratic officials"
One of the most bitter Of the pro-
tests sent to the President yester-
day was one from the WomeN $
| Union Of the bureau. which points
to the dismissal OF four women eN-
ecutives. not merely because OF the
dismissal, but because OF the hlltns
| Of their positions by men-'thus
( closing the only avenue Of promo
| ton open to the thousands OF won-
en- employed in the bureau"
No Reply Allowed.
The letters sent to President
Harding from the National Fedora
tion OF Federal Employees and the
women's Union. one Of the units OF
the National Federation, are signed.
respectively. by Luther c. Steward.
president Of the National Fedora
ton, and Miss Gertrude NJ. McNally.
vice president OF the federation and
secretary OF the wom"n's Union.
Both letters call the Chief IA
ecutIve's attention To the fact tha.
the spirit Of the civil service Law
has not been observed in the execu-
tive order" in that the dismissed
employees were furnished no infor-
nation as Go the charges on whirh
they were dismissed. and were yiv-r
en- no opportunity to reply to s'lrh
charges.
Moreover" the letters con'iuu".
the. unprecedented meth~d of J3~-
missai which was used in thi-
stance, namely. executive r-ac:.
where the normal p-oredU-c rv1Ui'i
have been action by the Secretary
NJ Treasury who has Ihe annaint-