Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-18
7 INSPECTORS
CHARGE UPON
POSTOFFICE
Peremptory Order Discharging
3 Men May BE Followed
by Other Action.

Following the peremptofy discharge Of
three Democrats. veteran employees Of the
local postofTice through specific orders
from the postofflce department at Wash
ington yesterday, seven postoffice in
spectors swept down upon the building
today ana are busy checking UP the
office, which was taken over by Robert
II. Bryson as acting postmaster from
Robert f. SprinESteeu Monday.
While the ostensibIe purpose Of the in
spcctors' visit is to check up as n mere
matter OF routine connected with the
change in postmasters. there is a deep
undercurrout Of suspicion among en-
ployes of the department today that the
large number of inspectors at work in
dicates a purpose Of deeper significance
and that eventually other Democrats will
follow the outward bound steps of
Charles b. Fawkner, superintendent Of
mails; Jacob +. Poe, assistant superin-
tendeut, and Frank Schmedel foreman Of
carriers, the three employees discharged
yesterday after service ranging from
twenty five 10 more than thirty years
each.
UNEASINESs
AMONG EMPLOYEES.
As a result there is a marked air of
uneasiness among the employees and it is
said the fine morale Of the office is in
danger Of being shattered.
One employe said:
All Of us, Democrats and Republicans,
alike, feel that we are sitting on dyna-
mite. The Democrats among us feel they
are marked for execution and the Re
publicans feel that their safety is tenn
NJ for ~ hn Rap-1h1foou cd fy,fs
tration at Washington tears down the
merit system and returns to the rotten
ness Of the old spolls system all Of us
who are Republicans know very we'll that
our turns VIII come when the Democrats
go into power again.
"Of course we all expected that during
Republican years Republicans would re-
ceiye the cream Of the 5obs here, ana
vice versa, but we also have thought that
while a change Of administration might
increase or decrease our salaries a few
hundred dollars as the case might be.
that at the same time we were assured
of some sort Of a job.
WONDER ABOUT LOYALTY
AND MERIT REWARD.
But now we are all up in the air. IL
years Of service are to be rewarded by
being turned out on the street in the
midst of Il financial depression without
so much as notice, then what has become
of all the fine things we have heard
about loyalty to the department and
merit being rewarded ?"
Schmedel was let out yesterday, Fawk-
ner viii be out Of the service Jan. o.
while Poe goes out Feb. 2. The time
each man was allowed depended upon
the unused amount Of vacation time he
had coming to him.
The charges on which the three men
were let out were filed in Washington
last October, and the men answered them
Immediately They have not been made
public, but It is understood that they
were Of relatively minor character, such
rs soliciting funds in 1917 to hire a band
TO attend the second Inauguration of
Woodrow Wilson.
VETERAN TO LOSE
RETIREMENT PENSION.
1t was believed that reason to denote
the men would be found, but that the
Republican Administration would go so
far. as to discharge the men was not con
sidered possible.
All of the men were veterans in the
service and have had excellent records in
the past Mr. Fawkner has completed
twenty eight and half years In the
service and in another eighteen months
would have been eligible to retire on a
pension of about $50 month. If the
discharge stands he win lose HIS right
to this retirement pension.