Evening star., 1922-04-02


ing is destroyed. They are ineligible
to reinstatement in the government
service, because summarily dismissed
on charges. the nature of which they
do not know. and they lose the bene
mt of the retirement act. All of them
have given long and faithful service
with unsullied record. The chief
executive. who has dismissed them.
and he alone. can restore their. civil
service standing and remove the
stigma he has put upon them.
We further request that the posi-
tions these women have held he filled
by women. Not only has the work
been efficiently done by women. but
these positions are at the top of the
WomenS line Of promotion in the bn
reau. For the sake of the thousands
of other women in subordinate posi-
tions, who are entitled 10 the incen
tive of promotion and opportunity.
we ask that these positions be re-
tanned for women
Await Explanation.
Dazed at the suddenness of the
Presidents reorganization of the gov
ernments giant currency manufac-
turing plant, Washington is eagerly
awaiting some official explanation of
the nature of the charges which re-
suited in the wholesale dismissals.
Speculation and comment on the
drastic action of the President are
rife.
Beyond the White House statement
that the employees were dismissed for
the good of the service" no further
explanation for the swift action has
been forthcoming. Meantime the
question is being asked in all quar-
ters as TO why an official statement
Is not issued that will either give the
specific reasons for the removal of the
bureau officials or dispel the natural
aspersion cast on their characters.
sand in Ink Story.
Many Interesting comments IN con-
nection with the wholesale dismissal
of the officials were heard about the
afternoon. One theory held by some,
of the employees was to the effect
thai certain clique had been at
work FOR some time to oust former
Director Wilmeth. This activity was
alleged TO have centered in various
dence of the employees in the director
and at times took shape. il is charged.
in acts designed to impair the eff
cheney of the bureau.
Several employees said. as an in
stance. sand was mixed in barrels
Guction OF currency knowledge of
this was denied by Jesse E. SwiGert.
deposed assistant chief of the print
ing division.
Wilmeth's dismissal was greatly re-
GREETED by the vast majority of the
employees who worked under him, it
was stated. who contended that the
former director was exceptionally
efficient and lauded him for his in
tcrest in their welfare. There was
no doubt th2t the oUstinG of Wilmeth
was not popular move so far as the
employees We're concerned.
Miss Ethel NJ. Smith. an official of
the National Federation of Federal
! Employees who. through her organ
iZation. has devoted years to the well
fare of the employees of the bureau,
declared last night that former Di-
rector Wilmeth was perhaps better
/ liked by the workers as whole than
any head the bureau has had in years
She characterized him as the most
human" director the bureau has ever
had and did everything to max e
working conditions at the plant as
| ideal as possible.
While recent issues of the Plate
Printer. official organ of the local
plate printers union, published ar
ticles criticising certain conditions at
the bureau. union officials last night
denied that there ever has been a
campaign by the organization against
Mr.. Wilmeth's administration
In the issue of March Is. The Plate
Printer" charges in its headlines the
following:
Chief of the engraving division
of the bureau Of engraving and
decline of workmanship on govern
menr securities"
Editorial Charges.
The climax of the editorial is:
We Hare at loss to understand
why Director Wilmeth is allowing
the bureau of engraving and print
| ing 10 get away from the engraving
and printing of government securities
and substituting in its place photo
mechanical processes of printing
There is more urgent need of a
, resumption of the former high stand
ard of engraving and printing in the
bureau of engraving today than ever
before and we urge upon Director
Wilmeth at this time that he cur
| tail the activities of men like Mr.
Rose who have no regard for the
purpose of which the bureau of en-
craving and printing was estab-
/ lished."
Previously in the article the center
of discussion is about George Rose,
! sion. who was dismissed Friday
This reads in part: The chief of
this important division. of the bureau u
is one of the men whom we hold
largely responsible for the present
| low standard of Workmanship and
| ment securities. MIR. Rose occupies
an important position in the govern
! ment service and is supposed to be
an authority on engraving for bank
note securities.
There has been much dissention
| in the engraving division during the
! administration of Mr. Rose and we
, have stood aloof as regards this con-
troversy believing that il was none
| of our business. but nevertheless we
have viewed with alarm the tendency
| of Mr. Rose to depreciate the value
of first class steel engraving. Mr..
Rose is an engraver, but seems 10
have lost faith in his own art, and.
therefore, to our minds is not fitted
| for the position he now occupies. =
Inefieiency Cited.
While hesitant in stating any def
mite reason for the bureau ,dismis-
sails. new officials of the currency
/ plant last night intimated strongly
| they were caused principally by lin
| efficiency" In this connection. one
| of the new officials referred to the
| last annual report of Director Will
meth, suggesting that it undoubt edly
| had some bearing on the situation.
/, A comparison between the output
Director Joseph Ralph. and while un-
/ der Director Wilmeth shows the fol-
| lowing, according to the tabulatio III
/ the reports compendium:
| The average output for the fiscal
!, years of 1917, in December Of which
Year Mr.. Ralph retired, was Ma.
sheets per employe. During the three
| preceding years the figures were
| 71,279. 1856 and 74.2SS. During the
| four years following the retirement
of Mr.. Ralph, the figures are 63S54
SO, ,5ss. 5s,2S2, and 61,814.
| During this latter time. in addition
~ ~ ... n