Evening star., 1935-09-13
AFT. c. T. CONTROL
Won BY BABCOCK
Six New Officers Go in
With Reelection of
President.
BY J. A. FOX,

cry, the American Federation Of Gov
ernment Employees today stood In ad-
journment after q hectic four-day
convention here The session was
climaxed Wednesday by the biennial
election that witnessed the elimina-
ton of six officers, the retirement
of another and the replacement with
a group satisfactory to E. Claude Bab-
cock, who again was named for the
presidency.
Babcock, winner by vote Of 160-
80 over Paul T. David Of the Ten
nessee Valley Authority at Knoxville,
carried his slate into ofice by SINH
lar majorities.
His faction defeated Miss Esther
Penn, secretary; crushed the opposi-
ton to Cecil E. Custer seeking re-
election as treasurer, and voted into
ONCE six new vice presidents, drop
ping five incumbentS and adding one
additional. Seven vice presidents
were reelected.
Mrs. Heffner Victor.
Miss Penn was defeated, l35-49. by
Mrs. Bernice B. Heffner Of the Vet
Grams Administration at Detroit, who
vas the selection of a caucus from
the split Washington delegation and
the field
The new vice presidents are Ira Y.
Balm, Internal Revenue Bureau, and
Carroll Dimond. Adjutant Generals
-Office, both of Washington; Miss
Henrietta Olding. New York, and Miss
Rena Smith, ST. Paul-first women
to be chosen for this office-and c. L.
Edwards of Atlanta and Charles r.
Anderson of st. Louis. Miss Smith is
a district manager for the Civil Serv-
ice Commission. the first woman also
ever to get post of such responsible
ity In the commission. She is a for
mer District resident. The st. Paul
area was not previously represented In
the Federation Council.
Balm and Dimond succeed David r.
Glass of Cherrydale, Va. and Elmer
H. Bailey, ST., Of the Interior Depart
ment Bell, retiring. was elected
Charter president" in view Of his
association with the organization
since its first days. Bailey. who had
announced he would not run, entered
the list when balloting started. out
was defeated.
The same contest also witnessed the
defeat of John L. Donovan, president
of District Lodge. N. r. A, who at
one time appeared as candidate for
the presidency, and F. A. Walked OF
Norfolk. Michael D. Schaefer, the
other District vice president, was re-
elected.
After David lost out for the presi-
dency, he was nominated for a vice
presidency also, but lost to c. L. Ed
wards Of Atlanta. Edwards succeeds
Irving Coulter Of Pensacola, who had
been tagged for defeat by the Babcock
faction, and was not nominated.
Miss Gliding Also Wins.
Miss Olding won from C. Grant
Prick Of New York. who also was at
odds with the administration. and had
sought to withdraw. Michael J. Hines
of Leayenworth was the other incum-
bent to fall by the wayside, Anderson
winning from him.
The other vice presidents reelected
we're: John P. Green. Boston; John
F. Daniels, Philadelphia; James p.
Campbell, Cincinnati; Edgar Carpen-
ter, Detroit; Perry Myers. Seattle, and
James Burns, San Francisco.
The treasurer election was an all
District fight, Custer being opposed by
Ira B. Scott, head of the District Fed
Grafton. The former won as easily as
the rest of the ticket, 1886.
In none Of the contests, however
was as much feeling exhibited as
those for president and secretary.
Babcock had stated definitely either
he or Miss Penn would have to get
out, and the secretary countered by
mastering up as much opposition to
Babcock, and sentiment for David, as
she could.
This line Of attack included the cir
culation yesterday of letters from
Chairman Ramspeck OF the House
Civil Service Committee, scoring Bab-
cocks activities. These drew con-
ciliatory response last night from the
federation president.
On one charge by Ramspeck that
Babcocks attitude toward some mem
bers Of Congress had hindered EN-
ploye legislation, Babcock expressed
regret that my efforts in behalf OF
the program of the organization have
offended any one" He insisted. how
ever, that he would continue to work
as he had done in the past.
In one letter, Ramspeck rejected an
invitation to the convention and said
the iateness of the date on which it
was sent led him to believe 1t had not
been rendered in good faith. Babcock
answered that the invitation had been
late In going out, but that others to
officials also had been. He is to speak
from the same platform with Rams
peck in Atlanta next month, he said
later.
In this connection report that
Babcock had incurred the Ill will Of
Senator McKellar, Democrat. OF Ten
nessee, who blocked the leave bills,
was supported today when an opposi-
ton source gave out copy OF let
ter McKellar had written q member
of the federation who had inquired
into the circumstances surrounding
passage Of postal bill.
"Mr. Babcock had no more to do
with passage Of the 40-hour bill for
post Office custodial workers than he
did for creating the moon," the Ten
nessean wrote. If the matter had
depended upon Mr.. Babcock I would
have seen him in the neither regions
before the bill would have passed.
Adoption Of Amendment.
The convention ended in a fighting
note with the adoption of constitu-
tional amendment prohibiting inde-
pendent action by constituent lodges
in seeking legislation. Assailed by
some delegates as restrictive, James
G. Yaden Of Civil Service Lodge,
chairman of the committee from
which it was recommended. said 1t
would cure double crossing"