The Washington times., 1936-07-23
OMAN OFFICE
'SWEATSH0P,'
IS CHARGE
Nv J. EARLE MOsER

mel administration Of the Federal
Bureau of investigation were is
sued today by the Department OF
Justice lodge Of the American
Federation Of Government EN-
ployes as the union revealed that
Attorney General Cummings has
refused to review the cases OF
seven Of its members. whom it al
leges were forced to resign because
of union discrimination.
In q public bulletin constituting
the first gun Of q fight which it
said will be to a finish" the lodge
hurled charges Of "sweatshop con-
ditions," "harsh supervision" and
10000 hours Of uncompenSated
overtime" against the tingerprint
section Of j. Edgar Hoover's
Oman unit, and announced that
q meeting will be held Sunday at
1407 Chaplin st. N. W., at 8 p. m,
for the purpose Of forming a joint
protest committee from sympa-
thetic employees.
The fight has lasted three
weeks, the lodge revealed, but has
had O lengthy background leading
up to current events. According
to A. F.. G. E. members, bad per-
sonnet conditions In the finger
print section Of Investigation
caused approximately IS employees
to resign between January ! and
80, and because the designations
were not replaced approximately
10000 hours Of overtime had been
accumulated by July !.
This, it was charged, led to
protests by the union and when
it attempted to bring about RENE
dial action division chiefs began
to show hostility" to the organi-
cation. It was also charged that
]. j. Edwards, chief Of the
identification division, told one
AF.G.E. member that "as a Sug'
gestlon" the union was not a
good place for him.
After repeated protests to Mr..
Edwards against the overtime,
the union declared today, four
Of its members were summoned
by him and confronted with cal
legations Of inefficiency." Two,
fearful Of being discharged, re-
signed, and the other two we're
requested to resign by Director
Hoover. Three mere later were
asked to resign, the union added,
yet all had received efficiency
ratings Of good" on June %.
Further, according to the lodge,
Attorney General Cummings
gave it the runaround." A pro-
test against the whole business
was left with him on July and
on July Is he told a delegation
that he would read it after he
returned from a trip and tell
them whether he thought a re-
view Of the designations was in
order. But, it was charged, he
had already left a message and
while he was on the high seas
the lodge received it. The mes.
sage was to the effect that he
had decided against any kind of
hearing, that union diScrimina-
ton had no bearing on the case,
and that he thought the fact
that all seven of the resigned
employees were union members
was q "pure accident"
Thus far the Age. national
office has not been asked to take
formal charge Of the reinstate-
ment campaign, the Justice lodge
prefering to travel q lone road
until it finds it needs more help.
Merit Book Due
William Ullman, head of the
syndicate which publishes the
Federal Employe, official publica-
ton Of the National Federation
Of Federal Employees, has an
nounced that on August is his
company will release a book tell.
ing the dramatic story of the
long fight for the merit system
in the Federal service" He also
plans other books of timely in.
terest in the near future, he an
nourced.
Pep Talk
Miss Josephine Roche, As
sistant Secretary of the Treasury,
recently gave q pep talk" to
the 1885 class of recently COM
missioned. officers of the Pub
lie Health Service, consisting of
young medical officers brought in
from the field service and trained
for four months in adminiStra-
ton, community health and Sani-
tation, management Of epidemics,
medical sociology, Industrial ny.
giene, laboratory work and con.
troll Of communicable diseases.
The officers, who were trained
under direction Of Senior Surgeon
r. r. Spencer, included c. H. Bin
ford Of Virginia; Bert r. Boone of
Oklahoma; Leroy E. Burney, r. H.
Finn, j. w. Oliphant and Leonard
A. Scheele, Of Indiana: D. c. Elliott
of Ohio; N. P. Griffey of Ken
lucky; H. D. Lyman and c. j.
Vanslyke Of Minnesota; r. r. Muir
dock Of Utah: T. B. Mckinley Of
Louisiana and r. L. Robinson OF
Iowa.
WONDERFUL WAY