The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-04-14
GRAFT CHARGE
5PRESSED BY
DC. UNION
BY J. EARLE MoSER

William A. Xanten, supervisor
Of the District of Columbia Refuse
Department, tomorrow must decide
whether graft has pervaded the
administration of the local Gar.
bage Collection Service or whether
charges of such have merely arisen
from disgruntled employees.
At any rate, Gil a yes OF
favoritism. intimidation and rack
eteering on the part OF officials
have been lodged with Xanten by
10 employees, all colored, whose
cause has been espoused by Mu-
nicipal Employees Local No. 466, an
American Federation of Labor
affiliate.
"A hearing has been set for to-
morrow at p m. at Room 6lO,
462 Indiana Ave. N. W., by Kan
ten, at which time he will be pre-
scented with notarized charges on
the part of the employees and refu-
tation of the same will be in order
from administrative representa-
tives of the Garbage Collection
unit.
According to the aggrieved work
ers, racketeering exists through
the practice of farmers seeking
truckloads of garbage from the
District collections to use in fat
tening swine. Many pay for the
garbage with donations Of chick
ems, ham and other foodStuffS to
officials, it is charged. Then, &C
cording to dispositions, the produce
is sold to employees on credit, pay
able payday, at double the cost
they could be bought outside the
plant" Cd. C. garbage plant0
Other charges are to the effect
that the workers are unfairly
robbed" of due sick and annual
leave, that at least one was dis
charged because of intoXication
while off duty and that the force
of 104 men is required to donate
each pay day to fund for the
poor, although wages average but
1920, $3.50 or $3.75 per diem, de-
pending generally upon length Of
service.
In its notarized statement, the
union delegation declared:
=. 1--WE have in our possession
number of signed affidavitS deal
ing with the treatment of labor
ers in this department. These
men are robbed of their sick and
annual leave, which, according
to the law, they are entitled to.
This is only hint as to the bad
conditions that exist there
needs to be a complete cleanup
In the garbage department of
the District of Columbia, as was
done during Commissioner Bells
term of office"
President ROOseveIt's sudden
order for immediate cuts in Gov.
eminent expenditures, issued late
yesterday, is not viewed as any
great cause for alarm by employee
leaders and those experienced in
viewing the departmental scene.
Such orders, it was pointed out
today, are the usual thing as a
fiscal year draws near it's close,
and while the letter to all heads
Of departments is expected to
halt filling of vacancies and
block any contemplated promo
tons, drastic personnel slices
are believed quite unlikely. The
letter directed officials as follows:
"YOu will carefully examine
the status of appropriations
for your activities with view
to making a substantial saving
by eliminating or deferring all
expenditures which are not alb
sOlutely necessary at this time.
You will report to me through
the acting director of the budg-
ct not later than May l, 1897,
the steps which you are under
taking to reduce expenditures
and the amount Of the esti-
mated savings resulting there
from"
=. It was pointed out that the
order only refers to the 10.week
period through June 30, and it's
principal effect will be a search
ing to find which appropriations
in various offices can be handled
in such way as to return stable
unused balances to the Treasury
at the turn of the accounting
year.
So far as personnel cuts might
60, most agencies are at a mini
mum at present, a condition pro-
ven by the Civil Service Commits.
SONS famous but ignored report
revealing 100000 hours of over
time for but a few months.
BASEBALL:
With but four more days to go,
Lucky Baseball Ring" winners
who have failed to claim their
~ -. y