Evening star., 1940-05-09
EIIender Committee
Begins Investigation
OF North Case
Persecution Charged
In Tronsfer Of Navy
Department Clerk

&
The special Senate committee set
up to investigate the working con-
ditions of employees in the Federal
Civil Service today launched an in
quiry into the reasons why Miss
Mary North was transferred from
her position in the Navy Depart
ment, as stenographer FOR Capt. r.
D. Workman, chief of chaplains,
U. S. N.
Capt. Workman told Chairman
Ellender:
Miss North said to me: DO your
own dirty work, or get yeoman
downstairs to do it,"
Miss North, facing the chaplain
from the opposite side of the wit
nesses' table at the committee hear
ing. said: Chaplain, hate to
contradict you, but never used the
language, DO your own dirty work
I said Get Henley downstairs to do
this if you must be so outspoken. -.
The exchange arose from Miss
North's admitted disinclination to
type letter from Capt Workman
regarding the health of a chief petty
officers wife, recently become
mother at the Mare Island Navy
Yard.
Miss North said that shortly after
the exchange she was transferred
from the chaplains office to what
she termed the "stenographic pool"
of the Bureau of Navigation, Navy
Department.
j. A. Carlson, now Miss North's
ultimate chief, denied it was a pool.
"Worst Doghouse."
Later, Mrs. Lillian Foster, now a
co-worked of Miss North's under
Mr.. Carlson, and his assistant, Miss
Lulu Berger, exclaimed of her pres
ent detail:
It's the worst doghouse I ever
heard of in my life"
In light of this, Senator Ellender
asked Edward Hinkel, chief clerk of
the Bureau of Navigation, whether
he considered that it was fair to
transfer Miss North from secre-
tarial to a purely stenographic job
Mr.. Hinkel explained that Miss
North-20 years in the Office of chief
Of chaplains-had lost neither grade
nor pay. Knowing that Miss North
had testified little over a year ago
in complaint before the Ellender
committee, Mr.. Hinkel said earlier:
This was case of insubordina-
tion. I don't mind saying if 1t had
been anybody else, not cloaked by
your senatorial committee, she
might have been dismissed.
Stenographic Pool Denied.
"She misrepresented the case to
you, because We have no steno-
graphic pool in the Bureau of Navi-
cation. We do have a relief force,
a group of hand-picked stenog-
raphers who fit in anywhere. Miss
North was given that task so there
could be no statement Of persecu-
ton"
Senator Ellender elected from two
former chief chaplains-Scott and
Dickens-for whom Miss North
worked, that her work was COM
Aletely satisfactory.
Capt Workman said he could not
overlook Miss North's "fare-up" be-
cause the work he was asking her
to do was perfectly routine" It
involved case of Navy relief, and
Admiral Spencer S. Wood, u. S. NJ,
retired, secretary treasurer aof the
Naval Relief Society, told the COM
mittee that such cases were never,
in his experience, handled by the
chaplain's Office.
Miss North offered complaint to
the committee that she objected to
the chaplain's unofficial reference
to sex matters" Then she COM
planned that she was unhappy and
overworked under Miss Berger.
She said she felt the bureau was
seeking to force her departure. Miss
North later was transferred-April
% of this year-to stenographic
work under Miss Valerie Dunn.
Miss Dunn said she got along we'll
with Miss North and Miss North
said, "it was very nice work" and
that she was happy"
In view of Miss North's suspicion
that her difficulties arose from her
previous appearance before the COM
mittee, Senator Ellender stated:
Il will reiterate I will not tolerate
any departments Furnishing any
witness testifying before this COM
nnittee.
Il expect to maintain this COM
mittee for future investigations and
assure all witnesses before us that
If their super;ors take offense or
attempt to prevent them coming
here. they will be Investigated.
IF it is possible to have those who
interfere with the orderly procedure
of this committee reprimanded, de-
NOTED or thrown out of the service,
then the committee will take such
stems as are necessary tn accomnliSh