Evening star., 1947-09-23
Committee S Inquiry
Into McCann Activity
Apparently Dies Out
By Joseph Young

The Senate Civil Service Commit
tees inquiry into the activities OF
Irving G.. McCann, general counsel
Of the House Labor Committee, to-
day appeared TO have gone up in
smoke.
Committee sources acknowledged
that a hearing yesterday disclosed
no wrong doing or violation of the
law In the activities of Mr.. McCann
on behalf of group of post Office
employees who were disgruntled with
the promotion system in the City
Post Once.
Taking the offensive, Mr.. McCann,
who last month threw some punches
At AFL General Counsel Joseph Pad
way at House Labor Subcommittee
hearing in California, charged the
inquiry was simply plot by the
American Federation of Labor to
get even with me-" -
He charged that George D. Riley
staff director Of the Senate Civil
Service Committee, is a former AFI
organizer. Mr. Riley, whose pre-
'vious job was as operations director
of the AFL Government Employees
Council, denied this.
Postal Inquiry to Continue.
Committee sources said they would
continue their inquiry into the post
office situation, but no date was set
for future hearings. .y-
The committee was informed yes.
terday that MIR. McCann was re.
tanned yesterday by q group of II
postal employees to draw up a peti.
tion protesting conditions which al.
legged that seniority was ignored ir
making promotions. Chairman Ian.
ger of the Senate group said it wa.
his committees aim to find out !,
there was any violation of the law
which prohibits any one from re.
ceiving money to represent employees
Sin obtaining appointive Office"
1t was brought out at the hearing
that MIR. McCann was not connected
with any congressional committee
at the time he was paid sums rang.
ing from IS to $40 by the men. He
later told reporters he drew up the
petition for the men as a favor Il
one of them who was his friend. The
money was given to him voluntarily
to pay for expenses in drawing ur
petition protesting conditions ir
the department, he said.
The petition, which stated thai
seniority was being ignored by the
department and that old-time EN-.
ployes were being passed over TO,
promotions In favor Of newer EN-.
ployes, was later presented to the
Senate and House Civil Service
Committees, as well as the Posi-
Once Department. Later, it wa.
testified, Mr.. McCann went to set
City Postmaster Vincent Burke anc
Senator Sparkman, Democrat, o.
Alabama.
Employe Corroborates Story.
James B. Robertson, a Post Ofic'
employe, corroborated MIR. McCanni
version. Mr.. Robertson said he wa
q friend Of the attorney and brough
the matter up with him last Oc'
tober when they were playing golf
Several weeks later, he continued
the group Of employees asked MI
McCann to take over their case
I'VE chipped In and gave hin
some money as q sort of retaine
because, after all, we knew tina
he would have some expenses, ant
he took his job more as q favo
to me in view Of our friendship,
Mr.. Robertson said.
THE witness said he and his col
leagues acted because the situa
ton in the Post Once Department
here was just getting bad enough
to do something about It," He salt
employees there didn't feel that pro
motions were being carried out "ac
cording to the postal rules and reg
ulations."