Show I i LABOR LEADER LEADER ASSAILS POLICY OF POSTMASTER G Gompers om pers Says Burleson Must l Walk Valk Plank Plant Sooner or Later LaterI I g New Xe York April Samuel C 26 Samuel Gom Gom- pers president of ot the tho American Federation Federation Federation Fede Fede- ration of oC Labor assailed the tho administration administration adminis adminis- o of Postmaster General Burleson Burleson Burleson Burle Burle- son son In a statement issued here toda today declaring that he must walk the tho plank sooner or later Inte Mr tr Gompers Compers charged Postmaster General Burleson with carr carrying ln out I an archaic autocratic policy in tho the conduct of the postal telegraph and II telephone services of or the United I States and said he needs only a aI wl wider er field and a bettor better opportunity to tofit tofit I fit It him for succession to some of the worlds world's best known n but unlamented ex Mr Ir Gompers' Gompers statement follows The troubles of ot Postmaster General Genera Burleson DUI which in a recent statement he lie attributes to a no plot or a a. conspiracy on tho the part of oC the American publishers publish publish- ers are not due solely to an any dispute there may have ha been between the postmaster postmaster postmaster post post- master general and the tho publishers to whom ho refers The Tho most recent example ex example ex- ex ample amplo of oC Mr Burleson's autocratic na nature nature nature na- na ture docs does not come as a surprise to those in the labor movement who have o come In contact with his tion Labor Sympathy Labor was lon long ago forced to the tho conch conclusion slon that Mr 11 Burleson was completely corn corn- out of or s sympathy whit th the tho trend tr of r American thought and way w totally unable to comprehend what America meant when It ll declared war upon n autocracy everywhere e Mr Ir Burl Bur- Bur l leyon on needs only a wider wider- field an ant and t a better opportunity to fit him for tor succession suc suc- succession worlds world's best cession to some somo of or the known but un unlamented ex The only difficulty difficult In Mr Ir Burleson's Burleson way Is that the world has reached tho the decision that It wants no more dic dic- tat tata rs The United U States department Is one of or the theer er very f few rw w places in the world not yet et hi In accord with that decision Long LonS before belore the tho United States Stales government gov hov- OV- OV took toole over 01 tho the telegraph systems systems y terns of ot the country countr Mr on's ons n ns cold and autocratic treatment become became Continued on Iago I Ia o e 4 i LABOR LEADER ASSAILS Q POLICY OF POSTMASTER Continued from Paso Pago 1 known to tho workers engaged In tho postal service Tho workers In various branches of or ortho tho postmaster generals general's department nt have havo come to understand thoroughly that democracy and tho department de do do- do have ha nothing In n common except that the they exist under the tho same sami government SO Time Time- after time have havo endeavored to secure tho opportunity to be bo heard b by tho the postmaster general through their rep rep- for tor the purpose of or presenting presenting pre pre- grievances 8 or just just causes for complaint The These e pleadings for an op opportunity opportunity op- op to be bo heard have been as I vain as they havo have been frequent Appears Appear My own experience with the tho postmaster post post- master mastor general has be been n of or a similar nature Acting for tor tho the workers I 1 I I have havo had a n number of or conferences conferences' with him in which I have ha endeavored endeavored I Ito to Induce him to grant the tho opportunity opportunity to his to be bo I heard through their representatives These efforts of my own have also been In I vain It has hns been rather ther a a- favorite ta J. J pose poso with tho post postmaster aster general to appear as a n. minded high person and sympathetic with his Always however this sympathy has been defined by him to mean moan that If It t any anyone one of at the had anything to present to him that employ c might j come and present prese-nt the tho case Un Under or oran an any circumstances such a R. course would i be bo unsatisfactory and Intelligent em cm- employ I ploy nowhere attempt to deceive CI I InnOne anyone that ancient and long Ions j i since exploded idea Only th the th most reactionary and brutal employers still I endeavor ln cavor to deal with the tho workers aa as Individuals I Trouble Not Political In the tho caso case of or tho the postoffice de I however where the tho em cm- I are arc scattered throughout the the United States such an attitude as that assumed by tho the postmaster general becomes not only ridiculous and preposterous preposterous pre pre- I but butt constitutes an nn affront and an Insult to the Intelligence atthe ot of the tho men and women In his department and to the citizenship of ot the country as welL I Mr Ir Burleson's troubles cannot successfully suc bo be laid b by him at the tho doors of or tho those whom ho ma may assume are nis enemies for political purposes only because their source Is In something I I deeper Mr lr Burleson's troubles arise from tho the fact that be he has attempted with singular zeal to carry out an archaic autocratic policy In the conduct conduct conduct con con- duct of tho the postal telegraph and telephone tele tele- phone services of or the tho United States Any postmaster general who will follow follow fol Col fol- fol low tho the same carne policy will Inevitably Ine I fAro face the tho same sarno public condemnation and i eventually walk the same plank that I Mr tIr Burleson must walk sooner or later Post Males Makes Startling Answer to Burleson Now New York April Charles 6 26 Charles Johnson Johnson Johnson John John- son Post director of or the publishers' publishers advisory advisor board who was accused by Postmaster General Burleson of at utterIng utterIng uttering utter- utter Ing an infamous falsehood In a a. statement statement statement state state- ment regarding the alleged refusal to transmit matter criticizing him over the tho telegraph wires and of or being chief lobbyist of or the tho publishers sent the following telegram today to Mr Burleson I 1 accept your challenge issued in your our statement published In toda today's s papers papers papers pa pa- pers to publicly present all figures of at moneys monc's raised b by the tho publishers' publishers ad advisor advisory advisory ad- ad visor board Its c. c expenses and all de details details de- de tails taUs In connection with myself and this organization before any representatives representatives named b by you and at any anytime anytime anytime time or place at their convenience I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall place myself entirely at their disposition as to examination under oath in cl connection with all these ex expenditures ex- ex j In return I challenge you to similarly similarly simi simi- larl produce and make public your our records of or the tho mone moneys money's 8 received by you and the profits made by you OU In connection connection con con- with convict labor on properties properties properties proper proper- ties owned by you ou a convict labor tern tem which competes with free American AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican labor and In which whippings brutality and ferocious punishment were th the methods of or extracting ade ade- quate labor aL i from Its victims P Postmaster General Denies Posts Post's Clar Charges es Washington April 26 Replying G lag r late Inte today to a telegram from rom Charles Johnson Post director of oC the tho publishers' publishers publish publish- ers' ers advisory board regarding ln the use of at convict labor on his plantation In Texas Postmaster General Burleson said ald Answering your our wire The full facts in connection with the l lease ase to tho the State of or Texas of or tho the plantation In which I I Iwas was Interested upon which the tho state used Its convict con labor and the tho terms of or the contract In conn connection connection c- c tion therewith havo have been placed be before before be- be fore toro tho the Congress more than once and havo have long long- been beon a matter of public record rec rec- ord It would bo La fulte Interesting for you to publish now nn and later have havo laid I before Congress the tho facts In the same detail about moneys raised and spent to secure tho the repeal of or the zone po postage postage post post- t- t age rate law Of or course courso you OU know as the Now York World did dill when It published published published pub pub- this falsehood that I did lUd not uso use convict con labor on my plantation but that tho the plantation was ns leaved leased and cultivated by the State of or Texas and the at nil all convicts con used thereon were tunes times under the tho states state's exclusive control control control con con- and mana management Later Mr It Burleson Issued a n statement statement statement state state- ment declaring that the tho resolutions adopted yesterday by bp tho the Publishers' Publishers association committed d It to a petition for the repeal or suspension lon of or th the tho laW lan Increasing the rate of postage on newspapers and tind m magazines This makes the tho Issue plain said saM saMI I Mr Ir Burleson's Burleson s statement Should I the tho law be repealed or should it be permit permitted ted to stand Tho The statement that the public and andI I not th the thc publisher suffers by the zone rate Is an Insult to the tho intelligence of ot tho the American people However er much selfish publishers mil may attempt to camouflage the tho situation tho the thoughtful thought thought- ful ful Intelligent ent reader will not lose loso sight Right of tho the real Issue Shall the tho old old- time postal subsidy taken from the tho pocket of or other users user of or the mall mail lie le restored to tho few parasite publishers who havo have for years ears plundered dt dered ecI the postal revenues It shall not be If It b by the UI use UFO of or the tho bludgeon of or truth tho the present ent 1 postmaster post post- master general can n pound the honest facts Into the minds of ot those upon whom hom tho the final responsibility rests reste I |