Show SUCH TALKS TALK'S SILLY i I BURLESON SAYS OF GOMPERS Collective Bargaining of Civil Civi Service Serice Is Held Impossible By Associated Pr Press u. u W WASHINGTON April Apri 28 8 Postmaster General nral Burleson In a a statement Sunday defended his administration of at tho the postoffice postoffice post- post office department and his policy In op operating ott- ott crating government o controlled telephone and telegraph systems against ch charges r es made Saturday by b. Samuel Gompers president of ot the American Federation of at Labor that the postmaster general was wasI carrying out an archaic archac autocratic policy policy pol pol- I icy In the conduct of at the Pos Postal t 1 Tele Tale Telegraph I graph company and the telephone service serice and was completely out of ot sympathy with wih th the thA trend of oC American thought thought TALK IS SILLY As the tho postmaster general sees nees fees It It said It Is little little- short shor of o silly 61 to tl talk about collective bargaining with an executive officer b by civil service cm em under his administration The salary sal sal- I ar any ary and wages to bo paid such Ruch the hours of ot labor and working conditions concH condi are are- fixed by tho the legislative branch and it Is 11 for tor tho the executive head of ot a de department do- do to strictly follow the law In re rc- thereto In the matter mater of at fixing compensation tho the postmaster general Jeneral has recommended as the record shows show that the tho government bc he a I model i I I employer that compensation for tor those who serve erve It be fixed upon a generous basis bais In fact compensation of ot laborers and clerks cerks should bo be fixed at a 1 15 to 30 per cent cont more moro than Is paid for tor similar service In private employment ment That the legislative branch can l he o relied upon to act generously Is shown q h by the postal establishment In which within two years ears Increases have ave been granted ranted aggregating more than annual annually STRIKE UNTHINKABLE The attitude of at tho the postmaster general gen gen- en eral oral toward organization of government and their affiliation with wih outside outside out out- side organizations having the strike asa as asa S a 3 means of ot redressing grievances ha baa long b been en known The Tue postmaster ter general maintains that tho the strike on tho the part of ot of at the tho Jo government oV or those thosa working for tor the government Is not permissible in fact tact 18 la unthinkable and that the tha utmost danger to the tho government gov gor- Is Involved In any suggestion that there should be bc a recession from this position arid and th that t as ns far tar as he Is concerned there will wi be none 0 In the matter mater of and telegraph telegraph tele tele- graph the they aro are at present working for tho government and tho the postmaster general Insists that a n strike on their part Is 19 not permissible and he will wi never concede that It Is RULES FOR TELEGRAPH TELEGRAPH Mr Ir said ho he had had strictly ob observed observed ob ob- served the tho rules and policies laid down clown b by the war labor board boad for telegraph em em- before the wires were taken overby over overby overby I by th and added The Tho question queston Is as tho the postmaster general sees secs it f whether the orderly processes proC processes pro pro- C of ot government shall be bo I Ignored nored whether a labor organization can def defy 1 its authority and put Into effect erect their I will Wi regardless of ot the tho right of ot others and anu the tho public interest Frankness requires the tore foregoing statement by the J postmaster general but he ho a again aln declares that if I ho he can cn prevent It this thi labor question Queston shall not bo Lo used b by certain selfish publishers to obscure the real Issue Tho The postmaster general Insists that tho the I issue sue now Is allah is-allah Is shall these thes certain selfish publishers who have been boen bloodsucking the postal establishment nt for tor years car to tho the extent of ot annually annually an- an an 1 bo be fully tully restored to this thle privilege The TIle postmaster general says 8 no |