The Battle for the Stamp Window
Tacoma citizens stage a successful revolt against their postmaster to save the jobs of female clerks.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Tacoma, May 31.—The stamp window frame at the Tacoma postoffice will continue to be pleasingly filled by Miss Margaret Reese. Postmaster Hogue said he could work men to better advantage than women recently and the three women clerks were requested to resign June 1. Anon the people spoke and intimated that they made Mr. Hogue postmaster, and, by inference, let it be known that they could unmake him. They also declared in favor of retaining the three women as clerks. Postmaster Hogue thought he ought to be allowed to run his office as he saw fit. But in this instance the people were persistently meddlesome, principally because Miss Reese is a great favorite. Postmaster Hogue's son was, it is understood, slated for Miss Reese's place. He came around to get 'broken in,' it is also said, and the next day Nelson Bennett came out with a letter in the Ledger expressing a very adverse opinion of the proposed change. Young Hogue did not report for duty thereafter. Postmaster Hogue says he will comply with the wishes of the people, and retain Miss Reese, Miss Dryer and Miss Buel as long as they attend to business properly.
“The people spoke and intimated that they made Mr. Hogue postmaster, and, by inference, let it be known that they could unmake him.”
This clash over public-facing service roles and the 'meddling' of the public in administrative personnel decisions resonates with modern local government accountability, even if the gender politics of the era are starkly different.
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