Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-02-23

| Tie following 70 the decision referred to y,
8 err'ary Chrsr in his snswer 70 Mr. CiaItou
i.xA.H ~ , D III. Comptsolisr's OF
i..,ralnnicF Public Pr,~ss~oLI,r: Ynurfaynr q
80 .Zth was duly received, aad daapIy rasrs
LN~ - "o"..Anuy engaged, day and
fore JoIT :tt'r wa written, that have no
ben E-i2lttcd 70 investigate the subject ,S
!t.iy ts ossfa Tor nv own satisfaction, and
| generally. " ' Po'1'S
| The prcvso TO The Sd section Of the min, ,a.,
| irt;cn IN relation TO the puauc nrtntins 49,
june 2, 1859, IL as follows THAT said Snnsr.
| 1ntcboan' shall not he allowed cradit at the
| -.,.s. !or payments on account OF services
tEAaeFed IN said printing establishment: y:
n.sGrf Prices than those paid for similar ssr.
! rStS II TAO private printing and binding as
adjustments Of the city of Washington"
ne basis OF prices given to rcu il for similar
| vices In tse private establishments in tns
| CIf. congress was not, probably. informed
majority of the hands in the private es-
| taDiiscments work by the piece, and nc. by the
! week or cay. In the table ron kindly turn shed
| al my request, the whole number of hands en-, .
! p:osed is ia, OF whom Is work by the week
| counted for by four.
| therefore avail yOu nothing, As the act does not
| not contemplate that you pay by tho piece
! The object Of Congress in passing the Joint
resolution was to have the print;n exec uted in
better style, and At a reduced expense; but
when 1t sought economy il did not intend TO
ihlure nor to interfere with the iourneyIuen
prices gives by private printing esta Enlistment.
were to regulate the prices OF tho national
office.
The Columbia Typographical Society is com.
posed Of those who work by the piece and nv
tie week, including those, or many OF thoss,
who are in the national ONCE. The whole
number in the private Offices e. no work by the
week lie ic, and the number in the national Office
Is i23' and including the bindery 1871. II their
view and wishes are to control tue prices, it
l. submitting to them how much they are will
ling TO receive when the lao refers the price to
the private printing establishments.
10 those who work by the piece 1t 4, OF no
who work by the week. The PROPOSE ion sub.
mite q TO yeu by committee appointed by the
rs.u is TO reduce the hours OF labor FROM tom 10
ei>ht hours from the month Of October to the
month OF March.
This, III my opinion, you have not the powar
I" GO under tie present law. 1 have read the
memorial OF the committee to You, and dem il
To- b. an able paper.
II the clerks in the public offices, as gen.
trai rule, are required TO perform only SIX
hDnfs labor, there are thOss who labor from,
ciSiit 10 Twelve hours, eXCluive of any time
fGr refresim ent So with clerks in stores. me-.
Ch+h les IN their shops and varons other ella S.ps
OF laborers. Tie President and Heads OF De-
r@rtmcnts have iabored almost continually
Without participating in any Of .'tha pleasures
OF social intercourse with friends and the en-
dtarmrnts of the family circle at home" or
abroad.
The soldier and the sailor have no t,.n,f,r
cuitiNating social intercourse" and ar this
t.!;ir ell tiir people are DO and no. 10 innova:n
an long established rules and rrincinIrs fn
Er"tiy unusual enjoyment.
The right Of petition 70 Con cress is Hn,i,n
pared, and it seems TO nue. the gentlemen can
only Erd redress in that body.
Most sincerely yours,
ELISHA WHITTLE7Y
TREASURY DEPARTMENT. March ~, 1872
SiT: l h&ve cxaIr,nfd the question Drasantsd
by The decision OF the First Comptroller of the
18th NCVtrn Ter last, to the effect thai shor,,,,
IL the hours of the labor OF the workman in
the public printing Office two hours each da..
unless 4 correspcn lent reduction is made from
their compensation, Is in fact an increase OF
their wages The joint resolution of the 23d
June, 1862. expressly provides that Won shall
not be allowed at the Treasury credit for paw
m'Bts on account OF services rendered in thar
printing office, at higher prices than those mid
icr similar services in the private printing and
binding establishments In the city of Wash
ington.
The opip ION OF the Attorney General, given
TO The - cretsry OF the Interior on the I5 h of
February last, has been furnished, based upon
tle stat nlent of fact that the 18th November
last the propIetors of the pri yats printing es.
Establishments here adopted 4 regulation that
their hands, from the ist Of October to the 3Ist
March, shali be required to work only eight
6mptfollers report s9 Fssu Rsstor 'ttss s
states that il was adopted, not by the proprie-
tors Of the private printing establishments on
ATTORNEY General, but it was then adopted by
the Columbia Typographical Society, a ma
jcrity Of ;he members OF which, working
daily or weekly wages, We're employed in the
public printing Office According to the Comp
tToiIrr-s yrrsion OF this regulation, it WAS In
ect, an attempt Of the workmen OF that Office
to contrui the rates of payment.
I do not propose to enter into an examination
OF this question OF fact, which is only material
in DECIDING whether you have claimed pay
n'ents made at a higher rate than is paid for
csnreadily As certain whether The proprietors OF
ttoe establishments did, in fact, adopt the reg
ulation referred TO by the Attorney General. IL
they did rot, the decision OF the Comptroller
must govern the adjustment of your accounts,
Very respectfully, your obedt serv't,
8. p. CHASE, Sec'y OF the Treasury.
JOHN D. DEFRREs. Esq,
Surerlntend't of Pu nlic Printing Office.
The following answer to the circular OF the
society WIS returned by the employers OF The
city last Friday week:
FEE. 10, 1s,3-Tn !Hr. Judd and Others, Com
nittee IF The Columbia typographical Society,"
Sir: IN reply 10 your printed circular covering
a new scale of prices proposed to be adopted by
the Columbia Typographical Society, new re-
strictiOns for the regulation of the business OF
Uf1ices, &c, we have to answer that such
is the condition Of the business of printing
carried On here by pr yate indi iduals, * to
make II Imperativeiy necessary that we should
respectfully decline TO consent TO the changes
proposed; which, If assentsd to, will increase
the cost of the composition performed in all our
offices from sixteen TO 'wenty per centuE, il
we seyerally continue to have as much done in
them as ~ present
We cannot consent to this increase OF the cost
of carrying on our business, because among
other reasons, under an accumulation OF disa-
bilities growing TOR the most part out OF the
war, none Of US are making any profit what
ever; tie rise Of hundred per cent. in the price
of pay er-two hundred per cent in that of the
fuel used In running our engines; the rise la the
coat Of the gas consumed in our Offices in that
OF printing ink, &c, &c; the heavy internal
revenue taxes Of all descriptions upon every
/; thing we do in prosecuting our business, to-
gether, consume what Were not long sinca the
profits ofprivate printing and publishing Offices
| in the District of Columbia.
! We beg leave further TO remind you GENTLE
! men that the Journeymen in our respective
! Offices are already paid higher rates than In
| any other cities in the United States except In
! New Orleans and California; and OF the
fuI Their fact that the rates Of wages already
! s1acted by the Columbia Typographical So
/ ciety have driven nearly all profitable job
| printing legitimately belonging here to the
north, where almost all descriptions OF job
! work can lie done-paying the rates OF com.
! III