National Republican., 1877-04-28
OUR COMPLAINT BOOK.
Intruding in Private Apartments.


EDIroR REPUBLICAN: There is no place
whore more rigid etiqustte is required In regu-
latlng -calls" at private rooms, whether on bust.
ness or socially, than In Washington. No one has
the right to enter q private dwelling or private
room without ringing or knocking. And yet many
good people arc guilty OF this improperly for
want Of reflection. By way OF illustration, n you
knock at tho door Of q private room and there Is
no response, propriety requires that you 20 away
II the nrst knock Is light It is allowable to
knock a SECOND time and louder, lest tho first
knock may not have been heard. II there is no
response 70 the second knock leave Immediately.
10 continue to knock and TO stand and listen for
some movement within; and still more 10 turn
the bolt to ascertain if the door Is fastened And
pertinent to open the dsor Of . private room in
the absence Of the occupant and peep around to
II there Is no response to your knock you may
6e assured that the occupant 10 either absent
ir which 9.se you have NO business @ enter1or
turbed BY any one, or Is engaged on private busl-
ness with some one else.
there Is in WsshnGton, it would 6e wen for those
who see great doal Of company to have this par.
sgraph printed and pasted on their room doors.
and Il every Newspaper In washington that con,
sors In these ysS' would copy th, into hss
Ssadns and have tho
ONE VINO HAS SUFFERED.
"Meroer" On Construction OF Language.
! have not the slightest idea who your cor
respondent "Mercer"i Is, but / know Just what the
matter is with him. Mercer says ''the term
printer in the law includes proofreaders." ID
this Mercer's construction OF law or his miscon-
struction Of oflanguaKef
In matters pertaining to the typogrs phioal art
than the term rs ssnas include engineers
In rsilroading.
will generally be, but the printeri is not . proof
reader. think that Mercer has no authority for
;srE that .ss pgSS printer on
have the best reasons for saying that he considers
them very good printers, and something more.
are prInters The clerks are employed as Clerks,
and not as printers though they are Doubtless
as printers, but as proofreaders, and their pay
Is not affected by the recent law.
more t6s, : Fnowisdss oi the nssSsnissi depart.
nsy b ners ds!sd z nsa;. and
has q knowledge Of the mechanical department
ought not to become hindrAnoe to his obtaining
the compensation allowed In the department OF
BY tbs way In which "Msreer" mIscenstrucs
the law and misstates the rules Of the Printers
the Printers Union onscts the laws Tor ConErcss
or the Congress makes rules for the Printers
Union, The law e mandatory eoneeraing print.
said about 20 per cent. reduction.
The pay OF the female employees has not tesn
reduced At all; and, In my Judgment. the Public
Printer would have been amply justified IL he
had thrown the entire resPonslbility Of .reduc.
Non OF wages upon tho Congress that enacted
as were definitely comprehended In tho strict
letter OF the law.
The statement that the Public Printer was
banqueted at one Of the hotels by the proof
readers In his employ 10 untrue, and sm un-
charitable enough TO believe that "Meroer"
know II was untrue. There were eighty en- .
ployees AZ that banquet and only six ofthsuA 1
were proof'resdws, SWAMI