The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-11-28
Defrees Again.


To he Editor Of The Eyening Critic.
AS Public Printer Defreos is continually en-
deavoring to hide his mean and contemplate
act oi one Weeks pay from the
(which they were forced to lose on the occasion
OF the death OF the late President under the
plea that It was in violation OF the law to pay
them, 1t would be well to inform the public
what the law is that he pretends he cannot pay
them under, when It went Into effect, how
many days this same Public Printer paid for
What caused him TO see oil at once that he had
violated the law for nearly three years and
paid out nearly $40, 600, which h he had no right @
1t is II the law prohibited him from paying this
money the Comptroller has passed and audited
his accounts for ne nearly three yearsp ear Is not OF
$4,000 he has paid out, contrary to law, rs
The law approved February 16, 1877, is as
follows:
Propided tlirther That from and after tho
close OF the present session OF Congress the
Public Printer shall pay no greater price for
composition than fifty cents per thousand ems
and forty cents per hour for time work to
printers and ook-binders.
1t Will be seen that this law was passed. Feb
runry 10, 1877. 1t went into effect on the 9th
OF March, 1877. Defroes took possession OF
the Office OF Public Printer June /, 1877, about
three months after the passage Of this law.
| three hoiidays-Fourth of July, Thanksgiving
and Christmas. In 1878 he paid them for
| four-New Years, 4th of July, Thanksgiving
and Christmas.
In 1879 he paid them for foui,-New Years,
Fourth OF July, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
| In all he paid them for eleven days under the
him nearly three years TO find OUT prevents
| him from paying for time whom the Office was
closed on the occasion OF the death of the late
President. on the 1st OF January, 1880 (New
| Years day) the Office was closed by order of
the Public Printer. When the time came for
making out the pay rolls for the month OF Jan.
uary he instructed the foreman to deduct the
pay for that day. This first attempt of the
Public Printer to deduct the pay from the
| poor mon and women naturally raised q big
row. meeting OF the employees was callod, a
committee appointed (Which Defrees refused
to scc) and the matter was laid before Con.
| gress. 1t was not long before Congress passed
unanimously bill giving the employees of the
| holidays the same as other Departments of the
Government. Tho Printing-oflice employees
had Mt that time no other remedy than to sub
| init the matter TO Congress-.
| The question rs to pay for lost time during
the death OF tho late President has been sub
mittod to Comptroller Lawrence for his deci-
sion. There ought not TO BIO any question as tC
the decision being favorable.
The law liking the pay OF printers and book
binders has nothing TO do with the matter a
be paid for composition and time work. Con
gress never intended that It should do any
thing else.
1t is about time there was man put at the
head OF the Government Printingofice who
will not take three years TO construe n law and
then construe II wrong.
We ask the First Comptroller, Judge Law
renee, who has always been friend to thu
workingman, to give us a decision I'm this mat
ter we do not fear the result.
II the decision is against us, on the grount
that 1t is I'm violation OF the law passed Feb
ruary 10, 1877 (Which law Public Printer
Defrees harped so much ON, then let thu
proper prosecuting of1icer of the Government
bring suit against him for the 100000 he hai
paid out under that same law, and which h
now contends he has no right TO pay tho ON
ployes for time not actually employed.