National Republican., 1883-02-26
The Influence Of the Printers Union on the
Government Printing Office
The Eight Hour Clause Stricken From
the Legislative Bill.
The Bill 10 Prevent the Importation Of Adulterated
Tea Passed by the House.
Mr.. Reeds Rule TO Push the Passage OF
the Tariff Bill.
THE SENATE.

resolutions adopted by tho Amagamatod As
socatlon of Iron and Steel Workers of the
United States and asked to have IL read.
Mr.. Edmunds said ho must object If IL was
TO go into tho Record.
MIR. Voorhees, desired that It should be
printed in the Record. Haitian hour had been
wasted in reading the trash of last nights
proceedings for the satisfaction of the senator
from Vermont, and now he (Mr. VoOrhecsl
desired that these workers in iron and steel
should be heard for n few minutes.
The president said the resolutions would
be printed in the Record unless objection were
made.
Mr.. Edmunds objected because the printing
of such papers in the Record cncumbered II;
but he had no objection to printing the reso-
lutions rs Il separate document.
Mr.. Voorhees, said that great deal of stuff,
much less valuable than this paper, went into
the Record, and he was proceeding to read the
resolutions, when Mr.. Edmunds objected. The
rule permitted a brief statement Ofsuch papers,
but not their reading.
Mr.. Voorhees, said he was at loss to know
how the iron and steel workers had incurred
the hostility of the senator from Vermont,
and then made o statement of the contents of
the resolutions.
On motion of Mr.. Van Wyck, brief cx-
ecutivc session was held.
When the doors were rcopened the Senate
proceeded TO consider
THE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION BILL.
Upon the provision increasing the salary of
the public printer to $4,000 discussion arose
as to the influence Of the printers union upon
the management Of the government printing
Office.
Mr.. Beck said he understood that the public
printer was at the mercy of some outside asso-
citation, both as to the wages he paid and the
persons he employed, and asked the chairman
of the committee OH printing what he knew
on the subject.
Mr.. Anthony replied that there was too
much truth in that statement. The typo
graphical association assumed TO fix the rates
of compensation Of printers without consult
ing the employers at all, and If any person
not belonging TO the association were en-
ployed the members of the association would
leave the office. This was tyranny which
the craft would not submit to if it was or
daned by law, vet they imposed il upon
themselves for their own benefit.
MIR. Beck was willing to vote for any law
and any amount of money to emancipate the
government from the control of this or any
other organization.
Mr., Anthony said the senate had once
passed resolution instructing the public
printer to employ his men for the best in
forests of the government, and TO pay the
market rates of wages, but the resolution had
not met the approval of the other house; and
there was an existing law requiring tho public
printer to pay about 90 per cent. more than
was paid in private offices in Washington for
similar work. His sympathies were all with
the interests of labor, but he did not recog-
nize the right Of employees to fix the rates
that should be paid for their labor without
consulting the employers, or to fix higher
rates for the government than for other en-
ployers.
did not also dictate who should be employed
by the public printer.
Mr.. Anthony said that If any person not
belonging to the union were employed all the
members of the union would leave the Office
Mr.. Hale thought senators must be startled
ct hearing that this great government estab-
lishment, upon which millions were spent an
nually, was helplessly in the hands of pri.
Vate, and, for aught he knew, q secret associa-
tion, which controlled its management and
monopolized its employments. If tyranny
existed which compelled the taking of all the
employees of the government printing Office
from one organization to the exclusion of all
other like working people in the United
States, there ought not to be another dollar
appropriated until that tyranny should have
been Overthrown and the government print
ing office opened to every person in the
country skillful enough to do the work
whether he belonged to this associotion or
not. He wished to know whether the public
printer submitted willingly to that dictation
or whether he protested against II.
Mr.. Anthony. What Is the use OF his protesting
when we have imposed upon him by law rates
s0cinuon2
Mr.. Hale. But do we, impose upon him the ne.
cessily Of being controlled by this association as
10 the men that he employs2
Mr. Anthony. We do not but If he does not
obey the behesIs Of this association then the office
Mr.. Hale. Then clearly the government printer
at the close Of the present session Of congress,
ought TO begin deliberately ana ruthlessy to weed
OUT from tnat ONCE every man who bplOnpg 4
this union, and summon from the great cities of
this country, where they viii be found, other men
who do not belong to IL, so that In an emergency,
when congress is sitting and the work must be
done, he viii not be at the mercy Of this assoca.
ton
Mr.. Anthony concurred in Mr.. Hales
views.
Mr. Plumb said that the present public
printer when he came in found this typo
graphical union absolutely running" the
office, and had since stated that he did not
believe IL could be run without the consent of
the union. He knew of II man who obtained
employment in the government printing
once and who, being unable to show a GER
tihcate Of membership in this union, was
notified that he could not continue to work
IN the office, and was soon after discharged
The person who thus notified him was an
officer of the typographical union and also an
officer in the government printing office
The domination of tho union extended even
beyond what had been stated. 1t dictated
not merely who should or should not be en-
ployed, but also the distribution of work,
giving some favorites constant supply Of
a." fat" while the clean" went to Others. Hay-
ing been at one time a printer he regarded
them rs very meritoriOus class of people, and
sympathized with them as with ali others
who desired to work and to get the best pos
sible price for their labor that he could not
sympathizc with men whose desire for work
was so strong that they would not allow others
to work except upon their terms.
Mr.. Voorhees, said that from the talk in the
senate for the last half hour II might be sup
posed that the printers We're very dangerous
people. That was not his view. He know of
no more conscientious, painstaling, hard
working class 1t was admitted that the
printers In the government printing Office did
their work well, and that they did not re-
ceiye too much pay, What, then, was their
tault2 The senator from Kansas (AIr.
Plumb complained that they were associated
together in order that their wages should not
be reduced by somebody coming in and work
ing for less.
Mr.. Plumb said what he complained Of was
not that these printers were associated to-
gether, or that they tried to keep up wages,
but that they would not let anybody else
work at all unless he would join their union
and subscribe to its rules.
MIR, voorhees, said that the printers felt that
they had as much right to combine to protect
themselves as othor classes had to do the same
thing lhe doctors had medical association
which fixed their fees and regulated their
professional conduct, and if doctor violated
certain of those regulations he would be OK
PEELED. In some places lawyers combined I'm
tho same WaV. In Iiko mannar III Al a...at