Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-24
THE UNION AND CIVIL SERVICE
There is No Trouble Over the Question Of
Non-Union Men.
Fewer NOn-Union Men in the Govern.
the Old Way of Appointing.

The report that the Typographical Union
has made an Issue with the public printer,
or intends to do so, upon the question
whether non-union printers shall be en-
ployed in the government printing office
when they have entered under the civil SER
vice rules proves to be very much exag-
geratad. The discussion in the union Sun
day, so far as can be learned from trust
worthy sources. did not criticise the public
printer. On the contrary, it very distinctly
outlined his exemption from responsibility
in bringing the Office under the rules. and
assumed that the union would itself deal
with the question whether non-nion men
should remain in the office or not.
Public Printer Benedict today said:
while the question probably does rest
with me finally for action and decision.
have no expectation whatever that it will
ever come before me. l certainly shall not
cross the bridge until l come to it. l can
say, however, for the information of the
public that of the 800 printers that l have
probably appointed during all the time l
nave been public printer, about 300 have
been non-union men. l have never asked a
man, far as | can now recollect wheth-
er he belonged to the union or not. Most
of these men join the union after they
come into the office, and l do not think
there has been any friction account of
it. / am told that fifty per cent of Mr.
Palner's appointments were non-union
men, and almost without exception they
sought admission to the union.
~ nder the old order of things it was
natural that most of the men appointed as
printers in this Office should be non-,union
men. AS IA rule they came from country
offices, where there were no unions and
where. either as editors or printers, they
were men of influence interested in politics
and able to secure the support of some Sen
atCr OF member IN getting their appoint
neEt. SO long as they We're competent
men made no question whether they
belonged to the union or not. That is
matter which has been left to take care of
Itself, with uniformly good results"
y prominent member of the union, who
was seen by a Star reporter today, said
that the matter was fully considered when
tit!oned the President to place the office
under civil service rules. "The matter was
fully discussed among the printers them
selves, and they unders.ool the step which
said: This will admit non-union men under
the civil service rules: the law will protect
them, and we cannot help ourselves
Others sad: 1t IS fight between the
merit system and the spo.lS system. For
the benefit of the conservative. industrious,
steady printer we want the merit system.
TEc best compromise we can make is to
have the office put under the civil service
rules. There VIII be some disadvantages
connected with this, but it is the best we
can do. 1t is reasonable to suppose that
men fit to appoint under the rules as pr.n-
ters here will prefer to join the union.
There may be some exceptions, but there
will be very few
LAS matter of fact this is precisely
how ii has turned out. out of $50 appoint
merts there are but four non-unton men.
Before the Office went under the civil SER
vice rules from one-third to one-half of the
appointments were from the noE-union
class. There IS no reason for making
mountain out of q molehill There is no
=
3 abundantly able to take care of itself
and will do SO. The government printing
office is one of the best in the world. It's
employees are proud of it, and l think it can
be truly said that the efficiency of the office
Is largely due to the strength and pros
per.ty of the union"