Evening star., 1895-06-18
CIVIL SERVICE AT THE G. p. O.
Good Results Expected to Flow From
Recent Official Action.


To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Perhaps you have no idea how generally
all over this city the placing of the gov
ernmeLt printing Office under civil service
rules Is being discussed. And no wonder.
The permanency of employment at. the
great printing house is a most vital mat
ter with thousands Of worthy men and
women. l am, as you know, old-time
printer, and naturally the subject is an in
teresting one to me. For one, have con-
cluded that the step now finally taken in
the matter Is a benefioent one. OF course,
the regula tons governing the civil service
in no wise curtail the public printers right
to discharge as many persons as he may
desire, nor is he hanlpered In the number
of his 'reorganizations;" but the main
reason for diSchargeS-to make room for
the proteges of influential men-will no
longer exist, and that means a great deal.
AS genera. thing, 1t means permanent
means that the advent of new public
printer, be he democrat or republican, will
not fill the souls Of thousands of workers
with fear and apprehension. Hundreds,
thousands Of employees will not hereafter
be turned adrift every four or eight years.
Homes will no longer be unnecessarily
broken up by the score. The savings of
years of economy will no longer have to
be spent in subslsting, while looking in
vain for work. In short, the new order of
things will mean permanency Of employ
concerned. And that is enough reason. in
my opinion. why those who have the best
interests of these employees, as well as the
business prosperity of Washington, at
heart should hail the new order of things.
1 have noted the objections urged by
some against the reform which seems now
to have been consummated. The member
ship of Columbia Typographical Union will
undoubtedly dwindle. The action of that
body will then be shaped alone by the
printers employed in private establish
ments. 1t has alw avs seemed to me that
such should tie the case. These men are
Influenced by the laws of trade The en-
ployes of the government printing office
are governed solely by the laws of Con-
sIess. and whenever the interests of these
two have conflicted the numerical prepon-
derance of the G. P. o. employees has gem
orally carried the day. This state of things
will pass away, of course, and the union
will be numbered by hundreds rather than
by thousands. But if the Typographical
Union takes it's stand once more with sis
ter unions and assemblies, 1t will be an
organization of power and influence, as of
yore. The organized labor of Washington
is mighty as an army with banners. and 1T
has fashion of considering that "the in
jury of one is the concern of ALL
The local artisans in the printing trades
those not employed uLder the public
printer-will be benefited by the new order
of things n several ways. No longer will
the market be glutted by those discharged
in droves as heretofore. They will also be
dDle u oDldlH ufdHy WeehS OI pTOHtdDie
employment when the public printer finds
himself compelled to act under the "emer-
gency" clause of the regulations. The
many worthy eX-employes of the public
printing Office, who fear that the limitation
to reinstatement will preclude Their re-
employment under a new dspensation, may
also take heart. There is now no limit as
to veterans of the late war, and as to the
remainder, they will find at the proper
time that the board fence isn't quite as
high as it looks. For the reasons stated,
am in favor of placing the government
printing office under the civil service law.
Now let that law be so amended that no
government empIoye can be discharged-so
long as there Is need for his or her ser
vices-except for cause. and not then un-
less cause is clearly shown.
AUGUST DONATH.