Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-19
THE UNION OPPOSED
Civil Service Rules in the Government
Printing Office.
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT PRESCOTT
The System Employed in Large
Private Establishments Favored.
SENATE COMMITTEE HEARING

The Senate committee on civil service
and retrenchment resumed its hearings to-
day. letter was received by the commit
tee from Mr.. w. 3. Prescott, president
of the International Typographical Union.
Printers and the Civil Service.
The letter was addressed to Senator
Pritchard. and was as follows:
Having been informed recently that a
statement was made before your committee
to the effect that the typographical Union
was in favor of the application of civil
service rules to the government printing
once. l deem It my duty to advise you Of
the fact that the International Typograph-
1cal Union Is composed of about 10000 Jour-
neymen printers. distributed among subor-
dinate unions located in every city and
town where printing business Ia of moment
though doubtful II one has done So a SUBJ
ordinate union may have taken some such
action as my informant refers to- but in SO
ooing II ran counter to the expressed wish
and command Of the parent body, as Ia
amply attested by the following resolution
adopted at our last general convention, held
at Colorado Springs, in October, 1885, six
teen months after the office had been
piac sT, under the operations of the rules.
mat the civil service system as ap-
Phed 10 :he government printing office is
nerehy condemned, and that the Interna-
tionai Typographical Union and the indi-
V1dual members thereof use their hest
eHorts TO secure the removal of the said
civil service regulations from the govern
ment printing office, and the officers of
the International Typographical Union are
hereby directed to petition Congress and
the incoming administration to that effect
several reasons prompted the union to
take this position, and 1 Deg your tndul-
sence IN order to reci.e some of the more
important that have been advanced. II is
held by many Of those constituting the
dominant element On this question that
printers are workInen within the meaning
OF section of the civil service law. Ulti-
mately the legal question must be de-
c'ded by proper authority, but as the con-
tention seems a reasonable one to a law
mans mind, submit it is worsay the con-
sloeration OF Your committee. While our
members cannot, Of necessity he yersed in
the art OF constituting language II is
equally true laws intended for their gov.
eminent should be interpreted with a kind
~ consideration for the meaning We at
tach to the phrases used.
1T Is not the unions province or mr.
pose TO criticfse or comment on the civil
service system generally. but it is of opin-
ION the system Is not suitable for applica-
ton to great productive concerns Xix, the
government printing Office Our organiza-
tion mas had continuous existence of
nearly hfty years. and in that time the
majority OF the largest and most remunera-
1--WE printing Offices IN the country have
conducted their mechanical ,lepartme nts in
agreement with our rules and regulations
Fair and Open Competition Preferred.
Naturally We maintain that n system
winch has proven successful in private
printing offices can be applied advan-
tageously in public Office. There may be
justification for the application of civil SER
vice rules in such departments as require
employees possessing peculiar abilities which
the government only has cxtensiy, facil-
tues Tor developing. such as q specialist re-
CURED by a department like the weather
bureau, fish culture and the collection of
statistics, ETC., but when the followers of q
calling are widely scattered and opportun-
tiles to acquire the trade offer themselves
on every hand. the best results are obtain
able We submit, under the stimulus Of open
and fair competition.
1T Is unnecessary to discharge old and
FAITHFUL employees In order to maintain
high standard OF skill (such Is not the pur-
pose of our organization). but it is i'm
perative that new situations and vacancies
be filled with the best worknlen procurabl
They bring to tho office fresh ideas as to
method and results, and their presence and
work will act as a stimulus which will be
profitable alike to their feIlow-Workmen
and the government I have been credibly
informed the civil service rules are not
conducive to the office being conducted on
such plan. If my information Is correct.
1 venture the assertion they would not
commend themselves to any of the large
number of successful employers with whom
/ have come in contact. 1t Is well under
stood In the printing business that there
Is vast difference between the Qualifica-
tons desired in an enploye of large Office
in one Of the great cities and those neces-
sary In the smaller o.9ccs In country towns
Opposed to Civil Service Rules.
THE typographical union after over a
years experience under civil service rules
and under which from 1000 to LOO of
its members have been employed, is not
OF opinion the peoples interests are being
subserved by their application to the gov
erEment printing office; therefore, it will
exercise its influence to secure their alb
rogation and have the office placed upon
the same basis as the most successful pri-
vate offices.
Briefly. the union is Of opinion better
results would be attained by making fore
men responsible for the quality and QUAINT
ity of the output OF their respective de-
partments, investing them with authority
to employ help at will and to discharge
employees ~. to decrease the force; G).
for incompetency; 81. neglect Of duty; ~,
violation Of office rules, ETC."
Letters From Auditors.
Among the letters laid before the COM
mittee was one signed by three auditors of
the Treasury Department. Messrs. Young
blood. Timme and Andrews, urging an
amendment 10 the civil service law which
would permit the auditors to select their
own private secretaries.
The first person examined today was Mr..
w. w. White, who was on the stand when
the committee adjourned at its last session.
Mr.. White gave some statistics regarding
removals from the Interior Department
and other departments, during the last
administration, gathered from the official
reports
In this connection he claimed that in the
office Of the auditor for the Post Office De-
partment Major Howard, his nephew. had
been appointed confidential clerk at 81 100
and afterward promoted to 81 400. Mr..
White took occasion to deny some of the
statements made by Auditor Howard about
tie work In the Office He said the work
is in arrears. instead Of being up to date,
as claimed by Mr.. Howard. He said that
a census of the office taken before the cleo
tion showed predominance Of democrats
Mr.. Howard had claimed that there were
more republicans In the Office, but his CEN
sus was taken after the late election. The
appointments in that office from March,
1883, to October. 1886, were GO republicans
and III democrats.
Mr.. Proctor of the civil service commits
sion claimed that some Of Mr.. Whites fig
ures and compilations were erroneous and
a discussion occurred between him and Mr.
White as to their correctness and airnff