The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-22
WHO GOT THIS 100000?
FUND RAISED TO INCREASE PAY OF
GOVERNMENT PRINTERS.

hkReRReu
Its Members 925 Each and Congress
Granted the Increase 1t Adds $500 600
Year to the Cost of Public Printing.
WASHINGTON. Sept 2l-Thc questionable
methods used by Columbia Typographical Union
in securing the increase Of the pay of printers
ana bookbinderS employed in the Government
Printing Office from So. 20 day to so cents an
hour will no doubt be invcstg a ted by Congress
The increase Of pay, which went into effect with
the beginning Of the present fiscal year has caused
no end OF talk among members OF the House and
Senate who were not familiar with the facts While
is true that some Of them insist that the increase
was due the employees the now public fact that a
large sum Of money used in lobbying through
the bill providing for the increase puts a NUM-
Der OF members under the ban, and there is a
general feeling that II is due the public To know
VINO shared in the corruption fund, This fund
Is stated to be more than $4,000 which was
raised by the Union requiring competitors proof
readers, copyholdcrs and bookbindcrs to sign
notes for S25 each payable to the President of
the Washington Union, and il is supposed that
that offcial had the dsbursing Of the money.
The number Of compositors or Typographical
Union men employed in the Government Print
Ing SOhce. together with the bookbindcrS. is
more than 1000, and calculating that I 800 signed
notes Tor S25 each, the aggregate would reach
$4,000 II was stipulated that the amount
should be paid within sixty days after the law
authorizing the increase went into eject
Public Printer Palmer did not think II advisa-
BILE to raise the pay of printers, but when the book
binders, through committee, called upon him
and asked that their pay be increased with the
beginning of the fiscal year he felt compelled TO
acquicsce! This the only thing he could do
Tor there is u scarcity Of competent bookbndcrs
and the work in the bindcry far behind II
was the Public Printers opinion that the hest
thing TO be done was to grant the increase and
thus avoid any trouble which would cmbarrass
the office As soon the result Of the bookhndcrs'
audience with the Public Printer made known
a committee from the Typographical Union called
and asked that the increase apply to the printers
Again Mr. Palmer realized that he could not re-
fuse the increase, and he told the committee that
the pay of all printevS should he raised according
to the recommendation Of Congress This settled
the matter and with the first payday in the sc al
year the men received the increase.
That Mr.. Palmer opposed 10 the increase
was clearly demonstrated when the chairman of
the Joint committee of the two Houses of Congress
allied upon him TO ascertain his views lie told
the chairman that he did not think the increase
should be made and gave a number of reasons
among them being that he felt that So 20 per day
was fair pay for composiors ard bookbnders
and that the increase To fifty cents per hour would
30 augment the expenditures Of the Government
Printing Office that he feared hand composition
would be displaced by machines The increased
pay now amounts to about 81 800 day, or more
than $500. 800 year. there being something like
1000 printers and bookbinders who arc receiving
the increase
This sum is such heavy increase, ii is argued
that Congress will be ready to listen to any propo-
sition which may be made by the typc-settnG
machine people which gives assurances that the
cost of printing public documents will be lcssenCd
And il is further argued that if the TypOgraph,
ica Union could raise fund of $40 900 to secure
legislation favorable TO the printers the type
setting machine people would have no trouble in
securing millions for the same purpose That
the machine people would have good ground to
force their machines into the Government office
there can be no doubt. but il may be that the
Union officials in Washington like those of New
York, are closely identified with the machine
people and are interested in the placing of ma
chimes in large well small offices. Should
this be the case il is not difficult to understand
why the Washington Union eager to have
the pay of printers increased In word il may
be that the machine people and the officials OF the
Union working toward the same end. In
any event there appears to be mutual under
standing, not the least effort IL ever made To
prevent the placing of machines in offices through.
out the country, and this in the face Of the fact
that with every machine placed from four to twelve
nters are thrown out of employment
II is the opinion Of some Representatives and
Senators that one Of the important duties Of the
next Congress will be to investigate the methods
used by the Typographical Union in securing
the increase of pay. Some of them would like
to know who received all or a part Of the $40 600
fund raised for the purpose Of having the increase
carried through Congress. President Jones of
the Union says that the money raised was used
in employing legal assistance. II any legal
arguments used before the committee the
fact has never been heard Of before.
Mr. Richardson of Tennessee has been a mem
Der Of the House Printing Committee and its chair
man, and has always been very deeply interested
in the printers he being printer himself, hut he
has expressed himself as opposed to the methods
of the Union in this instance He is Of the opinion
that the stigma placed on Congressman by the
publicity given the fact that a corruption fund
was raised and used in securing legislation for
organized labor should be cleared away by those
interested in the bill Other members have
pressed themselves as favornE an investigations
and il is safe 10 say that there will be one
1t will be remembered by those who are familiar
with the ups and downs 81 the Conference Com.
mittee on the Sundry Civil bill that Congressman
Dockery of Missouri resigned a member, No
reason assigned except press Of other duties"
Representative McRac of Arkansas was placed
on the committee TO take Mr. Dockcry's place.
The cause Of Mr. Dockcry's wanting 10 get of
the committee was made known by member Of
the Typographical Union who recently said:
"Somc of these big bucks who think they can
nun things to suit themselves and set down on
organized labor whenever they wish ought 10
remember that we have way Of doing things
which they cannot ignore. Old Doctery of Mis-
souri, was opposed TO giving us this increase, hut
We just simply told him that If he did not either
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