Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-01
RESTORATION OF WAGE RATE
Action of Public Printer Palmer Towards
Employees of His Office.
Rejoicing Among Printers and Book
l.. Feeney of BOOkbinders' Union.

Thursday, at pm, Public Printer Pal
mer summoned f. c. Jones, president of
Columbia Typographical Union, and j. l..
Feeney, president of the Bookbinders
Union, to his office, and informed them
that commencing from July !, the pay of
all printers and bookbinders in the govern
nent printing office would be at the rate
of $500 per day. The good news soon
spread throughout the office, and the pub
lie printer was overwhelmed with congrat-
uiations.
The new law as passed by Congress left
the advance in pay discretionary with the
public printer, and as Congress failed to
make any appropriation for the increase,
it was very uncertain as to how the public
printer would act in the matter. His decis-
ion yesterday came an agreeable sur
prise to the 300 members of the printers
and boOkbinders unions, respectively, who
will be benefited by the increase OF pay.
Mr.. Feeney's Views.
]. L. Feeney, president of the Bookbind-
erS' Union, who is also secretary of the
Central Union of this city, stated to Star
reporter today that he was delighted with
Mr.. Palmer's decision in the matter, as he
not only gave organized labor the benefit
of the doubt, but assumed the responsibility
of increasing the pay of printers and book
binders-a responsibility which 400 members
of Congress failed to take, and who also
failed TO provide sufficient money for the
public printer to do it with.
THE pay of the printers, pressmen and
bookbinders" said Mr.. Feeney, was re-
duced from fifty cents per hour to forty
cents per hour by an act passed by Con-
gress, February &c. 1877. The House of
Representatives. without any report of any
committee on the subject, or any fair in
vestigation, inserted a clause in an urgent
lofni n u the these
three classes of skilled employees. The bill
originated in the Senate. and this was an
amendment put upon ii by the House after
the bill had been reported from the COM
mite on appropriations. The present chair
man, Mr.. Cannon, of the committee on APP
preparations of the House voted against it,
and also Senator Allison Senator Teller and
Senator Mcmillan, and, am pleased to say,
the above gentlemen aided considerably in
voting to restore the old rate of wages.
Senators German and Lodge, members of
the joint committee on printing, took a very
active part in securing the legislation neceS-
sary to undo the wrong done to these
classes of workmen by the act of 1877. SEN
ator Lodge, as chairman of the committee
on printing, was active in advocacy of this
measure, and 1t was mainly through his in
fuence, chairman of the committee, that
the results which have at last been secured
to these men were effected
Struggle for the Old Rate.
For the past twenty years our unions
have struggled To get the old rate of wages
restored, but without success. By AN act
passed January II, 1855 the pay of press
men was increased to 30 cents per hour.
There was no reason why the other two,
printers and bookbinders, should have been
omitted. Public Printer Palmer, in a let
ter to Senator Lodge, January 16, 1899,
stated that, in his Judgment, the compeusa-
uon of these three classes of skilled me-
cbanics should be equalized. Congress con-
sidered the justice of that claim and gave
the public printer discretionary powers to
act in the matter, which, l am pleased to
say, he received and acted on.
Goes on Record.
Organized labor throughout the country
advocated bill, and at the last annual
convention of the American Federation of
Labor at Kansas City. No, at its Deem
Der session of 1898, a resolution unani-
mously passed and was sent to the pre-
siding officers OF both houses of Congress
and to the committees of appropriations, by
the president OF the federation, Mr.. Com
pers, which was to the effect that There
Il now. a bill pending before Congress,
which. il passed, will restore the wages of
these employees, and the American Fedora
ten, OF Labor. in convention assembled,
places itself on record as favoring and in
,,orsing the efforts of the employees of the
government printing Office in the restora-
ton of their wages, from $3.50 to 81 per
day, and that the officers of the American