The evening times., 1899-04-18
LABOR EXPLAINS THE
Lack OF SMALL BILLS
Central Union Blames Direc.
tor Claude N. johnson.
Scarcity Not Due to the Abolition Of
Power Presses.
The Alleged Condition of Affairs In
the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing.

ne StdIcueul dlIeRtu W nave Uccu EG-
Gently made at the Treasury Department
and published in local afternoon paper
to the effect that scarcity Of small bills
was due to the act OF Congress prohibiting
the use of power presses In the Bureau Of
Engraving and Printing was the chief
topic of discussion at the meeting Of the
Central Labor Union held last evening. 1t
was claimed that the statement Is untrue
and unfounded In fact and it is the gen.
eral belief in labor circles that 1t was in
spired by the director of the Bureau,
Claude NJ. johnson.
After the matter had been thoroughly
discussed the following resolutions were
adopted:
Whereas there has recently appeared in local
newspaper statement TO the effect that the
scarcity Of notes Of small denominations was in
large measure due to the fact that Congress
has forbidden the Of steam power presses in
the printing of paper money and internal reve-
nue. stamps; and
Whereas the aforesaid statement was undoubt-
edly inspired by Claude N. johnson. director of
the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing; there
fore, be 1t
Resolved by the Central Labor Union. That
the following statement be made to the public,
in behalf of Plate Printers Union. No. 2, affi-
ated with this organization and the American
Federation OF Labor:
MIR. Johnson's career in the bureau has demon
strated that he is hostile TO organized labor.
His main purpose in attempting TO install the
electric presses in that bureau 70 crush out
the Plate Printers Union. When that union
authorized its president to appeal 10 Congress
for the enactment of a law to forbid the Of
such presses in the manufacture OF paper money
and internal revenue stamps. that gentleman ap-
piled for leave Of absence for that purpose. The
director refused the request, and, when the
president obeyed the mandate of his union and
went before Congress, Mr.. johnson procured his
discharge.
Congress placed the seal Of its approval Oh the
reauest of the Plate Printers Union, preferred
by the president of that body. by enactng a law
at the second session Of the Fifty-fitth Congress
prohibiting the use of the steam presses IN print
ing notes, checks, and bonds. Because Of the
extraordinary demands upon the Bureau. in con-
sequence of the Spanish American war, the plate
printers patrioticaly acquiesced in the request
Of their friends in Congress that they refrain
from urging that the law be made TO apply 10
internal revenue printing. After this action had
been taken by Congress. Mr.. johnson. yielding 10
great pressure, permitted the president of the
union to go hack to work as chance man.
The having terminated, the union ordered
its president to ask Congress to complete the
work begun at the previous session. Mr. John
suspended him. and he is still out of
amendemnt to the sundry civil bill prohibiting
the use of the steam presses in printing internal
revenue stamps.
This action of the law making power, ap-
to Mr.. johnson, and he is going deliberately
about it to discredit the act of Congress. He is
determined to embarrass the Treasury Depart
ment and the people. in the hope that he may
force Congress TO permit him 10 the cleo
tric presses
On the 9Th Of March he ordered that new
floor be laid in the main press ROOM Much time
was occupied in this work. To permit il 10 be
done he laid off from eighteen to twenty men
daily for period @, six weeks The work was
unnecessary. the old floor was Of concrete,
and in excellent condition. II necessary, the
work could have been done in the night time.
Those idle printers might Just well have been
employed in printing the paper money for which
the people clamoring.
Another of his schemes is TO lay of many
printers daily because they have no assistants.
This could be obvia,ed by appointing Of the
1900 girls who are now on the eligible list OF
the Civil Service Commission.
lie could put up sixteen hand presses in the
space occupied by the Idle electric presses.
but this he stubbornly- refuses to do. There is
much more room in the bureau for hand presses
if he had any desire to get out the work by the
system approved by Congress.
The printers work but six and six and onc-half
hours daily. II they are permitted to work
eight hours rs allowed by law, they could in
crease the output at least 10 per cent. He I'M
pedes the work 10y furnishing the printers infe-
rior printing materials. II the materials were
frst-class they could get out all the work re-
qured even in six and onehalf hours.
The demands upon the plate printers during the
late war were unprecedented. and are not likely
TO I've equaled in many years The work was
gotten out promptly and satisfactorily. Their
record at that time is all that is necessary to
dscredit Mr. JohnsoD's pretenses in the pres
ent.
Mr. Johnson will deceive no one. Hundreds OF
ewes are watching his Vaccinations daily. Or
ganized labor promises him that he shall have
merry time if he attempts what Representative
Cannon characterized his ''monkeying' in the
next Congress.
II is fact that up TO March, 1905, there were
in operation in the Bureau :ss hand-plate presses,
but the installation Of power-plate presses
the number of hand presses was reduced to 29j,
a reduction Of for,y-two presses.
There are usually about forty .'chance" men,
who were increased in number to between fifty
and sixty-five by the forced idlepess Of ''regu-
lar men during the laying of the floor.
The delegates from the Amalgamated
Carpenters Association reported that
committee from the Stone Cutters Asso-
citation had called upon their organization
and requested that it enter a protest
against the Evening Star" Company hav-
ing the stone for its new building prepared
for placement in Vermont, but that the re-
quest was refused on the ground that the
carpenters have no grievance against the
Star"
The secretary of the union was instructed
to write the Industrial Commission and ask
that members of trades unions in the en-
of the Government be summoned