New-York tribune., 1903-07-25
LABOR vs.. GOVERNMENT.
. Continued from first pnse.

appearance or the WORK
SAYS HE DID GOOD WORK.
A comparison is made by Mr.. Miller showing
the output Of the bindery for the two years Of
1S9S99 under his predecessor as foreman when
the weekday was twelve hours. to have been
$S22. I25 46 while for the two years of l9O1-02
under Miller. and an eight hour day. the output
was $1G91. .716 If. His statement continues:
This report does not include work done in this
division for the Consress or the finishing for the
other division during either year. but il is safe
to say there was increase during l9O1-'O2 in
this class of wOrk-inasmuch as the spec1nca-
tons OF patents had been delayed nearly four
years. an accumulation OF 26.000 volumes. The
members reserve were also delayed And in
addition TO this vast increased amount of blank
book work turned out in the fiscal years 1901
o. these 26,OO0 volumes of delayed sPecifCa-
ttonS which were in demand were completed, as
were also about thirty thousand volumes Of
members reserve" bound in half morocco dur
ing l9Ol-U2 There were a few additional men
during lSOl-'O2 in my division. but this excludes
night work Only occasionally was it necessary
to work a few overtime to complete orders
from the Postofhce Department which were
urgent IhiS excess in the output was accom-
plished by the introduction OF modern methods
and giving attention TO properly directing the
work. The POstofice Department had two lots
of books which were increasing very rapidly in
orders and constantly repeating In September,
IJO2, this departn- ent sent in for samples OF q
less expensive binding for these bookshelf
ters Returned by Carrier and The Route
Book" had the samples made at my sugges-
ton and fixed the price. These samples were
accepted, ana saved t. the department, on the
orders at hand $500 and would indicate u
saving per of $1,000. This naturally
would be considered a Business transaction
The bookbnders, through q committee. took ex-
ceptiOn to my right to furnish this department
with these samples Of n cheaper binding.
1t may be well TO explain here that the book
binders employed by the government operate
under rules which are foreign to the laws which
govern any other organization OF laoor IN thlS
country These rules were conceived many
years ago, in the early days Of the government
bindery, and now interfere with the manage
ment and the discipline of this growing tnstitu-
ton. They restrict the amount of work done
day and enslave the foreman. who is com
PEELED under the present rule to be member
of this organization.
They had committee styled the arbitration
committee. 1t is simply executive commit
of work done in a day. Two of this committee
have been asSumingly aggressive and offensive
Ihey nave delioerately gone to men and coun-
leThahoed the orders OF the foreman without
even consulting the foreman. This they did in
the case of the binding Of the Members Re
serve which will be cited and for which I
reported them to Mr. Palmer, the Public Pri1ter
This binders committee sent one of their ennis
saries to inform me that they objected to nv
cheapening this work for the postoffice and
generally were opposed to my introduction of
improved syctems Of binding. 1 informed him
that was acting under Instructions from the
department, and l considered the matter as
none of his business. They We're casting about
governments interests. They finally charged
me with requesting more work to be done in
a day than ought to be done the binding of the
members Reserve" which they claimed was
an offence to the dignity Of their Organization,
Ihey preferred charges and went through the
burlesque of holding court and thew suspended
me from their organiza ton.
This would not necessa riy have affected ma
II Mr. Palmer had exhibited little backbone;
put they took advantage Of his age in this mat
ter, and he prevailed upon me to rest up' for
hfteen days TO satisfy this sentence and relieve
MIN or embarrassment
Miller maintains that the men who 1vers "a
sponsiole for his suspension are greatly elated
at this evident yielding Of Mr. Palmer 70 their
views. He alleges that the Public Printer was |
induced TO transfer him from the division In
which he had made a creditable record and
that on his return after his suspension he was
assigned to the union building branch" thus
relieving him from the place OF responsibility
he formerly occupied.
Miller, after showing that the branch Office 70
which he was transferred was operated at a loss
OF SI2.S2o a year, says he was told by members
of the union that he would be permanently re-
moved after March f. Soon afterward he re-
ceived notice to attend a meeting Of the union
the purpose of which was not stated and, failing
to do so, was fined so, which he paid under
protest.
HIS EXPULSION ARBITRARY.
On April 6 he was informed that he was
charged with furnishing information to Repre-
sentatives Joel Heatwole and F. H GiIlett re-
garding the cost of producing work in the print
ing office This information. it is asserted was
used detrimentally to the interests Of the mem
bers Of the union. Miller says that Mr.. Palmer
revealed the fact that he had furnished this in
formation, and for this he was tried and event
ually expelled from the union Miller maintains
that it was obvious that Palmer had virtually
testified against him, and for that :-ason the
meeting which conducted his trial was attended
by only 145 members Of the union out of a total
membership of $40. and only 1877 voted for his
expulsion. Miller Immediately Informed of
the action Of the union. and Palmer sent for
him and asked what he was TO do. Miller urged
his superior to stand by him. but soon after
received from Palmer a notice that, in view of
the action Of the union, he was suspended
MILLER furnishes copy Of the notice.) The
notice Of suspension was dated May 13, and on
May Is Miller received a printed notice signed
oy r. j. Byrne, foreman OF binding, saying that
he was discharged.
Miller says the rule Of the union which applies
TO the government work and which restricts the
amount of work each man can do is contrary
to the federal statutes, which merely provide
that eight hours shall constitute d legsl day and
that employees shall receive only 80 cents an
hour. He says:
Such rule is not known among the trades any
where in the country. 1t has been solely inGc-ed
by the bookbinders-not the printeTs-xho are en-
approach TO anarchy url-American, and the man
who would advocate the inhic.ing Of such me..s-
dishonest and should be dismissed fIoTn the SER
wee They tthe union) endeavor to enslave the
sanitation they can restrict them may dis
charge them, as in my case, in violation Of Civil
Service and the merit system.
A committee OF the Bockbinders' Union filed a
copy Of their protest against Miller with the
Civil Service Commission to-day. This protest
is 6 duplicate of the filed with Secretary
COrtelyou and the Public Printer. Before il was /
filed Comm issioner Proctor said to a repor1e-
v-oc a1a for fnn