The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-10-01
Committee Is Investigating Char
acter of Employees of Govern
ment Printing Office.
LABOR LEADERS DETECTED.
Regard Presidents Refusal To
Modify Ruling and His Man
ner of Announcing Refusal
as Serious Blow To Labor.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Miller. the nouunion foreman of the Gov
ernment bIndery. likely to be discharged
from his position. but from a report cir
culated in labor circles tonight. Il IS be-
lIeved possible that a number OF other EN-
ployes may be dismissed because they are
not personally it."
An Investigation OF the characters Of
many employees OF the Government Print
ing Office has been started with the pur-
pose Of raising the moral tone OF the
office.
Il is learned upon good authority that
a number OF employees of the Government
Printing ONCE have been made subjects OF
an investigation. and it Is believed by
some persons that a general investigation
has been ordered by the special committee
which is examining the administration Of
the Office to decide whether II is advisable
to transfer the office TO the Jurisdiction Of
the Secretary OF the Department Of Com
merce and Labor.
The inquiry relates in particular to men
who are said TO be leading dual lives and
lily supporting their lawful families away
from Washington. Il wss alleged tO-nlEht
that Government agents would have little
difficulty in obtaining against some en-
ployes evidence as serious IS the charges
filed against Miller.
President Roosevelt is not expected 70
take part in the Investigation. In his
statement in the Miller eass. he said:
The question Of his personal fitness Is
one 10 be settled in the routine Of ad-
ministrative detail"
The committee which Is conducting an
INQUIRY into the Government Printing Of
fee affairs. consisting Of Secretary Cortel-
YOU and Commissioners Garfield and Sar
gent. probably will pass upon such per
sonal charges as may he filsd against EN-
pIoyes. as the result OF the investigation
now in progress"
LABOR LEADERS DETECTED.
Local labor leaders are mlcn detected
by the Presidents statement In tie Miller
case. made public last night. The feeling
IS general that organized labor was dealt
a hard blow.
An official Of the Central Labor Union.
which recently sought to have the Presi-
dent abolish the 'open shop and TO dis
miss Miller. said tonight:
Labor organizations cannot take kindly
10 the Presidents attitude. II may be that
members Of unions win see that the Pres
ident has acted entirely within his official
province and that his policy has been out
lined by the law itse,f. but this hardly will
placate union labor for the manner in
which the President has called the sttsn-
tIon Of the country 20 the Administrations
position on the question.
The President had determined what he
intended to do before granting the confer
ence. or hearing. for that Is al II was
CONFERENCE A FARCE"
The meeting last night was a farce. in
which trade unionism served as the clown.
It Is impossible to foreteI the effect on
labor when the reports 70 over the coun-
try that the President has reiterated his
former position in the Miller case and II
becomes known he intends TO give no con-
alteration 20 the hundreds Of resolutions
and petitions which have been sent TO
him.
President Roosevelt regards his decision
IN the Miller case as probably the most
important action OF his administration.
He fully realizes the bearing II will have
IN the next presidential campciEn. but as
he has told a number of his friends and
advisers, ne is willing to go before the
people on the issue. II Is known that the
President reached his decision without any
hesitation and without consulting any one
As he remarked 10 a friend:
+, 'at did not require moments thought
so plain did my duty appear TO me There
could be only one course 70 take