Evening star., 1903-07-22
Unwilling to Work With a
Non-Union Man.
CASE OF W. A. MILLER
DECISION OF THE LOCAL ORGANI-
ZATION LAST NIGHT.
Petition Sent to the President Urging
Him to Reverse His Action-Mr.
Barrett's Statement.

to the President of the United States.
through Secretary Cortelyou of the De-
partment Of Commerce and Labor, py
Local Union No. Of the International
Brotherhood of Bookbinders, results In the
final discharge from the government SER
vice of w. A. Miller. the assistant fore
man of the bindery at the government
printing office. the entire force at work
there will walk out and leave the office
paralyZed.
This is the effect of the reinstatement IN
his position Of Miller by order of the Presl-
dent after a review of his appeal by the
civil service commission Public Printer
Palmer, in his letter to the commission
after he had discharged Miller. SAID that
the man had been dismissed because OF
his former expulsion from the hookolnders
union. This action on the part of the head
of the government printing office was IN
strict violation of the rules of the civil
service commission rules which are made
by the President of the United States anu
there was nothing to be done but ask 1or
the reinstatement of Miller.
The Law in the Case.
The law on the point is clear:
NO person shall be removed from a COM
petltive position, except for such cause as
will promote the efficiency of the pupllc
service, and for reasons given IN "rluls'
and the person whose removal Is SouShl
shall have notice and be furnished copy
thereof, and be allowed a reasonable t1ne
for personally answering the same In Wit
ing; but no examination of witnesses nor
any trial hearing shall be required eN-
cept in the discretion of the officer making
the removal. Copy of such reasons, hotlce,
and answer and of the order OF removal
shall be made a part of the records OF the
proper department or office, as shall also
the reasons for any change in rank or COM
pensation, and the commission snail upon
request be furnished with copies ol 'he
originals ---ereOf.
What the Union Officers Say.
The entire trouble 1t IS claimed. could
have been avoided if the discharge had
been made on the ground of promoting the
efficiency of the service and the officers OF
the union are unanimous in their afhrma-
ton that, had they been advised of the In
tended action of the public printer and ask
ed to submit reasons for MillerS removal,
they could have furnished such evidence OF
his untnesS for the position he held IN the
printing office as would have procured nus
dismissal without the least contention. AS
it is recourse will now have to be made TO
the petition to the President, coupled with
a request for Mller's dismissal as soon as
he shall have returned and applied Tor
work at the office.
His whereabouts are unknown, but 1t is
thought that he is in his home at Mlnneap-
oils Mimi 1t is the opinion of the mem
bers of the union here that he will remain
away from his work for the sixty days al
lowed by law before his absence calls for
his formal discharge from the service BY
this move he will be enabled to draw his
pay at the rate of 40 day during the
entire time of his absence, including that
during which it was enforced by the dism1s-
sal
Immediately uron receipt of the news
,rIA rod Yni
statement of Miller the local union called
a meeting of the members They met last
night at odd Fellows Hall, and 1t was the
decision Of the meeting that none OF the
members would work with Miller. A com
rnittee was appointed to draft petition to
the President, through the Secretary or
Commerce and Labor, a copy to go to Pun
lie Printer Palmer. asking the immediate
discharge of Miller. The following mem
bers of the union We're named for this
work: r. d. Barrett, president of the local
union; James \. Stockman. corresponding
secretary; William T.. Gallagher. financial
secretary; Robert c. Gotta. Fred E Weber
Theodore NJ. Hardy, II. y. Scheurman and
Samuel Wakefield.
Bookbinders' Statement
They met this morning and agreed upon
the following statement to be given to the
public 1t practically covers the charges
in the petition to the President, and reads:
The trouble between the local Bookbind
ers' Union and W. A. Miller originated by
a charge being made against him, this
charge having be>en taken under cOnsidera-
ton by the committee empowered by the
union to adjust all differences arising.
"A member of that committee was depu
tiZed to call on Mr.. Miller to hear his side
and have him make answer. He refrained
from taking advantage Of this opportunity
to clear himself, and spoke to the emissary
of the union in very insulting manner.
No action was, however, taken until Mr..
Miller had made effort to lulure the
member Of the union for doing his duty.
"Our organization does not and cannot
dictate the policy of conducting the offices
of the bindery in the gOvernmel printing
office. The rules in vogue are tn same as
control all the union shops in the United
States. The heads of the divisions in the
government printing office fully
competent to conduct the affairs Of the Of
flee, and the union assumes no authority
over the methods of carrying out the rules
under which that office is governed.
Miller's Methods Criticised.
THAT Mr.. Miller had cheapened any class
of work for the government and that the
cheapening of the same was the cause Of
his suspension first and expulsion later
from the union is not true. His methods
were the most unbusinesslike of any fore
man ever in the office, and the tactics that
he adopted in Furnishing men under him
were Of the most contemplate nature.
rs is the duty OF foreman to punish any
man under him for violation of the rules
of the office, and II Miller had exercised
the right to criticise the men under him
In manly manner no one could have
consistently questioned his action. But he
adopted methods degrading to the whole
service.
1T was his custom to go to one employe
and criticise in scurrilous and obscene Ian
guage in public places the acts of another.
His continued bitter attacks on the men
| caused feeling of distrust as to the per-
| manency of our positions there
THE first charge against Miller was due
to the treatment Of those working under
him and not to the cheapenng Of the work
in the printing Office. He was given "a
copy of these charges against him and af
forded an opportunity to aq,it himself
In explanation of these charges 1t may be
said that, as an instance of his demands
| upon the men. he insisted that they COM
plete from twelve to fourteen books. known
as members. reserve, when our task had
previously been placed on the schedule Of
| the union at ten books per day.
This work was full morocco of the first
class. He was told that in order to get the
| men to try to do this task he must confer
| with the arbitration committee and they
would determine what we should do. He
| refused to do this and kept up his violent
| abuse of the men and the union. insisting
Is, h.o