Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-08-06
RETENTION or MILLER IN PRINT.
ING OFFICE IMPORTANT STEP.
SETTLED ONCE FOR ALL
1t Means That the Government win
Not Submit TO Labor Union
pietaUon in the Operation OF It's
Funetions-Strong Position Taken
by the President,

WASHINGTON, Aus. 1.-The Miller
case, III the government book binding
establishment, has definitely settlea
a question Which has been agitatlus
the mLa ot toucra, officials Tor guuu
many }oIrS-the question OF whetAer
the government Is to conduct its bust.
ness after its own plans or he cen
trolled by labor unions, Several OF
the lal,r presidents were unwilling to
assert the governments rights, be-
cause OF possible political effects. and
il remained for Pre-, ilout 10, seNolt to
do it. The local book binders uuiOn is
now ON record in the ou>a Of Spcro-
tary Cultel!ou as desiring to onvy the
law ana conform to all federal rCgula-
tons, 1t Is also considering the Ques-
ton OF changing its constitution so as
to comply with the law. Never aaau
VIII a man in the government employ
be thrown out of his place for the
reason that a labor union has expelled
HIM. This is a great victory for the
| president and il should be emphasized,
! because in the press OF other affairs
it will probably DC overlooked by the
general public
All this has been accomplished by
the president without friction and
without mourning the i'll will of organ
lied labor, All that the president did
was to cite the law and insist that 1t
must be lived up to. He could not
have done less, he did not want to do
more tor he has the interest of labor
at heart 1t was SO simple PROPOSE
ton that the public will soon begin to
wonder that former presidents did not
take it up and dispose of it.
Roosevelt mas within ten months
touched labor al TWO widely separated,
but very important points In the
anthracite coal matter he interviewed
in the interest of labor, to compel az.
bitration Of an issue which was Caus-
ms the country TO suffer, in the Miller
case he interviewed against the union
to protect the rights of an Individual
member who had been outragCOusly
treated, in violation of the law. In
both cases he proceeded with his
characteristic ygcr and won his point
in the face Of what seemed to be
heavy odds.
The feeling, rather widespread in
the beginning of the Miller con.
troversy, that the president had in
iuled himself politically is no longer
entertained. On the contrary, IL is
quite apparent that he had added to
4 his strength. One reason for this re.
. suit is the fearless manner in which
/ he handled the case, Having ascer-
tanned the facts. he announced his
policy without regard to eXpediency,
and quickly convinced the local book
/ binders union that it was in the
wrong This is important when 1t is
recalled that fol many years men have
/ been dismissed from the government
printing office as on as they lost their
membership in the union.
II is the order of the president that
I public Printer Palmer investigate de
novo the charges now filed against
/ Miller. The former incidents are to
be overlooked, and the public printer
is to make his decision solely on the
matters contained in the charges; and
this decision the president Is to re.
view. If the charges are true. Miller
viii he discharged from government
employ. If they are not true. he will
remain, and the local union Will be
compelled 10 work with him,
The rules Of the civil service and