Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-22
Invites Labor Leaders
to Discuss Miller
Case.
ACCORDING TO REPORT
Disposition of Unions
Involved is to Wait
Awhile.

Washington. Sept. 22.-The case Of
Assistant Foreman Miller, of the gov
ernment printing office, who was rein
stated in his position by order of Presi-
dent Roosevelt after he had been dis
missed because of his expulsion from
the local book binders union, came
up for informal discussion at the meet
ing of the executive council of the
American Federation of Labor. No
statement could be obtained at the con-
clusiOn of the days proceedings; neith-
er President Gompers nor any men,
bers of the council would speak i'll re-
gard to the matter, and the usual Off
cial statement of the days doings given
out after the meeting completely ig-
nored the subject.
Union Man Favors Miller.
A new feature of the case occurred
when President WhitmOre, of the
StereOtypers' union, employed at the
government printing office, petitiOned
President GomperS in favor of Miller.
urging him not to give the support of
the Federation to the petition to Presi-
dent Roosevelt asking for AIillerS re-
mOvai sent out as a memorial from
the Central Labor union, of this city,
and which it is said President Whit
more characterized as a blunder. Pres
ident WhitmOre is a lifelong Republic
can, and also one of the most promi-
nent union men of the city. 1t is
said that some other strong union men
ut the government printing office will
join WhitmOre in his stand.
Typographers Will Wait Awhile.
The presidents attitude toward un-
ion labor came up before Columbia
Typographical union No. 101 in the
form of Il resolution criticising his
course i'll the Miller case. The pur-
port of the resolution was very SINH
lar to that adopted and sent through
out the country by the Central Labor
union. Action on the resolution, how
ever, was indefinitely postponed, fol-
bowling a statement by a member that
u conference on the subject was soon
to be held between President ROOse-
welt and prominent labor leaders and
that any action in the meantime would
be inoppOrtune.
Asks the Labor Leaders to Meet Him.
According to one of the labor lead
ers here Roosevelt effectually stopped
any action by the national executive
council of the American Federation of
Labor in regard to the controversy in
the government printing Office over the
Miller case by sending d telegram ask
ing the members to meet with him
and discuss the case Immediately upon
his return to Washington next week
Labor leaders refused to discuss the
telegram or to say with whom the pres
ident communicated but it is gener-
ally understood that the message was
sent to John Mitchell, with whom the
president is well acquainted.
Meeting Will he of Importance.
Mitchell would not admit that he
had received such message, but he
intimated that the Miller case before
the executive council was indefinite
ly deferred. 1t is expected that the
president, who returns to Washington
Monday next, will confer with the la
Dor leaders. The meeting and its re-
suit will be of the utmost importance,
as it is the presidents intention to In
duce labor leaders generally to recog-
nize the principle laid down in the
decision of the anthracite coal strike
commission of the right of every man
to work, regardless of the fact wheth-
er or not he belongs to a labor organ
ization.