Evening star., 1903-07-28
DISCUSSED At LENGTH
The Miller Case the Subject
of a Conference.
SIGNIFICANT MEETING
PUBLIC PRINTER PALMER CON-
SUITS SECRETARY CoRTELYoU.
Former Has Not Yet Taken Up the
Protest of the Bookbinders-The
President Keeps Informed.

Commerce and Labor and Publlc 1rlntef
Palmer, at which the case of w. A. Miller
the recently reinstated assistant foreman
of the government bndery, was considered
at length. The public printer Is now IN
position where he needs all the skill at
his command to steer the ship or "mch
he is the official head from the breakers.
The conference with the head OF the
Department of Commerce and Labor Is
significant, since the government PRINT
ing office is not bureau OF that depart
ment, but a distinct branch of the govern
ment service and in no wise officially re-
sponsible for its acts to any less authority
than the President of the United States
or the civil service commission, when these
acts come within the scope of that com
mission.
The Miller case has thus far been under
the supervision of the Department of Com
merce because the President saw mt to ad-
dress his letter of instruction to the pubic
printer through Secretary Cortelyou, there
by tacitly placing the office under the Jurls-
diction of that department. Officially, how
ever, the printing office is not part Oh
the Department of Commerce and Labor.
Secretary CortelyOu has proved MS aDli-
ity as a diplomat, and 1t is this that makes
his services at the present time particular
ly valuable. The public printer is in a
position of extreme deliCacy, where the
least move in the wrong direction might
precipitate serious trouble. That this was
antictpated by the move of the President
in sending his order to Secretary Cortelyou
to deliver to Mr.. Palmer there can be no
room for doubt. With two men to deter
mine upon action there can be less danger
of error than If the matter We're left en-
tirely in the hands of one.
Consideration of the Protest.
H.
not yet determined when he will take up
the protest of the bookbinders against the
retention of Miller. and there is a belief
that the latter will be patient and give him
ample time in which to consider the matter
At the same time there is a good deal Of
interest shown among labor union mem
bers. and from what can be gathered they
do not think that the consideration OF the
protest will be unnecessarily delayed. In
the meantime Miller is at work in his old
place and there has been move on the
part of the members of the union to walk
out or to dispute his authority. This shows
that the members are we'll trained by their
officers, and that they place absolute de-
pendence upon these to get them out Of
the tight place in which their constitution
has placed them.
The members Of the arbitration commit
tee are in continual session. and for two
days past have been in consultation with j.
w. Dougherty. the general secretary of the
International Brotherhood of Bookblnders.
Today the committee will be met by Will
liam Kelly and J. b. Espey of the executive
council and the Miller protest considered at
length. The entire membership of the eX-
ecutive council has not been called to WASH
ington, 1t not being thought necessary at
this point in the proceedings. Things seem
to be moving along in manner satisfac-
tory to the union men, and a few days, 1t is
felt, will be all that is necessary to receive
word of the final stand of the public printer.
.l,x& l1,,
Miller are said to be such that the head
of the printing Office cannot well ignore
them.
Case to Be Taken Up De Novo.
1t is believed that the case will be taken
up by the public printer as entirely new,
the first dismissal being ignored. and # the
charges are such that the civil service rules
are not violated in dismissng the man he
will have to go. Among these charges are
said to be one to the effect that Miller was
guilty Of vicious criticisms of his superior
officers. even of the public printer. Rebec-
ca Taylor dismissed from the War De-
partment for criticisms Of the course OF the
administration in the Philippines. and her
action at law, in which she pleaded the
right of free speech. did not succeed In re-
storing her to her position. The rules Of
the civil service are such that "the better
efficiency of the service" may be handled
broadly by appointing officials. and the
union men contend that there is little
question that the efficiency of the service
would be vastly improved by the dismissal
Of the man, who is obnoxious to the rest
of the employees in the printing office. They
will not continue Indefinitely to work by the
side of man with whom they are forbid
den by their constitution to work, and they
are loath to amend that constitution. real
izing that that act would weaken their
union and be practical admission that the
government printing office was an open"
ct,@ 10 CNft hat fbnyr h,y
unionized to prevent, though denials Of the
desire to rule the Office constantly
made.
Asseverations have been made by the
members Of the union that the President
was right in reinstating Miller and that
the fault lay with the reason given for the
discharge Of the assistant foreman. They
are loyal to the public printer, upholding
him in his action, but regret that further
charges were not asked of them before this
action was taken. Every argument ends
with the decision that II this had been done
Miller would not have been reinstated-that
the facts against him were too strong.
Action Of Central Labor Union.
At a meeting of Central Labor Union last
night resolutions were passed indors-
ing the action of the bookbinders union
in requesting prompt consideration of the
printer affecting w. A. Miller's unltness
for the public service and rendering hearty
support 1t was decided to send Mr. Cor
telyou Secretary Of Commerce and Labor.
and the public printer copy Of the reso-
luttonS
1t is boldly announced that upon tho ac-
ton Of the public printer depends the fu-
ture course of the bookbinders, but this
hint Of a strike is not approved by conser-
vative leaders Of the union men, and Presi-
dent Gompers of the American Federation
Of Labor is spoken of as opposed to any
action on the part of the labor element
that would place them in the light Of an
tagonism to the government and the laws
Of the nation. Secretary Dougherty went
so far as to call on the civil service COM
mission and put to its members the hy-
pothetical question whether. in the event
Of a strike the strikers would be obliged to
obtain recertification If they desired to re-
enter the public service. The commission
ers declined to answer hypothetical ques-
tions, but told Secretary Dougherty that
they would cross that bridge when they
reached it."
The President Keeps Informed.