Evening star., 1903-07-29
The Controversy Over Assist
ant Foreman Miller.
NO ACTION YET TAKEN
PUBLIC PRINTER PALMER HAS
NOT ANNOUNCED DECISION.
Indications Are That the Bookbinders'
Union Will Decide to Revise
Its Constitution.

a game OF chess between TWO well HldtcIi-
cd experts may be likened unto the present
situation at the government printing ONCE
In the case Of the Bookbinders' Union
against w a. Miller. the recently rein
stated assistant foreman. There was some
Intention on the part of the arbitration COM
nittee to call upon the public printer today
and ask for his decision in the matter of
the protest that has been filed against Mil
ler's retention In the office. but the reported
disinclination Of Mr. Palmer to take up the
matter may have had something TO 90 WITH
the poStponement of this move.
The public printer today assured Ihe
Evening Star that he had not yet taken up
for consideration the papers or the case
brought against Miller by the bookbinders
and said that he did not expect to do so To-
day. This inaction Is well known 10 the
men who are vitally Interested in the case
and has set them to thinking that there
may be. perhaps some stronger power than
that of the public printer behind the seem
Ing lack Of eagerness TO dispose or a case
that has attracked such Widespread at
tention. Various conferences with the Sec
retary of Commerce and Labor indicate
that the matter has assumed such import
ance in the mind of the head of the printing
office that he Is disiuclined to act without
the advice of close to the President
as Secretary Cortelyou Is known to be-
Officially. the matter Is at the disposal OF
the public printer, but unOtficially 1t is felt
that 1t will be decided from Oyster Bay and
that the charges brought against the as
SStant foreman will have to be substan-
tiated with the strongest kind of proof be-
fore the object of the union to oust him
from the service can be achieved. Whether
Miller receives final discharge or whether
he is continued there he will have been the
means Of forcing the bookbinders' union to
amend their constitution to conform TO the
laws of the United States. This will have
to be done in either If he Is retained
the clause forhidding them to work with
man who has been expelled from their
union Will have to be amended to permit
them to work with man in the govern
ment service. and if ne Is discharged they
will have to amend the same clause in order
not to come into conflict with a civil service
regulation at some future time.
Real Grievance Of the Men.
The main contention is that Miller en-
deavored to achieve his own promotion at
the expense of the men In the bindery by
forcing more work out of them than any
hut experts We're capable of doing prom
inent member of the union today said to
reporter for The Evening Star that it was
the constant effort of Miller to have the
task system eliminated from the printing
office and 10 compel the men to do as much
as they could. He would have. according
to the feelings of the union men there,
measured Il mans power of production by
that of the fastest worker under him. and
have made this the basis for the daily task
This they claim, would have been most un-
reasonable. and would have resulted In the
dismissal for lack of efficiency more than
half the men In the bindery.
Al FORMER meeting of the bookbinders
nnann , schedule was arranged for days
tho federal authorities and a conclusion
reached upon which the present daily task
was based. The binders complete thirty
eight books of 100 pages a day, and other
work proportionately. They claim that
this is not only fair days work but
good one, and that a fast man is kept
busy for eight hours doing it. AS long
ago as 1877 the hours OF labor in the Office
were reduced from ten to eight but the
rate OF pay was also reduced. and since
That time the men in the bindery have
hern doing the same amount of work in
eight hours that they formerly did in ten
but have been doing II for the lower pay
of the day of ten hours
Congressional Investigation.
1t will be the aim OF Miller to refute the
charges that are brought against him.
should they result in another dismissal
from the service. and to prove that the
rules of the bookhinders' union actually
govern the printing office. and that the
foicmen are mere fgureheads at the COM
mand of the arbitration committee He
has made this statement and will be called
upon to verify 1t, If he chooses to again
fight the union That he will do this there
IS no doubt and the matter has gone So
far now that a congressional investigation
Is Il moral certainty.
II it is found by President Roosevelt
who is obnoxious to any union he will
to II that the rules of the civil service are
amended SO as to avoid any such trouble
in the future. He is the strongest of union
men himself, but he believes In unionism
Tor strength and not for the curtailment
OF Individual liberty or privileges.
lie has expressed himself as favoring It
for the promotion OF the service. both pub
lie and private. of which it is part but
lie has also said that he could not counte-
nance II when 1t smacked OF Interference
ttrfr .rt Of T,.,,
eyes of the President, must be a strength
.ning factor In the governmental scheme
and not a retarding evil in order to COM
mand the esteem and support of the people
OF the country.
No Conference Held.
There has been no regular meeting of the
arbitration committee and the executive
council and the latter body Is not expected
here in It's entirety unless the action of
the public printer seems to demand 1t. The
only thing that Is certain at this time is
that whatever the outcome of this con-
troversy. the union will have to amend its
constitution as subsidiary to that under
which the United States lives.
1t can DO this gracefully by n simple
acknowledgement that 10 retain 1t as II
Is would bring the members into frequent
conflict with the federal laws, and wish
Ing TO abide by the laws of the land, moth
ing could be simpler. This Is the argu-
the bookbinders and they very con-
eervauve lot OF men.
Today the impression seemed to be that
the public printer would announce his de-
cision in the protest during this week.
but even II he feels that a longer time
would be necessary for a fair comprehen-
sion OF the papers the bookbinders will
not press him. This indecision seems to
warrant the belief that the answer to the
men Will come from higher authority
than the public printer. though 1t Is given
to them from his hand and over his official
signature.
Mr.. Palmer Is strong friend of the
unions. and II was the friendship that in
hugurated the present row through the un-
fortunate tfor the bookbinders) wording of
the discharge of tho assistant foreman of
the bindery.
II Mller's head again comes under the
oftictu AK II Is safe to say that there will
De no chance for him to wriggle out of the
way The civil service rules are at this
moment better known in the government
printing office than any Mussulman knows
MS Koran, and never again will an en-
ploye be discharged for the sole reason
a. Lad a