The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-05
TYPOS ROW WITH
COMMISSIONERS
Serious Trouble Grows Up Between
the Union and Members of
Philippine Commission.
It All Grows Out Of Attempts to
Unionize the Manila Print
81. ing Office.
New York Sun Special serrioa.

NeW AoIh GUN special service
Washington Sept "a contest be-
tween the national administration and the
International Typographical Union is one
OF the possibilities Of the near future.
George A. Tracey, until recently fore
man or the government printing office at
Manila. is on his way to start the battle
and before it is finished the administra-
t1on may be forced to declare itself on the
labor question, much more specifically
than 1t did In the Miller case.
Tracey asserts that he lost his $4,000
per year position at Manila because he
participated in a meeting to establish a
branch Of the International Typograph-
ical Union in the government printing Of
flee there. That, he and his friends de-
clare, was his only offense and they prom
Use to make things hot for the president,
the Philippine commission and Public
Printer ]. S. Leech Of the Manila printing
office, all OF whom, they allege, are IN
the movement to stamp out labor organ :
izations in our insular possessions.
When 1t was proposed to open a gov
eminent printing office In Manila the
Typographical union made loud protest
against the installation Of the typesettine
| machines. Emphatic demands were also
made that the office be unionized at the
start. Public Printer Leech was a prom
| inent member Of the Typographical unior
| but he secured an indefinite leave of alb
l.
| in finishing the negotiations with the
union officers, who finally consented to thu
installation Of typesetting machines ant
| tacitly promised to keep their organizer.
/ out of the islands.
| Forgot the Understanding.
| All the appointments were made from
| among union men in the government
printing office. The understanding, tina
they were not to organize was not place.
in their contracts. but these documents dit
provide that their duties would includ
laborers who might be employed In tn
government printing office at Manila.
Immediately upon arriving there, SO tn
war department officials assert, the typo
forgot this understanding and applied t.
Secretary Brentwood, of the Internationa
4 Typogra phical Union, for, a charter. MI
Brentwood did not issue the charter, blu
encouraged the farway printers to or
ganize. This was done, and immediatel
afterward Tracey, it is said, was told tina
If he did not resign the public printe
would prefer charges against him. Trace
resigned and fastened back to lay hi
grievances before the head officers of tn
union. He asserts that the members G
the Philippine commission are unfriendl
to organic ed labor, because they can &c
|; native labor much cheaper, and he init
mates that the commissioners receive
!; their inspiration from Washington.
Hired as ninstructors."5
J At the war department no report ha
been received tof Tracey's resignation.
l is pointed out, however, that the printer
are not employed as such by the govern
7 merlt.s Instead they are given the title {
Instructors and their contracts SO reat
, The Philippin e. connrni ssion., said Colo
! mel Edwards; A Is not opposed to labc
; unions. The. government printing offic
at Manila@isa training school instead {
printing OFFICE. It is one Of the gov
, ernnent's Efforts to tsaeh the natives
become self supp porting and valuable cit
t <zens. With such an end IN view 1t woul
, be death blow to the plans Of the CON
t mission if a union should be forme d In tn
, office and the rules obtaining here shout
! Ebe put into effect. How could we eve
| educate the natives in the printing If on]
two apprentices were permitted for eac
fifteen journeymen? The commission
not trying to cheaper labor; it Is tryin
to build it up ..*