Evening star., 1903-08-01
HELD A CONFERENCE
Executive Council and Arbi-
tration Committee
ON THE MILLER CASE
PRESIDENT TATUM'S ADVICE TO
THE BooKBINDERs.
Continued Silence and Patience is
Urged and Care to Do Moth
ing Rash.
ON THE MILLER CASE


| E. w. Tatum of the International Brother
| hood of Bookbinders a deep silence has
| fallen a cloak over the members of the
| local union and clam, in comparison with
| the arbitration committee. is the personifi-
cation of loquacity. an oyster boisterous
| roysterer.
| They are lea -ning diplomacy down at the
| government printing office and the accept
| ed idea of that art among neophytes IS to
| look mysterious and say nothing.
conference was held this morning bs-
| tween the international president and his
| associates. ]. A. B Espey secretary treas
! urer; ]. w. Dougherty, secretary. and W.
| H. Kelly, member of the executive council
| ON the one side and the entire arbitration
committee of the local union of bookbinders
! on the other.
| They occupied room at the Hotel Fritz
Reuter- for several hours from IL o'clock
and went over the Miller situauon thor
| eughly. President Tatum cautioned the
| members of the arbitration committee to
| have the greatest care regarding discus
sons of the case and told them that Inelr
only hope for gaining the end they have in
| view Is to display greater skill in the
| handling Of the question than the salaried
diplomats of the government service
| Although there has yet been no open
| rupture in the bindery at the printing Of
flee it is realized that the binders have
| taken a stand from which it will be difficult
|
will be from this moment the watchword
| Of the union. Before member may speak
| for publication he must obtain the permiS-
sion of the arbitration committee and the
members of that committee have learned
| that a close mouth is better than great
| riches.
| President Barrett of the local union at
| the meeting this morning laid before the
executive councile the entire case of AS
| sStant Foreman Miller from the moment
of his detection from the union up to the
discharge and subsequent reinsta tement.
and then asked the advice of the conclove
as to future action.
| President Tatum's Advice.
| President Tatum urged upon the men the
necessity for careful movements from this
| day on. 1t was evident, he told them. that
| the matter had attracted to the government
! printing office the eyes of the entire coun-
| try and in order that the bookbinders
and. with them. the printers and allied
| trades might not be shown In a BAD llsht
they must in all things observe that care
| for the rights of others that has ever
| marked their union.
| They must bury grievances and be stanch
| to the allegations they have entered against
| Miller with the public printer. They must
| be patient and not attempt to hasten mat
| ters in any way, but await calmly the an
| swer to their communication made to the
| head of the office.
1t was felt at the meeting that the mat
| ter had gone 50 far that an investigation
of the entire office was a strong probability
| during the coming session Of Congress, ana
| in order that the bookbinders may not re-
| ceive the entire blame for such result
| they will from now on be very quiet lot
! of men. 1t Is not known outside Of the
| members of the conference whether or not
| a decision reached to the course
| they will pursue in the event of the public
| printer failing to suspend and subsequently
discharge Miller. but It is the general feel
| ing that the matter will be passed up in any
| case and that 1t will not be made an issue
strong enough to call for strike.
| Miller has some adherents at the office.
| admission. knowing the strength of the
union. The union men deny that there has
| ever been coercion Of any character, and
say that the men free to act as their
| feelings dictate. 1t Is nevertheless a fact
| that it Is to the advantage of the employe
! in the Office to join the union.
The Case of b. o. White.
| II. o. White a member of the Bookbind-
ers' Union. and whose case was cited a
| day SO ago by Miller, was given permis-
sion by the arbitration committee this
morning to talk for publication. Miller Is
quoted as saying that White was forced
| out Of the printing Office by the Bookbind-
ers' Union because he had worked in
union shop before being appointed to
| his place in the printing office. The case at
the time caused something Of sensation
in the office, but never received the pub
|
dent. White entered a protest against the
action of the union, saying that he did not
| know at the time he was employed in the
outside shop that 1t was non-union. His
| case was carried by him to the interna-
| tiOnal officers and there settled, but not
| before he resigned under pressure.
| Regarding these facts and the charge of
| Miller that he was bounded out Of the Of
| flee. White said to a reporter for The
| Evening Star that he was surprised that
| his name had been brought into the Miller
| controversy at all, and especially by Mil
| Ter.
1.-The cases are not parallel" said
| White. "In my case the charge was that
| 1 had rated and for this 1 was asked to
| give an account to the bookbinders union
| There considerable talk at the time
| among the members Of the union and re-
| signed.
| THE case was afterward settled by the
| international officers and upon reappoint-
ment joined this union. Since Joining L
| have been accorded fair treatment, just as
| is received by the other members"
The accent on the word since" when Mr..
! White used 1t seemed to carry the implica-
| ton that he had not had fair treatment be-
fore he Joined the union and that 1t was