The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-30
UNION BEATS UNIONS
The Retention Of Miller in the Gov
eminent Printing Office an I'm
portant Step.
It Means That the Government Will
Not Submit to Labor Union
Dictation.
From The Journal Bureau, Room 46, Post Build

From The Journal Bureau, Room 40, Post bulio-
ing, Washington.
The government book binding establishment,
has definitely settled question wnlcn mas
been agitating the minds OF federal o1lclals
for good many years-the question OF
whether the government is to conduct ITS
business after its own plans or be tontro pasf
dents were unwilling to assert the, govern,
ment's rights, because OF possible polltlcai
effects, and it remained for President Roose-
welt to do it. The local book binders union
is now on record In the office OF Secretary
conform to all federal regulations: 1t is also
considering the question OF changing us con
stitution so as to comply with the law. Never
again will. a man In the government employ
be thrown out of his place for the reason
that labor union t has hm it ID
be emphasized, because In the press OF otner
affairs 1t will probably be overlooked by tho
general public.
All this has been accomplished by the presi-
dent without friction and without ineurring
the i'll vii. of organized labor. All that the
that it must he lived up to. He could not
have done less; he did not want to do more.
for he aas the interest Of LABOR at ne heart p6nd
will soon begin to wonder that former presl-
dents did not take it up and dispose of 1t.
~ Roosevelt and Labor.
Roosevelt. has within ten months touched
labor at two widely separated but very IN
s.
he interviewed In the interest Of labor, to COM
pei arbitration of an issue which was caus-
Ing the country to suffer; in the Miller case
he interviewed against the union 10 Paot had
been outrageously treated in violation OF
5he ip both and De oa s po ms
the face of what seemed to be heavy odds.
The feeling, rather widespread in the be-
ginning Of the Miller CONTROVERSY, that the
president had injured himself politically, is
entertained On the contrary, 1t Is
quite apparent that he had added to his
strength One reason for this result is the
Having ascertained the facts, he announced
his policy without regard to expediency, and
quickly convinced the local book binders
union that it was In the wrong. This is i'm
portant when it is rec allied that for many
wears men have been dismissed from the gov
eminent printing office soon as they lost
their membership In the union.
Orders an lnvestig alton. .. -.,
1t is the order of the president that Public
Printer Palmer investigate de novo the
charges now filed against Miller. The for
rner Incidents are to be oyerlooked; and the
public printer is to make his decision solely
on the matters contained in the charges; and
this decision the president is to review. If
the charges true, Miller will be dis
are Serious. If they are not true. he will
remain, and the local union will be COM
p LIED Tn wor * With Iha d h service and the fed
eral statutes are to determine employment IN
the printing office and bindery, and not the
rules Of the unions This Is advanced ground
and it will be Endorsed by conservative labor
union men as we'll as by the general public
Union Men Festive.
Public printer Palmer announces tina
he will not take up the Miller case for {
day two, and perhaps not then He 1.
probably waiting until the president ha!
personally investigated and directs hin
what to do.
Chairman Proctor, of the civil servic,
commission. has gone to Oyster Bay, pre-
sumably to consult the president about thu
case. Pamers decision, it is believed
will represent the presidents persona
views. Had Palmer been acting on hi
own motion, he would have announced hi
decision days ago. The binders union i
very FESTIVE and its officers are hayin,
trouble holding their men in line.
& w. w. Jermane.