The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-09

fronted by Opposition Which the
Congressman Is as Much Bound to
Respect as He Is to Regard the
Leaders of Organized Labor.
Washington.
velopments Of the present congress
have been more notable than the Wig
orous resistance which has been pre-
sented to the two labor union
measures, the Grosvenor anti-injunc-
| ton bill and the eight-hour law. For
the first time opponents of this legis-
! lation are as we'll organized as its adj
vocates and are displaying as much in
terest in the outcome.
The presidents action in the Miller
case in the government printing office
has doubtless focused public attention
upon this question. The prolonged
strikes of Chicago and San Francisco,
and the disclosures in the Sam Parks
case have made it evident to thinking
people that this is too important a
legislative subject to be allowed to go
by default or to be settled by the adj
herents of one side only.
| 1t may not be many years before
the two political parties will have to
walk up to the line on this labor
union issue. Many friends of organ
while the president without doubt did
right in the Miller case, as the laws
now stand, the laws should be
| changed. in their opinion, so as to
require the union label on all govern
ment work. Then the president
| would not n ave heep under Oh1ipa tjOnS
to restore Mr.. Miller when he lost the
confidence of his associates in the
union. ,a.,.rs- q-..a--..-
When. this issue is sQuarely presented
the republican party will have to de-
eide for the open shop idea, and while
it might shiver somewhat before going
into the matter, just as 1t did over.
adopting the gold plank eight years
ago, events would compel this course.
The business Of the government could
not be done, practically speaking, upon
the exclusively union shop basis. I'm
der private employers, there is some
body whose financial interest it is to
hold the unions in check. With the
governments services there is no such
restraining force. In the Miller case.
of which a report of the committee of
investigation will soon be made pub
iic the unions expelled this man be-
cause he served the governments In
terests.
1t is impossible for foreman in
government workshop to serve two
masters, Uncle Sam and the labor
unions. If the latter are to fix the
amount of work which shall pass as
zone day and are to prescribe the
method by which it shall be done, In
such a way as to make work for them
selves, there is nothing for a foreman
to do but to carry out their plans ana
for the taxpayers to foot the bills.
The government printing office to-
day, in spite of the presidents vigor-
Gus stand, Is under the thumb of the
unions. Miller is believed to be the
only non-union man in the establish
printers who were put on by special
order, of the president to relieve the
1 stringency there and also to help out
J in d rush here, two men were found to
be non-unionists.
i One, a printer, was given table to
. set up which was a practical impOssi-
bility, he soon took off his apron and
} departed. realizing that the dice were
loaded against him. The other man.
a book-binder, was approached by the
: committee and told that if he would
go over to Baltimore and spend two
weeks more as an apprentice to COM
plete the time which they found he
ought to have spent in that grade,
, they would admit him to the Balti-
Y more union and then have him trans
ferred to the one here.
At the time of the presidents order
! last summer employees of the printing
office spent days and days on govern
f ment time, estimated in the aggregate
v at one man for three months in trying
to work up charges against Miller, and
, reasons why he should not be retained
The extraordinary spectacle was
> presented Of government employees
! formed into a committee, and taking
, government time to discover methods
:. of circumventing the presidents pur.
poses.
In spite Of the reforms which Mil.
ler's retention signalized, one of the
emergency printers from Baltimore
:, relates to your correspondent that he
can earn his days wages here witt
just half the work which he has to dc
in Baltimore for the same unit of time
e Public Printer Palmer, 76 years old
: and long past the time of active use
J, fulness, but whose political affiliation!
e are potent, will before long be super
seeded. Palmer has stood in with tn,
k unions from the start, but never mor'
e extensively than in discharging Mile
It for trying to serve the government
G interest.
Ricketts,, the foreman of printing
who is spoken of as a possible sue
cessOr to Palmer, was questioned be
fore the Gillett committee the othe
4, day regarding the methods of the gov
l. eminent printing office, and when tn
'e committee raised the subject Of tn
typesetting machines, he said tina
= while these would undoubtedly worl
well in many lines, they were no
adapted to certain styles of Worl
which the government was doing. H
did not mention that there was NJ
need Of doing the work in those styles
f and that some slight changes could b
made to adapt the work to the ma
I'd chine. w.
This evasion was explained b.
l. Ricketts, friends on the theory that h
III really believed in modern appliances
is but did not dare to invite disfavor a
n this time by too open public advo
e. cacy of them. And still many per
sons think the industrial ills of tn
pr world will be cured when "the govern
10 ment" does everything.
w The party which is out of power al
y y ways takes the lead in advocacy O
~. -, labor union causes. These always at
~ ford good material for putting thos
- who have to bear the responsibilitie
~ Of legislation Sin hole Could bot
Ih parties be for time equally charge
V with power, this question woul
he doubtless be settled on an open-sho
ne basis.
er Southern democratic congressme
ga who have no labor unions at HON
1t have an exaggerated notion Of the i'm
Id portance of their party in the north {