The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-09-24
RICKETTS, RULE
IS D|SREGARDED
G. 2. q. Symposium Going
Ahead on New Lines.

Despite Public Printer Ricketts, latest
order on the symposium question, the
enterprise in the Government Printing
Office is not going to down.
Several plans are on foot whereby
the symposium scheme now in vogue
in the big printery will be maintained
along new lines and yet comply with the
new order of Mr.. Ricketts,.
One of the plans, and the one that
appears most satisfactory to a majority
OF the printers at the Government
Printing Office is to elect officers for
the various symposiums from the down
town Offices In this way the printers
at big printeries claim they will have.
technically complied with the new man
date, and still retain their privilege of
borrowing money from these mutual
loan associations.
Some of the printers, however, do
not understand why Mr.. Ricketts, should
object to the symposium schemes being
operated in the establishment
In support of their arguments they
point out the fact that Mr.. Ricketts,
must have known of the conditions in
this line that have been existing for a
number of years in the printing office.
and being a printer himself. cannot help
but know of the peculiarities of the
craft
Ricketts, Misinformed.
If Mr.. Ricketts, has been informed
that the symposiums are operated or
subvertoi in the interest of Individual
gain, the printers claim that he has
been misinformed- The symposiums are
operated as IA purely mutual PROPOSE
lion and each member of the enterprise
shares equally in the profits obtained
In many instances they say the SYM
postum scheme has helped n member
tide a disagreeable circumstance and
they cannot see where the existence of
the scheme is either obnoxious or de-
trimental TO the definite policy Mr.
Ricketts, is pursuing.
There are other institutions operating
in the printery that are known to be
of the 10 per cent not shaving kind
These concerns, the employees claim are
the ones that the Public Printer should
get after. The interest paid to these
concerns is entirely lost TO the indi-
viduals. who are sure to suffer if they
get very deeply in their grasp Two
employees who persisted in loaning
money at excessive rates OF interest
were suspended only q Few days ago.
Money-Loaning Field.
The money-loaning field in the Gov
eminent Printing Office is perhaps the
most productive Of any in the city. Not
withstanding the various organizations
in the office that loan money, several
more have recently secured quarters in
the vicinity of the Office and opened up
for business.
Several months ago n workman in the
Printing Office established an agency
tc take orders for sugar and coffee
When Informed that he could not carry
on q business of that kind in the Of
fee, he resented the interference, and
continued to take orders. He was
promptly ordered discharged by Fore
man OF Printing Ricketts,.
These incidents, the more conserva-
tive and disinterested employees say, has
dragged the legitimate symposium
scheme under the hammer. and they be-
lieve the new order will have a ten
dency TO impress the printers with the
idea that they are being restrained in a
rather strenuous fashion