Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17
AN ORDER RESISTED
STORM BREWING AMONG THE
BooKBINDERs.
Public Printers Method Of Dismissal
condemned-Two designations
Filed as Protest.

A confidential general order which was
issued by Public Printer Stillings several
days ago, has been made public through q
leakage among the employees Of the govern
ment printing office. and as a result, 1t
was said today. big storm Is brewing
among the bookbinders 1t appears from
statement made to Star reporter this
afternoon that when Mr.. Stillings became
convinced that a reduction in the force Of
the Office had become necessary owing to
the Introduction Of labor-savinG machinery
and the curtailment of the number of pub
locations issued by the government, by
direction of President Roosevelt, he issued
the confidential order in question.
1t was not directed particularly to the
bockbinding department of the office, but
as we'll to all other departments and the
branch offices.
The order called upon the foremen and
sub-foremen Of the divisions to furnish
the public printer with list of the en-
ployes In their respective divisions that
could be more easily spared because of in
competency, continued illness, etc.
1t is said when call was made upon the
bindery under this order for list of those
who could be spared, 1t was referred by
Acting Foreman Ashton to his sub-foremen
One of these, Mr.. }. A b. Espey, formerly
foreman of binding, but now a sub-fore-
man. it is understood declined to furnish
be marked for decapitation. Rather than
do so he has rendered his resignation from
the position he now holds.
1t was stated by prominent labor lead
er today that Sub-foreman w. M. Conner
and Thos. B. Penicks also contemplate ten
dering their designations
Views Of an Officer.
An officer of the bookbinders' union
stated that the order is directed against the
veteran employees Of the government print
ing Office, many of whom have given the
best years of their lives to the government
service He said the blow would fall heav-
lily upon veterans of the civil war who were
employed in the printery, and intimated
that this matter would be taken up by the
Grand Army of the Republic in the interest
OF its members who are now employed IN
the government printing office. He also
claimed that 1t was really an application Of
the Old-age retirement plan under another
name which has created such a furore in
the other government departments.
An employee of the government printing
Office bindery said he regarded the issuance
of such an order as unfair to the foremen
and subfOremen. who will be required by
its provisions practically to prepare a sort
of blacklist from which dismissals from the
service will be made. 1t was his belief that
the public printer should not shift the re-
sponsibility onto the shoulders of those in
charge of the divisions and sections in the
public printery.
In connection with this matter there was
a report In circulation in labor circles to-
day that the public printer had decided to
appoint permanent foreman of the bind
cry Mr.. Harry Ashton, who is now acting
In that capacity. 1t is said if this report Is
true, the organized bookbinders are pre-
pared to resist the appointment to the ex
tent of taking it to the White House and
to Congress.
At the government printing office it was
determination as to who would be perma-
nent foreman of the bindery. although 1t is
believed the appointment will be made in
advance of the assembling Congress-.