Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-22
ATTACK ON ST|LL|NGS
Typographical Union Criticises
His System of Fines.
APPEALS TO THE PRESIDENT
Also Asks Department of Justice for
an Opinion.
PUBLIC PRINTER IS RETICENT
Declines to Discuss Action Taken by
the Typos Summary of
the Charges.
PUBLIC PRINTER IS RETICENT

| SlullnSS Is actlnS 10 the laws Oh
the United States in inaugurating system
| of arbitrarily deductng certain sums from
! the pay of proofreaders as a fine for mad
| vertently overlooking errors in proofs read
| by them Columbia Typographical Union,
| No. 101. which in membership is the third
| strongest typographical union in the coun-
| try, yesterday adopted resolutions de-
! nOuncng the public printer and nstructins
the secretary of the union to call upon At
| torney General Bonaparte for an opinion as
| to the public printers right to impose such
| fines. After the meeting the union mailed
! copies of the resolutions to President Roose
! welt, to Public Printer Stillings and to the
| Department of Justice
Text of Resolutions.
The full text of the resolutions and their
preamble follow:
Whereas it is known that Public Printer
| Charles A Stilngs has inaugurated sys-
TEN of arbitrarily deducting certain sums
from the pay of proofreaders fine for
inadvertently overlooking errors in proofs
read by them: and
Whereas, Said public printer has already
arbitrarily deducted certain sums from the
pay of certain proofreaders fined by his
| orders: therefore. be it
Resolved That Columbia Typographical
Union No 1Ol, hereby protests against
Public Printer Stilngs arbitrary and
warranted action in imposing fines upon
proofreaders. believing that said action is
inmical to the crafts best interests and
contrary to the laws of the United States,
and denounces said action in unmeasured
terms being prompted by the hope that
it will result, combined with other unnec-
essay and tyrannical acts of the said pub
lie printer, in the decentralization and dis
ruption of our membership now employed
in the government printing office.
Resolved, further, That Secretary Siebold
= hereby instructed Law the matter be-
fore the Department of Justice of the
United States and obtain an opinion from
that department as to whether the public
printer has legal right to deduct arbi-
trarily any sums rom the pay of govern
mentng printing office employees as fines or
discipline for errors overlooked by them IN
the discharge of their duties i'll that office.
Resolved, further. That a copy of these
resolutions be transmitted to the coming in
ternational convention at Hot Springs,
Ark. copies be given to the press and also
ne sent. under seal of the union. to Presi-
dent Roosevelt Pubic Printer Stilings and
the Department of Justice.
Calls Him Slave Driver.
The resolutions were offered by J. Monroe
kreiter and he accompanied 1t with
verbal castigaton of the public printer,
declaring the latter to be slave driver.
foe TO unions and unonism and a bully.
Mr. Kreiter made the positive assertion
that the money saved by the public PRIMER
by dscharging bookbinders and other en-
ployes OF the working force of the office
had been used to pay fancy salaries to
Legion of officehoders and supporters of
the printing office administration.
F.. S. Ryan, solicitor of the government
printing office, was the leader of minority
faction i'll the meeting which arose in de-
Tense of Mr.. Stillings. Mr.. Ryan was
spokesman, and when Mr.. Kreiter had con-
Guided he took the floor and declared that
the public printer had modified his orig
L in, no ff Hnau hy
viding that hereafter the offenders would
receive their full pay, but that they would
be charged up with the amount of dam
ages assessed against them and be re-
auired to settle with the disbursfng Office
of the printery. Mr.. Ryan declared further
that all the promotions that had been made
by the public printer, with one exception,
had been of union men and of men en-
ployed in the Office. He said that the book
binders and their woman assistants had
been ousted only because there was no need
for their services and not work enough to
give all a living wage. He insisted that
Mr.. Stilings had a right to impose fines
upon proofreaders who make errors because
otherwise the damage done would have to
be met out of his own pocket
The ruling to proofreaders that is
attacked" said Mr.. Ryan, lis no new thing
In the government printing office. Men have
been fined or suspended for making errors
long before Mr.. StilngS was made public
printer. 1t is the practice of years
By Almost Unanimous Vote.
The resolution was then put vote and
Was almost unanimously carried.
A resolution regarding the out-of- work
fund. introduced by j. l.. Rodier, was sent
to the referendum. The resolution follows:
Resolved, That Columbia Union, No. l01,
create an out-of-work fund, from the gen
eral fund. to pay its out-of-work members
who have been in its jurisdiction for the
last six months at the rate of 81 for mar
red men and s. for single men: Provided,
that when individual earns $40 in any
one week he shall not be entitled to such
benefits. Provided, further, that any indi-
viduai who refuses TO accept work shall be
barred from any benefit for that week and
also for such length of time as the job
lasts.
Mr.. Stillings Declines to Talk.
Public Printer Charles A. Stillngs said
this morning that he had comment to
make upon the resolution adopted yester-
day by the Typographical Union. Later,
when an official of the Office was approach
ed by Star reporter and asked for a state
ment he declared that the author of the
resolution adopted yesterday by the union
was at one time employee of the govern
nlent printing office. and that might ex-
plain his feeling in the matter.
He said the action aiken at the meeting
Yesterday could hardly be accepted as rep
resenting the sentiments of the total mem
berahip about 100 out of possible l, 700
being in attendance. More than 1000 Of