The Washington herald., 1907-09-23

Special TO The Washington Herald.
New York, Sept 22.-The Washington
correspondent Of American Industries. In
a letter discussing labor conditions at the
seat of national government. says:
Right at the seat Of the Federal gov
ernment the great contest over the oper
shop is in full swing. At no other place
in the country IS the issue raised in such
clear-cut way, with the skyline unob-
scured by any other complication.
Two important phases Of it are sure
to attract the attention Of Congress. One
IS the question Of the further retention Of
Public Printer Sullings, and the continu-
ance Of the Government Printing Office as
in reality an open shop. The other is the
effect on government buildings of the
building trades strike, which was ordered
because employers would not agree to
discard all nonuaion labor.
Fairly and squarely the question of the
right Of the government and Of individ-
uals to employ a person who does not
belong to a labor union Is once more being
taken to the President. and the unions
have evidently about elected to carry the
contest to the polls, if they cannot bring
a favorable decision from Theodore Roose-
Welt
Deals With 6. p. o.
Primarily, the struggle Of which the
President viii have TO take notice deals
directly with the Government Printing
Office, the greatest publishing house in
the world, eXpending in labor and mate
rial more than S50o0000 a year. He viii
be asked. under threats to carry the con-
tention into politics. TO reverse his de-
cision rendered in the Miller case. when
he laid down the principle that he did
not belong 10 a labor union, and TO veto
the finding written into general govern
ment practice by the coal strike commits
sion.
IN view Of the import ~~e ~ this l,..7-
ing, which is bound to bear on the near
future Of the great contention. that is
even now causing grave concern 20 MEM
bers Of Congress, the Presidents own
words on it viii be interesting In a letter
TO George B Cortelyou. then Secre-
tary Of Commerce and Labor, Mr.. Roose-
welt, on July H. 1863 wrote:
1t is sdjUdged and awarded that no person shall
be refused employment OF in ans way Disseminated
against account q membership OF nonmember-
ship "a any labor organization. and that there
shall be no discrimination against or interference
With any employe who is not g member Of any la
Dor organization by members of such organization.
Of and -Hfa- Fr-
the commission appointed by me- which itself ~
cluded member Of labor union
Statement Made to Hr. GOmpers.
Recalling this letter and the decision
made by the President when he ordered
the reinstatement Of Bindery Superin-
tendent William A Miller on the ground
that no rules or regulations Of a labor
union could be permitted to override the
laws Of the United States. one would sup
pose that there would be no likelihood
of the President receding. The hope of
the unions is based on the statement
made by the President 10 the members Of
the executive council of the American
Federation Of Labor in the Miller case.
which was thus described by President
GOmpers in an address 10 labor unions:
He the President furthermore made plain that
IN any folm Of employment excepting that 50 cir
c7lmscTibed government employment, he believed
the full employment Of union was preferable 10
either nonuuion or open shops.
And it is now said by many that the
situation here. which is a very remarkable
one, would not be confronting the gov
ernment but for the Presidents amiable
weakness in qualifying his original state
ment through Mr.. Gompers, use of which
was made in the Republican Campaign
Book in 19oi, with the sanction Of the
President
Struggle for the Closed Shop.
The situation in Washington is that
since August all labor unions have been
enlisted in a struggle to force on all en-
ployers the closed shop. that is. the en-
ploymeut of none but union worlmen. All
the nineteen trades employed in build
ing construction have struck on this is
sue. No question of wages or hours or
regulation Of work is involved. Other
unions not on strike have made common
cause with the building trades. giving
them sympathy and support, and the
American Federation is taking a hand, as
usual.
Since this is direct question of
whether the union shall dictate who shall
and who shall not be employed the agi- |
tation has gradually involved the Gov
ernment Printing Office. 1t seems 10 be
reasoned by the strikers that. if the
fight is to go on, the President and the
government is sooner or later To he in
volved. and that labor. making its fight
on such grounds. is bound TO be at
disadvantage so long as the open shop
prevails under the Public Printer.
After the Public Printers ScaIp.
They have therefore. started after the
scalp Of the Public Printer with great /
energy. The union men in the govern /
ment employ in the printing Office are
making all sorts Of trouble. and AZ times /
subdued anarchy has reigned there. only
the other day a visit Of the Public 1
Printer TO Oyster Bay was followed by /
an announcement that the President did /
not intend to displace him. This has /
been received with much disfavor in all /
union circles here. by the union men en- /
ployed IN the printing Office by the build /
ing strikers, and By the officials of the /
American Federation. al concealment /
that this is a fight for unionism in the
District Of Columbia, whether I'm or out |
Continued on Page 3, COLUMN 3.
Flooring IVerv pood1 CO On De-. sno Il.