Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-30
LEAVE THE B|NDERY
Over Two Hundred DismissaIs
From Government Printery.
IhHI IInlMH RACM AMn AINlArN
INCLUDING MEN AND WOMEN
Pathetic Scene When Yellow Enve-
lopes Were Delivered.
STATEMENT BY PUBLIC PRINTER
His Action Regarded as an Absolute
Necessity. Due to Condition of
the Work.

Consterna on reigned at the government
printing OF ce today when a sweeping dis
missal of EN- oloyes of the bindery was made
by Public Printer Stllings. The fatal yell
low envelopes containing the dismssals
from the service We're handed to 204 work
ers. These included 102 journeymen book
binders and 102 women employees.
When the women received their dismiss
sails ii is said some pathetic scenes were
witnessed. Many Of them had worked in
the government printing office for years.
In explanation Of the wholesale dis
charge. MIR Stillings made the following
statement:
The amendments to the laws governing
the printing and binding of government re-
ports ana congressional documents enacted
by the last Congress have caused such a
falling off of work for the employees Of the
btndery division of the government printing
office that the public printer was today
forced to make mis- first reduction by the
dismissal OF lo2 journeymen boOkb
and l02 women employees, mostly sewers
and gold workers."
lie also stated that the forced reduction
OF employees was the most UNPLEASANT duty
he has had to perform since he took charge
OF the government printing office: that it
was a duty he could not shirk, and that he
had DELAYED it just AS long it was posi-
bic for him to do So making every effort to
secure work to keep these people busy
He said the work in the bindery has been
steadily decreasing in the past twelve
iiioIitiS, anu " postpone the GlSmlSSalS he
had instituted brief furlOughs among the
employees, hopirg that the work would ulti-
mately increas. by the natural growth of
government ne eds to such proportions that
the reduction Of the force might be avoided
Dismissals Were Inevitable.
However the work did not increase, and
hence the dismissaIs were inevitable. They
We're held off until warm weather, which
would mitigate much of the distress of those
whose services have been dispensed with
which had they occurred in the winter
months, would have made 1t much harder
| for them. Another advantageous point is
! that the leave Of absence earned during the
present fiscal year is payable in cash to all
employees and will be Of some immediate
assistance to them.
In pOstponing the reduction of the force
of the bindery, the public printer ascer-
tanned by careful observation the actual
state of affairs. he said Because of the I'M
settled conditions he delayed the appoint
ment of the foreman Of binding until he
had been in office long enough to lr.1ow the
general conditions and not specific condi-
tons at any one time in the bindery.
The dismissals have been made after
very careful deliberation,' he said, largely
with the view. so far the women en-
ployes are concerned of obviating the large
gaps in the earnings of piece workers, be-
cause of the fact that there have been
practically two people to one percon's
work, with the result that earnings were
split In halves.
ITO adjust a situation like this is a very
difficult matter, can he readily perceived,
and the public printer feels that the pres
ent solution is the farest to the govern
ment and to the employees. Notwthstand-
ing 1t brings a heartache to those who
have been dismissed, 1t absolutely could not
be avoided