Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-07
PRINTERS ARE HAPPY
Head of the Government Shop
May Increase Pay.
CONTROLLER so DECIDES
Machine Operators Not Limited to
Fifty Cents an Hour.
MR.. LEECH ASKS FOR RULING
Opinion Also Deals With Compost
tors Who Impose Their Own
or Others Work.

| mere Is general rejoicing among LIN
machine operators in Uncle Sans big
print shop today. and the employees are
saying that Public Printer Leech is on The
job. 1t will not be necessary for the pub
lie printer to appeal to Congress to in
crease the pay of the machine operators
BY a decision of the controller of the
| treasury just made public the public
printer has the right to pay machine
operators. electrotypers and stereotypers
a wage greater th-n 50 cents per hour.
The subject of wages for job compost
| tors. machine operators. stereotypers and
electrotypers came up for judicial decision
through recent correspondence between
the public printer and the controller Of
the treasury on the question of the for
mer rating given to compositors In the
job division A decision by the controller
Of the treasury has all the force of law.
Text Of Correspondence.
The correspondence between the printing
Office and the Treasury Department will
undoubtedly be read with deep interest
by every employe in the printing Office.
The whole matter is set forth In a COM
munication to the public printer from the
controller as follows:
Il am in receipt Of your letter of the
oath instant, which reads:
lowing for a decision from your office.
Rev. Statutes, U. S. e Supp, section
40. page 34S) provides that
The public printer may employ. at
such rates of wages as he may deem for
the interest of the government and just
to the persons employed. such proOfread-
ers. labOrers, and other hands as may be
necessary for the execution of orders for
public printing and binding authorized by
law
Rev. Statutes. L.. 8. e Supp. page
1fSO provides that the public printer
may hereafter in his discretion, pay all
printers, bookbinders and leather parers
employed in the government printing office
at the rate of 80 cents per hour for time
actually employed.
Under Rev. Statutes. L. S. e Supp.
section 40. page 3lsD supra, it has been
the practice in the government printing
office for several years to pay job COM
positors at the rate of 55 cents per hour
instead of the regular rate of 30 cents
per hour that is now paid to all other
compositors in the government printing
off1ce.
Deputy Public Printer Explains.
I'm reply to an inquiry addressed by
me to the deputy public printer under
date of June 10. 1908, calling for state
compositors imposers' pay So cents per
hour) the deputy public printer said:
Replying to your request for a state
ment as to the authority for paying job
compositors imposers' pay (55 cents per
hour) / have to say that there is no au-
thority for doing this under the law
Ever since Congress regulated the pay
Of compositors, the office has paid i'm
posers an increase of cents per hour
over compositors! Ten or more years ago
the public printer, on the recommendation
OF the foreman of the job room, rated all
compositors working on strictly job work
as imposers, and that rule has been in
existence ever since.
Under Revised Statutes, U. s. g Supp,
section 40, page 34S) supra, imposers,
makers-up and proofreaders in the gov
ernment printing Office are paid higher
scale OF wages than the compOsitors be-
cause of the qualifications required in the
former positions. 1t has hitherto been
the duty Of job compositors in the gov
ernment printing Office to impose, make
up and lock up their own composition ex-
cept in certain classes of work, which can
be handled more advantageously by sew
eral men. This practice obtained because
OF the advantage to the government which
resulted therefrom and the great saving
OF time by having each job compositor
tails of which were we'll known to him.
rather than to turn partly completed work
over TO a second or third party to be COM
pleted. 1t is, therefore clear that the lob
compositor. imposer and makeup must
necessarily have possessed versatile uuali-
fications and rendered higher grade of
service to the government than the ordi-
nary composftor. and the public printer
is of the opinion that under section 40
supra. the phrase may employ at such
70 nf W. Cos hp tl,a
terest of the government and lust TO tee
persons employed and other hands
as may be necessary for the execution of
orders for public printing and binding au-
thorized by law, authorizes him to pay
job composftors a rate of wages in excess
of 30 cents per hour, in his discretion II
is also my opinion that this applies to ma
chine operators and stereotypers and cleo
trotypers.
Pending your decision in the matter
the public printer has suspended the for
mer practice of having each job compos-
itor impose and make up his own compo-
sition and has segregated the several
branches of the work so that now the
composition. imposing and makinfrup are
each done by different employees whose
designation agrees with the class of work
performed.
Matters in Doubt.
The foregoing facts considered, desire
your ueCiSlUH ou tIe lOllOWlES questions.
First. Under the statute cited. is the
public printer authorized to pay mono
type and linotype machine operators in
the government printing Office more than
| 30 cents per hour?
Second. Is the public printer author
ized under the law to restore the practice
| of having job compostors impose and
make up their own composition and to
| compensate them therefor at a greater
rate than 80 cents per hour?
Third. Under section 49, above refer
| red to, electrotypers and stereotypers in
the government printing ONCE are paid
| at a greater rate than printers, and II
/ has been the practice. since the establish
ment OF the stereotype and electrotype
1 divisions i'm the government printing Of
! fce to pay this class of employees high
| er rate than printers. IL the public print
| er authorized. under the law. to pay said
employees a higher rate than 80 cents per
| hour?
THE compensation of pressmen is pro-
vided for by specific law G. Supp, Sec. So
| page BAD.
II will thank you for the earliest re-
| sponse your convenience will permit, as
| suspending the practice which has SO
l long obi aimed reatrlts in n distinct loSs IN