Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-04
IN LABOR CIRCLES

A union printer. referring TO certain
publications i'm regard to furloughs In the
government printing Office, said: The
public might be led to believe that the
employees of that Office were unreasonable
enough to expect steady situations when
there is no work, but such is not the
case They do expect, however, to he
treated with the same consideration that
would be accorded workers In a CONNER
cial office that is not run on sweatshop
principles. and The Star, I believe. will
support them in that contention when the
facts are stated, which can he verified
easily.
For from seven to nine months in the
year the office is run at top speed, and
every employe is on the rush. During
the dull season il has been the policy or
past public printers to dispense with eN-
ira employees and permit the regular force
to ease up little, just as Is done al any
successful book Office or other commercial
esta blishment. What would be thought
of large department store that wouid
DISCHARGE all its clerks on rainy oag
and only hire them when il expected
rush of business? How long would It
have an effective selling force under such
methods. and how long would its doors
remain open? Yet that Is exactly the way
the present public printer Is trying TO run
the history of the office has the working
force been so demoralized and so little
heart put into the days task.
THE employees at work are driven to the
limit through the fear of demotion or
indefinite suspension. and as soon as
there is five minutes loafing time day
in any force enough men are put on
the next to take up this lost motion. Can
any one wonder that under such system
there is dissatisfaction, and Is the saw
ing under IL one to be boosted of by the
head of the office. Surely Mr. Taft does
not care to have his administration econo-
mize by sweating few dollars out or
mechanics and poorly paid women. For
the most trivial errors employees are
suspended for from three days to q
week. and the wages OF the women
workers were not only cut recently, but
a number of them were suspended for
an error caused by nervousness in being
driven by their foreman. who said he
had orders to get out more Work. In
the bndery a task is given to one man.
who does II In, say, an hour. Then tue
same kind of a job Is handed to another
man, who Is told of the first mans
record, and that he must beat il: This
he does. and the job is HANDED TO a
third to try to lower the record. and this
time Is set as the limit to do the job, and
the employe who fails is subject to dis
charge unless he has a pull OF beneht 10
the public printer. The ONCE To-Day Is
veritable sweatshop. and the elght-holr
law has been repeatedly violated by run
ming short-handed, as can be shown by
the records.
Announcements were posted In the car
barns Of the street railway company at
Omaha on October 4. notifying all the
temporary employees that their services
woulo not be needed any longer
President Lewis of the United States
Workers of America has issued circular
showing Sthe present paid-up membership
of the organization TO be 282,7 This is
a gain of 400 over the figures of any
year since 1904.
President James VI. Lynch Of the In
ternational Typographical Union visited
San Francisco last week In the interest
of the printing trades. He addressed a
special meeting of the typos and allied
crafts.