The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-31
Recalls Incident When Union Demanded Resignation
 of William Miller
PRESIDENT ORDERED THAT
 MILLER BE RENSTATED
Labor Unions Drew Up Petition, Asked to File Charges and Gompcrs Called Upon Roosevelt But He Re-
 fused to Reconsider

New York, October 3o.--secretary John Mason of the democratic state Ieommittee tonight made public a state
 ment attacking Theodore Rooseve1t's
 labor record. The statement says in part:
 ''The democratic state committee has been looking up Colonel Roosevelts
 labor record. One of the most striking
 clashed with union labor was recalled yesterday. When the book binders union demanded that William A. Miller be removed from his position as as-
 sistant foreman of the government
 printing office at Washington after having been reinstated by order of the President, the latter laid down the fol- lowing rule:
 "'There is no objection to employees
 of the government printing office con stituting themselves into a body if they so desire, but no rules regulations
 of that union can be permitted to ride
 over the laws of the United States
 which 1t Is my duty to enforce Miller had been expelled from the
 union and appealed to the civil service commission, which sustained him. When the public printer did not reinstate
 Miller. President Roosevelt flatly or dered that Mir. Miller be reinstated.
 "On the same day Colonel Roose- welt had written to the Secretary Of Commerce. approving the decision of the coal strike commission, that no per
 son sh ould be descrimnated against on account of on-membership in a union organization.
 The action of President Roosevelt brought on a storm in labor circles and | there was talk of strike, but Secretary Cortelyou stepped into the breach uflsl shifted the responsibility from Presi- dent Roosevelt to Public Printer Pal mer.
 | The officers of the Bookbinders' union attempted to secure an interview with the civil service commission and ask leave to file copy of the charges
 against Miller, but the commissioners refused everything to Public Printer
 Palmer and added that any person who went out on strike would be forced to take a new civil service examination before being taken back. This threat sufficed to prevent a strike. Owing to the rnmor that Colonel Roosevelt had ordered an investigation to find out whether any non-union man had been denied work in any of the de- partments. it discovered that the
 following letter marked personal had been sent to all the cabinet officers on July 22 190s
 My Dear Sir:
 The President directs me to send you copies of the two letters sent to Sec retary Cortelyou with reference to the government printing office which defined
 the attitude of the administration in con-
 nection with the subject discussed. They are sent to you for your information and guidance as they indicate the policy of the President in this matter. Very truly yours. B. F. BARNES, Acting Secretary to the President When a committee of the Bookbinders' union called on Secretary Cortelyou on August 25 1908, and filed with him copies of all the evidence In the charges against Miller, he replied that it was up to the President. No action being reported. the Central Labor union of Washington requested all labor organizations in the United States to unite in a petition to have Miller dismissed. This action was immediately indorsed by the Central Federated union. The resolutions were circulated among 25Oo,ooo union laborers throughout the country. Charles W. Winslow reported that large proportion
 had requested the President to rescind his decision
 "A conference was held with the Pres
 ident at the White House on September 30, 1908. which was attended by Sam uel Gompers. president of the American Federation of Labor; James Duncan. first vice president; John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers: James O Connell, president of the Macfinistfas union, and Frank Morrison. secretars of the federation. But President Roose-< welt refused to order Miller's dismissal on either charge of being unfit a non- union man.