New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-11
From The Tribune Bureau

w dSnilltA'bs
GOVERNMENT ANp UNIONS.-The
formation OF unions of government "a"
ployes affiliated with the American feue'"
tion OF Labor. with power 10 enter ui'o"
sympathetic strikes. or even TO sr'Nc ~
cause of their own grievances, Woulu ~
repugnant 10 President Tafts conception u
good government that II Is reasonaoi! CO
tain he would veto any such measure o"
the Lloyd bill. even should that neas"'
get through the Senate. which is oouo,iu'
This is the attitude assumed by fIes'''"'
Roosevelt. and IL IL maintained ho '
firmly by President Taft. OF course u -
easy TO perceive the tremendous po"e'
which would be acquired by the Fedorauon
Of Labor could il organize the postoiice
federal employees and then call them out !"
sympathetic strike whenever. in the estl-
nation of the officers Of the federauoh'
conditions i'm private or quasi-pubhc HluuS-
tries warranted such step. The faculty
with which the business of the entire couh-
try could be paralyzed by strike when
included all postal clerks. the customs ON
GERS the internal revenue officers ana al
the other classes of public servants can
be better imagined than described Iherc
is, moreover. in the opinion of those "ho
have studied this question without pohucal
bias or partisan prejudice no necessity lot
labor unions in the government serVlce-dt
least of the same character as those eAls'-
ing I'm other industries. Free from that DIT
ter competition which compels many en-
ployers, according to the socialists. TO pay
wholly inadequate wages, relieved from tlat
greed for gain which prompts others 10
deny TO their employees fair share OF thelT
earnings, and always influenced 10 a greater
or less extent in the direction OF generosity
by the political influence exerted by It's
employees. the government Is not hard
taskmaster and is far from prone 10 grind
the faces Of the poor" With these facts in
mind. President Taft is certain 10 resist TO
the last any effort to form unions among
government employees. unless the members
thereof shall solemnly pledge themselves
under no conditions TO strike.
MUST NOT STRIKE.-Nere there pre-
scented for the signature of the President "A
measure authorizing the organizing of
unions among government employees, the
members OF which were pledged never TO
20 on strike. It is quite possible that it
WDuiO receive liif i(N'tullH' dHpIONn WI
Taft is entirely in sympathy with the eff
forts of labor to better its condition. In
his decisions as judge on the bench he
did more than airy other iurtst to define
the rights of labor. nor has he ever been
willing to curtail the right Of men working
for private or even quasi-public employers
10 strike. But. in his estimation, all the
conditions which make the strike. in GER
tain instances, necessary method of en-
forcing the demands of tho employees are
absent in the case of the government, while
the result Of strike Of government en-
ployes would be so grave as far to out
weigh any possible gain thercfrom.
grounds for complaint by the employees of
the government. If not Of the Federation Of
Labor, az developed by the hearings on tho
Lloyd BILL is the order issued in the first
instance by President Roosevelt and later
confirmed by President Taft, prohibiting
any employee below tho place Of a Cabinet
officer from ma king representations TO Con
gress TO tho members or to the commit
tees thereof without the consent OF tho
Cabinet officer IN charge Of the department
employing the appellant. The purpose Of
this order, 1t may he asserted on tho high
est authority. was not 70 prevent employees
from appealing 10 members OF Congress for
increased pay. etc. but to erd q system Of
lobbying which had grown M In Washing
ton whereby almost every bureau chief
possessed OF the idea that the work Of his
! bureau was the most important in which
the government was engaged sought to Sc
cure increased appropriations therefor