Milford chronicle., 1921-06-17
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
AN OPEN SHOP

; In a letter to Representative Blan-
= ton of Texas, the new Public Printer
J has indicated his intention to operate
/ the Government Printing Office on an
open shop" basis. The subject arose
|, as result of letter which an en-
plOyee of the Government Printing
Office wrote to Representative Blan-
ton complaining that he had been as
sessed Is per cent of his salary for
maintenance of the union and for as
sistance to strikers in occupations OUT
side of Government service. The en-
plOyee wanted to know whether, if he
refused to pay the assessments and
was expelled from the union and lost
his job Congress would stand behind
him and help him regain it. Mr.. Blan-
ton put the question up to the Gov
ernment Printer and received a reply
in which Public Printer George H.
Carter said:
IF, by the term open shop YOU
mean place where person may be
employed regardless of whether he
belongs to labor organization, then
l presume the Government Printing
Office may be called an open shop un- !
der the system of appointments thru
the Civil Service"
Some Government employees at the
Printing Office are assessed more than
Is per cent of their salaries. Paying
this assessment puts them in a rath-
er anomalous position, for it will i'm
press most people who pay taxes that ]
if Government employee can donate t
Is per cent or more of his salary to I
strike outside of the Govern l
ment service, then he could lust as &
Well suffer reduction of Is per cent a
In his salary and let this saving be ?
made to the taxpayer. Some of those Il
Who complain of being compelled to Il
)ay the assessment explain that while S
t is true that the Government does tt
lot require them to belong to a un- o
on, yet if they decline to Join thev p
will be subjected to social ostracism Il
ND persecution by the agents of the fl
lnlOn who will make life so uncom- il
Ortable for them around the Govern "
nent Printing Office that they will n
lther be compelled to join or resign IL
heir positions. fl
In his letter stating his position on
ne subject OF an open shop policy in NJ
ne Government service, Mr.. Carter IL
uoted from statements made bv Iii
resident Roosevelt in 1908 when one al
the Printing Office foremen was ex- ia
elled from the public service because fir
e had been expelled from the labor W
mon. The Civil Service Commits CO
ion refused to recognize the EMPLOYS OF
HpIuslon at that time and President III
OoseVelt ordered his reinstatement m
the Government Printing Office tn
resident Roosevelt concluded his SUI
atements regarding the case by saw OF
g: N'' dit
In the employment and dismissal of
men in the Government service 7 sa
III no more recognize the fact that co
man does or does not belong to a go
llon as being for or against him fo1
zen l can recognize the fact that he ad
a Protestant or Catholic, a Jew or me
GENTLE as being for or against him ge
The question of his personal int
ness is one to be settled in the ron Gel
ne of administrative detail and can me
Vt be allowed to conflict with, or to pr
the larger question of a {
1vernmental discrimination for or th;
'ainst him, or any other man he tul
use ne is or is not a member of ba
liOn.'
After reading to the House of Rem thi
sentatives the letter from the Pub ad
Printer, Mr.. Blanton said: col
II there are employees in Wash tic
gton in the Government Printing cid
nee, or elsewhere, who think that of
e assessment of 10 per cent and 5 wh
+ cent, or any other per cent, is too dut
eat burden upon them, they have the
perfect right to get out of that un- try
and still hold their jobs, and I be- for
We President Harding will stand be- is
I'd them and protect them Just as car
great Theodore Roosevelt stood
hind and protected this man Mil HE
:" ''-- MIL ~
Mr.. Blanton's remarks were greet
with applause. G