Evening star., 1925-03-19
ASK CONGRESS- AID
IN FIGHT ON CARTER
Union Printers Urged to
Make Concerted Drive for
His Removal at G. P. O.

Union printers are urged to make
q concerted drive on members of
Congress for the removal from office
0f Public Printer George H. Carter
in a Statement by Eugene +. Smith.
president, and George @. Seibold,
secretary, respectively, of the Colum-
lila Typographical Union, No. lol, to
appeag-in the April issue of the Typo
graphical Journal.
President Smith and Secretary Sci
bold set forth what they assert is
long series of grievances suffered
by the printers at the Government S
big print shop, climaXing in the re-
cent dismissal without second s
notice" of 127 printers.
That the announced reason of lack
of work" did not apply in all the
cases was shown by the fact that new
employees We're taken on right up TO
the hour OF the discharge, one even
after the discharge" the statement
charges.
From the character Of those dis
placed 1t was easy to see that no con-
sideration whatever was given TO
competency or length of service" the
union officials declare One operator
was dismissed who had an average
rating of 80 per cent, the highest OBJ
tainable, and two others. who had
ratings of 9S per cent, all three be-
ing at the head of the average list
Garter recently established the sys-
tenn of averages himself). Neither did
the question of whether one was a
Democrat or Republican appear to
have had much weight. 1t rather had
all the earmarkS of the 'Stoolpigeon'
system.
Seeing that good records and high
average count for nothing, there is a
feeling of insecurity on the part of
practically the whole force. Those
who are buying homes are naturally
in distressed state of mind, while
those who contemplated doing so
simply forgot it. The tenseness of
feeling is simply indescribable.
Coming into the office of public
printer about four years ago, George
il. Carter had the good wishes of
what had been a fairly well contented
force of considerably more than 1000
printers. The officers of Columbia
Union were particularly friendly to-
ward him. In fact, the then president
OF the union materially assisted his
candidacy for the position. Soon
after assuming charge he began to
act queerly from union printers s
standpoint.
When he ordered a discontinuance
of the collection of union dues at pay
time by the chairmen in the face of
our 44-hour assessment he gave us a
Jolt that we thought was as uncalled
for as it was unprecedented, which
seriously handicapped us, as was no
doubt his intention. When he issued
an order that the silent treatment
accorded those refusing to pay the as
sessment would not be tolerated, all
those who did pay it-and that en-
braced all but about a half dozen
thought that he was meddling with
som ething that was none of his busi-
ness. When he issued his infamous
stoolpigeon order, under which he
requested all those having even a
knowledge that other employees played
the races, negotiated for bootleg
liquor or violated any rules, should
report their knowledge to him or be
deemed equally guilty, and be dealt
with accordingly, he completely shook
the confidence of all the right minded
printers and made informers out of
the rest. When he attempted to dab
BILE IN the unions election of officers
it was with the usual result attending
the meddler in a family quarrel. When
he locked all the exits of the big
shop except one for apparently no
other reason than to force employees
TO eat in his cafeteria he added a lit
tie more fuel to the discomfort When
he sent letterS-referred to by print
ers 8 'Speedballs-to the homes of
employees telling them that If they
did not set more type they would be
fired, he frightened a good many
wives into nervous collapse. When
followed, one upon another, foolish
and purely meddling orders that did
not pertain to printing 1t is no Won
der that those who could get away
commenced to look elsewhere for
work"