The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-04-03
THE DIFFICULTIES BETWEEN
THE PUBLISHERS AND PRINT
Frs AT RICHMOND

Inc hlcnmOnu papers Ialleu 10 come 10
hand last evening, which the following will
explain:
The several Proprietors of the Richmond
Daily Newspapers regret the necessity of
throwing themselves on the indulgence of their
friends until they can perfect their arrange
ments for resuming the publication of their
respective journals, this day interrupted
The suspension will be only for day or two;
but an explanation of the reasons why it
should have occurred even for day, will
perhaps be considered due to their patrons
and to themselves.
The wages paid to the employees Of our
respective offices have been greater than the
business will afford. We have never refused
to make liberal compensation for services rem
dered, and have always acceded to their APP
pllcations for an increase. But the present
difficulties of the mails the scarcity of money
among the people, and the enormous price of
white paper-more than double what it was
previous to the war-have visited their natu-
raj inconvenience upon newspaper enter
prises, and imposed the necessity Of every just
economy. The wages Of compositors have,
| nevertheless, been about sixty-seven per CEN
tum above those paid before the war
| After the fall in gold, and the great redue-
ton in the prices of many articles of family
consumption, there was no longer any good
| reason for these high prices; and after friendly
stating to our employees the unusual lifficul-
| ties which embarrassed our business, and the
reasonableness in every respect of the propo-
| sition, we invited their assent to a reduction
of 90 per centum on the scale of compensation.
This would have still left their wages, after
| being reduced to gold, higher than before the
war; while the situation Of their employers was
in no respect comparable Oar proposal, twice
renewed, was twice declined, the printers in
| sisting upon their present advanced rates, and
finally leaving our employment without notice,
on our declining to abandon all purposes of
| reduction.
1t would have been impossible for us to con-
tinue prices so much above the earnings of
former times, or in other pursuits, without in
creasing largely the terms of our several pub
| lications.
| This we did not think either just or practi-
| cable; and refusing to do it, or to wrong our
selves by paying rates which cannot be af-
forded, we are involved in the necessity of
suspendng our issues until we can make new
arrangements We have instituted energetic
measures for the accomplishment of this with
the least possible delay, and wilt in IA few
days, serve our friends as heretofore
BoNDURANT, ELLIOTT & SHIELDS,
..... Editors Wing.
| SMITH u COLEMAN,
Editors Enquirer.
CowARpIN & ELLYsoN,
| -.0- Editors Dispatch.
! CHARLES H. WYNNE,
| Editor Times.
JAMES W. LEwELLEN,
Editor Repnblic.
H. RIvEs PoLLARD,
t Editor Examiner.
From the Citizen, paper just issued by the
printers.
1t will be understood, we hope, by the
public that the printers of Richmond are not
conteuding Tor an increase of compensation
| for their labor, however pitiiul that remune-
ration has BEEN The propretors may be
! considered more correctly as striking" for
| the printers might have been well satisfied
with the rates they were receiving. A deduc-
ton of twenty per cent. upon present rates
had been decided on by the proprietors; this
was to bring the wolf to the door of the craft
1t is upon this point, then, that the printers
took ISSUE and look to the public to extend
to them their faver
The FREEDMEN TO TAKE CARE OF THEM
SELVES General Charles Harvard assistant