The New York herald., 1869-01-30
LABOR MOVEMENTS.
THE PRINTERS STRIKE.


nrintinq offices and publishing houses In this city
was held at one O'Clock yesterday In room No. 81
Astor House for the purpose OF devsing the best
means OF meeting the present strike among the
ourneymen book and Job printers and to concert the
most speedy and enectual method Of bringing the
recacitrants to sense OF reason and justice.
There were some ffty gentlemen present. Mr.. W. G.
Martin occupied the chair and Mr. Theodore l..
De yne acted as secretary.
The CHAIRMAN said, before proceeding to busi-
ness, and while awaiting the arrival OF Mr.. Baker,
he would say that he thought it was not according
10 the judgnene OF the best workmen In the trade
that this movement in the shape OF q strike had
taken place. They looked upon it as injudicious
and while many Of them were Identified with their
fellows. from feelings OF sympathy with their
own class and from membership with the Union,
yet he was satisfied that their judgment was against
this advance and at this time. lie therefore sug-
gested that whatever the meeting might do they
should merely stand on the reas0nableness OF their
posidon-not as taking any antagonlstic position
apart from what the jourDeymen had done-but 70
Come 10 the conclusion that their demands could not
be acceded TO on account Of the situation OF the
trade. Whether their demand Wis such that IL
ought 10 be aecedei 10 on account OF the expenses
Of living was one thing; but yet on account OF the
position Of the trade there appeared TO be no ex-
what raaspired n the early part or last summer ia
several interviews which he had with jouIneymen
he had reason believe that the present action was
taken BY the less deserving portion OF the workmen,
N order that they mght ind remuneration for their
eergices greater than they were worth. The moro
I0telugeaf class OF workme1, having q more intet
gent understanding OF their relation to their
employers and their employers relation to
Ihelr stsionlers-publishers and Others must have
seen that TINS was not fitting time to spring any
advanced scale vi prices on them and certainly not
sncl scale aS had such Objectionable features as
kN n 7f.-gn ~
.r, &. ). WEsTCeFr said he had had an interview
wlsn the Wee President OF the Printers Union. He
taf MestcOCt) had told him that he thought there
Sns 4 disposition on the part OF the employing
igsnters u give their employees an advance but not
m accordance with The scale the journeymen had
made N. Lie taT. westcot) said.tney We're willing
10 recognize the distinction between loaded and
solid matter, but the distinction between manuscript
aad reprint should not be abolished. The gentleman
10 Ni.am he referred was OF tho same opinion and
Naa willing 10 have some compromise made. He said
tao Typographical Union was willing to study the
interest OF tneir employers, ana lie thought II tne
employers would agree on some scale OF lair prices
lie Uni9n would agree that they would not allow
any Ian 20 work in Offices where they would try 10
MorA 4Hief tne emploTers' scale. Ills coming ffom
the Vice President Of The society was, ne thought
worthy of consideration
cHAIRMAN--Do understand that this proposition
net 10 allow any man 20 WORK In an office where
less tAan tne sca-e was paidy
Mr.. WEsTC0rT--No. IL any employing printer in
the city OF New ork viii take work less than our
scale OF prices they would take the men away IRON
his once and stop his work.
Mr. j. +. Tgow-I think that proposition is not
Il
Mr. ALY0RD said the journeyaen printers OF this
city had formed an association some time ago 10
manage iourneymen and masters also. Through the
indlscretion OF masters they had succeeded in max
ing society greater than 1t would have been If
the masters had not parted with so much OF their
rights. Now these men came and asked fnis adj
highwaymen solicited on the high road.
The gave the employers no notice or time for
sideraton OF the matter. On Monday morn
ing the new scale was presented, and ON
Monday morning it went into eiect-hat ts they all
struck. once upon time. some years ago, in The
~haFax
turing village, equal to our Waterbury some other
Yankee town, where manufacture was carried ON
extensively and successfully. The journeymen. de-
inanded more wages several times, and II was
granted to them, until the demand became so great
that the manufacturers stopped It, and there was
strike, and the consequence was the manufactures
had TO be given out. They sent fifty or sixty
miles away and got other manufacturers 70
take their contracts, until one after another
was taken up. BY and by the journeymen
succumbed and came back TO their work. and the
employers had 10 tell them they had no work for
them, in consequence OF which the journeymen had
70 leave the place and go somewhere else for en-
ployment. The masters had 10 sell their machinery
and move away: down went the town nat as
dlshwaer, and there nothing left OF il but the
dry land, anu nobody 10 buy It. But New York was
TIE compositors alone were not the only
ones that were involved in this. The press
their turns, ana there was danger even OF All
manufacturing interests being atfected by move
msns o. dms KIND l. was Wen known laSt ina. The
much higher than In any city OF the Union. The
erect OF this movement would be to send the busi
ness to provincial towns. where the work could b,
done cheaper. They could get their printing dom
now in Boston, Cambridge, or even up here at thei
lltte Albany for from twenty-five TO nifty per cen
cheaper than ia New York. That was as tru
a gospel They had already seat half o
their work away. The work OF some house
aud The whole or others had gone out OF the cit
lateiy. Capital never in Gods world made anything
Ike tyrannical movement 10 oppre-s lahor 10 m
manner that labor had nve or ak times done sine
he hGd been IN the city to grappe capital. He ha,
been IN the printing business over forty years, an,
nc never knew OF solitary case where capital un
deftook 70 oppress journeymen printers. In conc!u
sion he said the community was interested In thi
tang more than they were generally apt to suppose
III =. y. BAKER than read the report OF q com
mltfce published IN yesterdays HERALD appolntet
two days before In reference TO the matter under dis
Mr BAgER-As q supplement to that report Mr.
Alyord submitted report, which, In justice 70 him
WIZ reads-
years sinor, when the very hghe.. war raes ruled
W. eatsspee scale of prices from The conposiors sac
lave many cases yoaaarny ana 70 others rom eir IN
Tey sisy y sosSns s, 2, s rsspoasi
fanny necssriie ~ eoos groceries. elo.nng Sr raw
dy geoss hc4s in aus city s ssid = have
80 ne snsf E - & ~ = a. 49, tsas insl
~ cost ha y any q te smaller towns no,xiistan
osr eoriposIos twenty-five per cent more than Is psf
Many y have running 70 ,.ely
o preassa sa s2ga l,,ses $50 gseh Ne had 20 reasss
general matters sboui remain they were; ant ys ID
- s or p sas % Si he scale a one sd h %
is ss Z zoe Ssf ] y ws W., "a 20 o assumption q iairne
o the tyranny % capital. Never yet 5l capi.al in tl
Lar a5is i 1erodssly and lie pcca. sre ssorsass
o. motion thc foregoing documents were receive
Gu0 adopted unanimously.
Mr. BshRit-i tank the strife has been atteaptea
% Dc carried cut b9 tne gIossesi
aud il therefore must iaii. ind on careful nqaii
that although lhcy parade tn tEe papers this morn
ibt iMnv or forty 0nlces ~ paying The prices YET
wth the exception VI tnree .snd two Ot these lire
40 not represent Tie trade a. am ihoir s'sIement
a &tis