New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-02
TRADES UNION PROSPECTS.

"In nv opinion the Typographical Union never
had more vitality and backbone tauit has loay SH
member of that society. the other day. To lHbuNL TO
porter VINO had suggested that one effect oil the hr"
times might to dissolve practically thr tia"H 'h'o"S
in his country. tue." nc continued, that oar
membership is not large formerly; men VINO nave
be,n ont of work nave unable to pay Their dues
10 IN. union, and after lime their names naVe Den
dronped We number now about 1000 members. W
course i'm these times see nj 10 make CONCESSIONS
when employers insist upon reducing wages ID fHia'
5lnb there has been recent reduction IN the price OF
conposiion" The Orcr inquired II the recent hc"n
Of the Wonders Union, OF Troy, which was considered
one of the strongest trades unions IN The country ana
which had dcded that its members could WORK III any
shop at any wages not virtual dissoiuli"l' - 40
not think so' the reply. - Inc action was on'y
taken by majority vote Of the members and is simply
comes Tor the tm 10 bridge over the present ISSUE
only At any time the union may decide to overdue
it, action and Them unIes. "a concession should be
made ,v the pmployers the would cease 10 WORK.
This gentleman showed much unwillingness 10 tlk
upon the subject claiming that the present was hot tue
nropcr time for members Of trades to discuss the
expediency of those Organzauns, on the probable riect
of tue general depression Of business upon them lhe
same unwilmgress was exhibited by other members 81
trade socrtlcs There appears to he general itehg
that man should take what wages are offered him. ahd
sbould h. considered fortunate if has opportunity
10 work. throws away any chance Thousand uh
EN- lOf cd men WI. Dr. eager 10 stZt IT, HSP'iV" NAV
e influence unions is waning Is apparent IN most
union mems minds the very worst thing they
could have done at bs since" said stanton street tailor
member OF the Tailora' Protective aud Bcueht society,
when informed Of action Of tine Troy m'ulncfS
Ihey should have Reid together now OF All uhes, NC
declared Nevertheless wou not admit that the TRAD
unions Of this clty less strong or powerful than
formerly He said thai the Il societies were At
tempting 20 secure more unity Of action, and that trade
council, IN wA.h all sorts OF worlingmcn were repre-
scned was being established. II had not however, ac-
complisaej any practical work thus far
former member of the Typugr phicai Union, now
working in downtown job Office, said that he left the
uon n cans Of some trouble about dues and
.pts 10 when he would submit. lie had taken part
in several strikes, and m had also refused to strike When
many men office where he WAS employed were IN
favor Of striking lie had assisted in watching oihc's
where men were strike, order to prevent others
from going 10 work His present opinion was that the
Typographca Union was OF little account and that its
influence was piat.i ally ended lis treasury lie said
cont ined about - 900 or $4,000 while at one time It's
fupds aggregated from $4,000 to $4,000
carl l. Frlude OH .er ~ the Tliinrs' Society says
tt union has now between 800 and 900 members but
while ago IT. M over I2OUD. 81 d. not think tlat any
o the trade, the present time viii attempt to
raise wages; they VIII BE sls Il II they can prevent
reduction al wages However If employers should INSIST
upun reduction say 10 per cent, they might be WI
ling 10 compromise AT > per cent Tney would make
some such Arrangement Tat in preference to striking,
think. because so Il any are unable to get any
work at all"
Goor,e W. Gibbons the President ~ the Workngmen's
Central Union expressed himself follows IN regard to
this subject Nothing has ever done 80 muc1 10 Iuure
workin-men ms the trades unions. They DIS
advantage both 90 workiugncn and TO capitalists, ana
the sooner they are broken to pieces the better. Thor
working simply this: the members Of the union bind
Themselves together and resolve not work Tor less than
a certain amount OF wages II office or shop
, where union mn employed nonuni'n
man attempts to work, all the Others STOP
wo. king, else compel the man To ply
certain initiation fee in order 70 become member ~
me order Thu, they attempt 10 gain monopoly Of thr
business 10 n certain extent. II man VIII not or can
not d. come "a member o. the union hc can salyc But
of late the union men nave greatly decreased suppose
there are 90 per cent less here now tuan thee were
year AGO Tlr unions To certain d gree have been the
cause hard times. and now the cicc of the hard
is III The breaking mp OF the unions IL few
months have doupt that the greater part NJ them
viii be dissolved. Worsngmcn have been led into tle
belief that tie only way for Dor To- secure its rights
against capital, To untr aud demand tia. capitalists
acccie to thrir wishes But they finding ont that
tnis does hot bring about the desired rcslt printer
came long ago. saying that he belonged 10 the
unon bar was debt it tlc amount Of 800. II
he went into any Office where union employed.
and coud not show a clear card. De would NOT d. allowed
30 work know tiat hr Ia, means OF raising 500,
aud yet without giving him an opportunity 20 earn The
money, the compcls him pay II before he 90
To- work one Of the good effects II the hard times, in my
OPINION Will be- the dissolution " q trad, sOcctie hic
have been Of ncaeuab injury to the laborus classes"
FIGHT WITH THE TYPOGRAPHICAL CNION.
Few made a more bitter fight with. or
.chieycd e signal victory oycr the Typographical
Union Than Col. John Knapp, OF The 81 Louis Feptbcan.
As early 1865 tie printers BEGAN to DE troublesome
around The Republican building. Then tAe Union was in
hc he sht OF 10, power ana money cOu bc commanded
large to conduct al carry on prolonged strike
This Was particularly true Of ST. Louis Every ucwspa
per ana job printing Office under the control oi the
union. ami the printers not SLOW TO take advantage
" this tact Demands not only for an increase of the
price of composition made but privileges were in
! sisted upon, hitherto unknown a. among the in
lllenable rights OF the craft The prOpretors Of The
Repgbhcm were sorciy pressed, and finally determined
30 sis all further demands and insist that the who
paid the money also endowed with privileges
At this time the price Of composition - cents "A
thousand ems, ANA five cents additional was demanded
No person permitted to work the except he
had a from the union. About this time the ChicaJ0
Times had succeeded IN placing non-union printers IN
possession OF the room. aud the Me,srs Knapp
muucacd with Nj storey, and had every arrangement
| made to supply the cases, the hour Of
strike should arrive. As as IL known that the
propreto,s of The Reputicdn were fully prepared to
any Emergency The regular printers throw down
their sticks aud quit work in a body al the hour Of
midnight. Tke new hands were set to work, but one
after another yielded to the persuasive arguments
of the union men, WHO gathered az every accessible
place in The ncigborhood begging the To retire from
| the cases, and furnishing money and transportation
to other cities Every Chicago brought fresh
arrivals, aud ST. Louis. IN few days. Hooded with
non-union printers most OF them cxccont craftsmen
u required before the Office working order
Then one night. The FpublcGH office found be in
flames. The entire establishment was in ruins in few
hours cntaiing loss of over quarter ~ million Of