Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-28


ing ten Thousand TO- OOO) "ems" per night,
while others who work equally as hard and
are quite as competent men can at best
average but seven thousand $4,000 SENS"
BY allowing bonus of eight hundred 5000
'ems'' they would still make far more than
the general average, and much better
feeling prevail among all the employees.
Second-The sad" cases realize the par
ties in charge an average of more than
twenty thousand (2O,0O0 GEMS" per night.
while they do not really work as many
hours as those employed on straight cases.
Third-In the distribution of the city
''ads' special favoritism is shown, while
in justice to all parties they should be
given out as any other copy, each COM
positor having an equal portion of the
same as all are fully capable of setting
them.
In submitting this request we would
earnestly urge your careful consideration
of the same, hoping that you will view it
in its proper light, nninfuenced by any
other than sense of right and equality,
and at your earliest convenience favor US
with your decision. Yours respectfully.
Signed by 80 compositors.
THE ANSWER.
To the above petition courteous an
swer was returned. While it was not writ
ten for publication, it contains arguments
on the GLOBE side which it would be well
for those who feel sufficient interest il the
controversy to sit in judgment, to consider.
1t is as follows:
ST. PAUL, Mimi, April %, 1888.
To Globe Compositors; Gentlemen:-
Your petition handed me day or two ago
has had careful thought and consideration.
The points involved I have given much
thought to, previously and hence feel pre-
pared to render decision which | believe
will be eminently just and fair to all con-
cerned. That you may understand my
views and position L will give you the rea-
sons why have never inaugurated the bo-
nus plan on department cases.
Taking the market cases first, have this
to say. 1 expect to make the market cases
a special inducement to thoroughly compe
tent men, not meaning that there are not
other men who could become as competent
in time, but that the great advantage to
the Office is to have men who have had ex-
perience in this Office. I expect to make
it an inducement when a man has market
cases in the GLOBE Office for him to con-
tinue on the cases and not be making fire.
quent changes, as in the usual run of cases.
The reason why the market men can han
die the markets to advantage to themselves
as we'll as to the Office, is because they have
had the experience to make them expert,
and the fact that they have lot had to give
away portion of their work has rendered
it an inducement for them to become ex-
pert, and in case of any change would give
new men the same inducement. Accuracy
and rapidity are the two great essentials in
market reports. The markets must go
upon the first side of the paper, which
makes rapidity of vital Importance. Very
slight errors in markets absolutely ruins
thevalue of a paper as a market exponent.
There is no department in the paper
equally sensitive. The business man
who finds himself once misled on a market
quotation will never again confide in the
reports of the offending paper. We make
no attempt to edit the Geographic market
copy for the market cases but give it out
| in its crude shape, as it reaches US. The
market men, by their experience, can pre-
pare them much more correctly than my
| self or any one in the editorial department.
Because experience has made them expert,
because they can readily decipher blind
copy and do rapid work, should they be re-
CURED to pay penalty, or are they not en-
| titled to premium for their skill. The
market cases are not allowed to put on
subs except in cases of sickness or some
great emergency. have right to insist
that they should be always on deck because
1 give them the benefit of their labor.
There are often errors in market copy
which man who is regular on a market
case will detect, while the best composition
| on earth would not discover it unless he
was in the habit of setting the markets
regularly. man not used to setting mar
kets can neither make time or proof salts
factory to the Office or himself,
even though he may be
good compositor in other respects.
A dirty market proof coming late, hastily
revised and perhaps demanding a second
revision, is sure to result in ruinous errors
| creeping into the markets. My remarks
are general and not specific applying to
| the present market men. l know that
their experience has made them expert,
but 1 recognize that sickness, death or
numerous other causes might make a
change in the present men. In that case
| should feel as 1 have expressed, that it is
important to the Office that new men
should have an inducement to become ex-
| pert and not feel that a portion of their
experience is to be given to others indis-
! criminately, including those who are here
| to-day and away tomorrow, as well as
those who work permanently in the Office.
| 1 would have no right to make the ex-
actions / now make of the market cases if
I did not give them some equivalent. AS
| to your specific statement relative to what
| the present market men can make as COM
pared with the average, leave you to con-
slider whether they do not happen to be
faster compositors on straight matter than
the average, and if they are
whether you would think a compositor