New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-23
A Silly BUSINESS.

had partaken of it Immediately after opening,
had experienced no unpleasant consequences.
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4 SILLY BUSINESS.
II is difficult to be serious about the grotcsque
proposition to 4" boycott" THE TRIBUNE in the
interest of few foolish printers, but we shall
try it. A week or two ago the foreman of our
composing room dismissed some type settlers for
ample cause. An outside trades union there
upon ordered a strike of our whole force. A
number went out; twenty mine remained, and
the places of those who went were promptly
filed. The baffed Union thereupOn sends its
emissaries about town calling upon the news
dealers and our advertisers and subscribers to
withdraw their patronage forthwith Here is
| the mild and modest way in which they address
| themselves to our advertisers:
| NEw-YoRK, Dec II, 1888
The trade unions and labor organizations OF New-YOrk
and vicinity Numbering 900 persOn have resovednot
topatronze those advertising subscribing for the New
York "Trbune." Your advertisement appears in the
issue Of December TO- Should you consent TO withdraw
1t by the 23d nst the several organizations will be i'm
| medatey notiledo your action.
| Respectfully yours,
| NETWORK TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION NO. 9.
This is only an exaggeratiOn Of about a
thousand for one. This circular really does
represent about seventy-fve very mad and
very disappointed tricksters. No one who
knows the business men of NewYOrk
needs to be told how they treated
this impertinence. Without an exception every
one from whom we have heard responded by
saying that to a threat of this sort they should
mako no answer except to increase their orders.
We rarely Obtrude our private affairs
upon the public, and certainly should
not in this case, except to correct
malicious misrepresentation of discharged
workmcn. TO this end we reprint on
another page letter from the
Foreman of THE TRIBUNE com
posing-room to The Erening Post, published
a week or two ago. So faras we know the facts,
il states them correctly.
Briefly, TIE TRIBUNE has, for many years
controlled its own composing-room, and refused
to recognize any trades-union interference. All
its compositors worked under the following
pledge:
I'VE hereby pledge ourselves to sever our relations
(whcrc any now cGlsD with typographical Union
No. q, or any printers union whatever,
ana maintain relations Of any sort with any print
crs Union We pledge ourselves 10 work In THE TRIBUNE
Office, at TRIBUNE prices and under TRIBUNE
regulations. We pledge ourselves 10 give no au IN
any scheme Of any printers Union TO interfere with,
or gain control Of The TRIBUNE Office. and
agree 20 furnish the foreman any Information may
have as 10 persons working in TIE TRIBUNE office
IN the interest OF the Union any OF s schemes
against the Office. We further pledge ourselves TO en-
gage I'm no strike, combination to leave
the service Of the paper. without at least
weeks notice. aud hereby that violation OF this
pledge shall forfeit whatever may DO due from
THE TRIBUNE Association. All this pledge ourselves
faithfully perform long remain in said o1ice
upon orr honor as printers and gentlemen"
We hold this document still, with the sigma
lures of n number of the recent strikers at
tachcd. Their way of keeping their 'word,
upon their honor as printers and gentlemen
was to wait till the principal proprietor
was six hundred miles away and the
foreman was sick, and then, without one
word of complaint or warning, to strike. What
thcrcupOn happened the foreman tells Having
broken this pledge they next more promptly
broke their new ones, and he was forced
to turn them out. Now, beaten at every point,
they run about complaining that TIE
TRIBUNE did not keep faith with
them, and striving TO make the honest aboring
men believe they have been ill-uscd.
They also claim that THE TRIBUNE does not
pay good wages Let us see. On an average
week a force of over fifty compositors, good,
bad and indifferent, earned in six days, of
seven hours, an average payment, under
our present prices the same that we
have paid for years past-of $23 23.
each. The good worllmcn earned above $40
per week, and exceptionally good ones earned
and were paid us high as $50, and from that to
$40. This for light work, in the most comfort
able composing room in America. The average
for reporters (collcgc-brc men generally in
this city is no higher; and the figures will !
compare favorably with the earnings of clerks, |
book keepers and teachers.
These arc the men. then, who, having broken |
faith three times over with us, now fancy that |
they can embroil us with the laboring men of |
the country, and bully our patrons away. We |
arc ready for the issue. They have tried the
ncwsdcalcrs and been laughed at for their
pains. Our circulation has advanced every day,
save one, in the week, under their effort. Next
they try the advertisers. Our readers are the
best customers in New-YOrk; and we are quite
willing to let them note who trucklcs TO such
dictaton-if anybody does.
|
"WHO READS AN AMERICAN BOOKU