New-York tribune., 1884-01-14
As TO TYPOGRAPHICAL UNIONS.

A SYSTEM THAT DISCOURAGES HONEST AND SKILFUL
WORK.
To the EdftOr Of The Tribune.
SIR: Who ever heard of Typographical Union
binding its members to do an honest and faithful
day's work to be punctual' to be careful of ma
terilli to avoid unnecessary conversation during
working hours and to recognize the just and hon
orable fact that the employer has rights well as
the employer If any one has ever heard of such
an occurrence his of hearing must be deep and
intense for the writer has spent lifetime in unions
and among union men, and has never yet heard it
even limited at that an employer had any business
rights worth recognizing. On the contrary, have
always heard employers spoken of as monsters, who
had nothing to do but eat, drink sleep and travel
on the immense prof derived from the bloody
sweat" of the emplOye.
Or. TO be more plain who has ever heard Of q
Typographical Union censuring or dsmissng one
of its members for habitually coming to work late
IN the morning and at noon, or for habitually
washing up" fifteen minutes daily before the
working hour is endedi Or for suspendng work at
the expense of either employer or author, in order
to discuss politics, baseball, wrestling Matches
boat races, etc Or for taking eighteen dollars per
week when the members actual value was less than
fftoenl
Ipresume no unIonist has ever heard anything Of
the kind: and yet unions will rat" a man for the
mere working of ten or fifteen minutes overtime in
order to meet promise given to an
employer or an author; or for even
dcductIng the time taken to correct his first proof
out Of Office or authors time In fact Offices
where union agitators predominate, to be punctua
to work and honest and faithful while at work
is to meet the dspleasure and opposition of those
around yOu, and 10 be put down sneak"
and as trying to gain the goodwill of the boss etc.
In some of our large union book-printing estab-
liShments II have never worked IN n nOn-uniOn
ofccl | have seen men suspend work from twenty
minutes to hour, more than once in the day
and follow th 5 robbery up from year o year. in
discussing politics labor reform. "the Chinese must
90 G c.. ETC. for which the tyranncal and despotic
employer or author was compelled tOpay them from
twenty-five to thirty cents per hour, from fifteen
O eighteen dollars per week. Many of those large
establishments already tottering for want of q
strict impartial and stern discipline among their
workmen, whether skilled or unskiled.
Ii is true many of the inc-nen in those establish
ments arc actually driven to death in order to keep
body aud soul together; but the EMPLOYERS are
PEELED to do this in order to support and pay the eX
Orbltant wages paid TO those IN their employ who
come under the head of fine workmen' and who
keep the employer at their mercy by preventing any
from getting practice at the class of work done
by them Out Of the thousands of printers who
work in our offices, not one in hundred has ever
received moments instruction practice on
mathematical or rule work ProprictOrs are paying
dearly for not giving their apprentices an equal
chance 10 become skilled There is scarcely book
establishment in the country but which is at the
mercy of three or four fine workmen," and until
employers see that an opportunity y given for all
intclligen mentO become equally skilled, they must
continue to suffer themselves, and make others suf-
fer also. Who will take this reform upi
Cambridge, Mass, Dec. 20, 1883 NAIJEAN.