Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-31
THERE WILL BE NO STRIKE.
At Least Not Tomorrow-A Talk with IN
President Of Columbia Union.

At Least Not Tomorrow-A Talk With the
President Of Columbia Union
There will be no strike in the Job printing
Offices tomorrow. The delay 10 not due p the
fact that tomorrow is the list dog Of April, but
to the absence of Organizer v. B. Williams Of
the International Biographical Union. Be-
fore a strike could be q success il would need
the approval Of one Of the orsanizers. There
is a big strike fund in the international treas
ury, but unauthorized strikers cannot draw q
cent from it.
Last night q special meeting of Columbia
typographical Union--in which the govern
ment printing Office compositors refrained
from participation-decided to delay enforce
ment of the new scale until the chairmen Of
the job Offices bad consulted with the Directing
proprietors and reported to another special
meeting to be held on Friday evening.
WHAT PRESIDENT KENNEDY SAYS.
President John L. Kennedy Of Columbia
typographical Union is laid up at his home
with a severe cold and is almost voiceless. To
a STAR reporter who asked him whether it Was
true that the government printers were re-
sponsible for the proposed increase of wages in
downtown Offices Mr.. Kennedy said: ''There
is no truth whatever in the statement and Mr..
Darby knew it to be untrue when he made it.
meet together, but in considering this proposed
increase In the union the government printers
kept their hands of at every stage. The down.
town printers alone are responsible for the in
crease in their scale of prices And God
knows there ought to be an increase in their
wages. They are the hardest worked and poor
est paid skilled workingmen in the District.
Their employment is uncertain and they do
not average SO per week. They are below the
level of the hod carriers in respect to wages and
hnr nf nnnt he hr1
ceive S250 per day and work but eight hours.
The printers work ten hours, and. as l said, do
not average $40 per week. Their demand is
modest indeed-only ~ cents per 1000 ems
and it is founded on justice"
ALL PRoPRIEToRs DO NOT OBJECT.
'fDo all the proprietors object to the in
crease?'
mo, sir; a majority OF them will cheerfully
pay it. The proprietor Of one of the largest
them can afford to pay the increase, and will
Payit. The increase in the payroll OF the gen.
ueman who is making the most noise about it
will not exceed els per week.
Objection has been made to the extra charge
for overtime provided in the new scale. That
extra charge is but just. Amy man who is COM
PEELED to breathe the foul atmosphere Of .
composing room for more than nine hours q
day ought to be paid double price for SO doing;
the scale only calls for an extra 10 cents per
l,VVU euls- out tne real OD1ect OF charging
extra for overtime is not that our members
shall get overtime work and extra compensa-
ton. but to induce the proprietors to employ
sufficient number of men to finish their work
In nine hours and thus give employment to
more men,"
THE UNION WOULD SUPPORT THE STRIKERS.
suppose the employers should refuse to pay
the new scale and strike resulted, would
the union support the strikers?''
Most assuredly. Not only would Columbia
Union do it. but we have a large strike fund in
the hands OF our international officers, into
which every member of our union has paid 10
cents month for many years past, and our
members would have the benefit of that fund.
However. permit me to express the hope and
belief that there will be no strike. The increase
is SO small that the proprietors will not feel
justified in changing their forces Of employees
on account oft
1T is charged" suggested the reporter, chat
the union did not confer with the proprietors
nor did it give them sufficient notice of the new
scale"
THAT statement" said Mr.. Kennedy, was seal
culated to deceive the public. The scale was
adopted and copies Of 1t sent to every publisher
In Washington six weeks prior to the date on
which it was proposed to put it in operation.
The proprietors never asked for q conference
A few OF them got together and resolved that
they would not pay it and SO notified us. OF
course, under the circumstances there was no
chance for a conference. But, as l said before,
a majority of the publishers of this city
recognize the justice Of the new scale and they
will pay it."