Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-26
EMPLOYING PRINTERS FIRM.
They Continue to Refuse the Scale, and Give
Their Side of the situation.

They Continue to Refuse the Scale, and Give
Their Side of the Situation.
Late Thursday evening committee rep,
resenting the job printers and pressmen In
formed THE DISPATCH that Joseph Elch,
baum, President of the Employers Associa-
tion, had signed the scale. Mr.. Eichbaun1
emphatically denies that he has signed OF
will sign the scale. Secretary Holiday,
speaking for w. G. Johnston & Co.. an
other of the reported signers, also enters q
denial. AS to Armer & Suehr, the other
firm, he says they are not members of the
association, but have agreed to the new de-
mands Hence, the employing printers are
not ''giving in, " as not one of the 81 firms
have signifed their intention of signing the
scale, according to Secretary Holiday. In
this connection statement of their side OF
the question was yesterday furnished by
the Secretary as follows. The object of the
association, rs set forth in its preamble Is:
To improve the trade, ard cultivate a just
and friendly spirit among the craft. the en-
ploy1ng printers of the City Of Pittsburg
form themselves into an organizatoin, de-
signed to include the houses in practical
business, with the view of exchanging iDfor-
nation, of protecting and assisting each
other when necessary, and thereby agree to
be governed by the following constitution.
A further object, Mr.. Holiday states, is
to devise ways and means to prevent under
cutting by firms located in other cities,
notably Cleveland, Buffalo, Erie, Indian
apolis and Akron. In some of these places
no union exists, and in others the scale calls
for much lower wage than the present rate
in Pittsburg. Besides, they have the bene-
fit of cheaper rents and lower taxes. Drum
Tnn frOp H. r.
Plttsburg from $500, 900 to $500, 900 worth
of book and job work by undertaking the
home employers. Even with this
handicap Pittsburg firms say they
will pay the present scale, but in order to
do SO they will be forced to personally ap-
peal to our business men to patronize home
Industries and urge upon the officers of the In
ternational Typographical Union the justice
OF fixing scale for the competitive locali-
ties which will in q measure prevent the
low bidding and cut off the unjust discrimi-
nation. The organization is permanent,
and its officers say that after settlement
OF present troubles it will go to work on
the line outlined above, firmly believing it
will benefit employer and employe and
guarantee fair wage and fair profit.
The new scale presented by the book
printers calls for an increase of 20 per cent
in the price of composition and 10 per
cent increase by the cut in hours, time work
at the rate of 45 cents per hour. The press
men demand that So hours constitute
weeks work, and a pressroom foreman. A
resolution adopted by the local Typograph-
ical Union declares that if union pressmen
refuse to work forms from union offices
they would in turn refuse to work in offices
employing non-union pressmen.
The employing printers claim this is un-
just, and hold that the job men should be
the best judges of the rules for their own
government. They also declare that under
existing conditions and the narrow margin
of profit, it is utterly impossible for them
to increase the scale above the present
wage and hours. They also emphatically
say they will not sign the new scale on Oc-
tober 1, but will close down and await the
outcome