People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-10-04
TYPE-SETTING MACHINES.
President Prescott on Their Effect on
the typographical Union.

TIPE-SETTING MACHINES.
President Prescott on Their Effect on
the typographical Union.
CHICAGO, Oct. l.-0ne. week from
Monday next the forty-second annual
invention of the international Typo
graphical union will open at Louis
vile, Ky. 1t will be the largest con-
vention in the history of this noted
trade organization, delegates having
been elected from every district in
the United States and the Canadas
The deliberations of the congress,
moreover, will be of unprecedented
Importance from the fact that the eff
feet of the rapid adoption of type
setting machines and other matters
of vital interest to the fraternity will
be considered at length and acted
upon. An advance proof of the an
nual report of President w. B. Pr s.
colt of Indianapolis, and which will
be presented on the opening day of
the convention, reached this city to-
day. 1t deals at length with score
OF questions affecting the fraternity
and incidentally of interest to the
world of trade unionism at large.
Touching upon machines and
their effect, President Prescott
will say: "Coincident with, and
perhaps in measure attributable to,
the depression through which the
world has been passing, machines
were introduced in large numbers
throughout the country. Based on
the most reliable information obtain
able, it is conservative statement to
say that these devices-of which there
are about ,45O in operation, accord
ing to the various manufacturers
have deprived $500 of our members of
employment. True to the history and
ethics OF trade unionism we have not
antagonized their introduction, but
have with some reluctance, it NAV be,
readily formulated scales ard entered
into agreements suitable to the
changed conditions. Many new uues-
lions have and will arise to harass and
aggravate us, and in dealing with
them it will benefit US and the future
OF the craft to be deliberate, accent
ing the inevitable and securing the
very best terms possible. 1t would be
a foolish invasion of irrefutable facts
to deny or close our eyes to the inev-
liable truth that machines for a time
are placing us at decided disadvan-
tage in dealing with employers.
This, too, can only be minifed
by the application of the basic
principle of unionism-hearty acoui-
escence in the majority's will. 1t has
been advocated in some quarters that
the international union secure con-
troll OF patents of existing machines
or offer inducements for the invention
OF new ones, renting them to pub
fishers and others. This may be dis
missed as chimerical. The manu-
tacturers of one of the most success
full machines on the market expended
about 81, 100000 before any financial
return was Forthcoming, and 1t is
thought this concern is even now pre-
venting, to it, disastrous competition
only on account of its immense capi-
tai and consequent ability to take ad-
vantage of legal technicalities, or de-
te1d its supposed rights under our
pateht laws. Owing to the actual in
SEntitNogenius of the age, the life of
aspEE9mSaeehliRe u.s. problematical and it
would take an accumulation of capt.
tai far BE- dnd our ipSwtfs to under
faheiahe ghdhnfaetsrA sT one and
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