Evening star., 1895-06-13
The Trouble With the Bookbinders
in the Printing Office.
DEMAND MADE BY HHE UNION
Foreman Espey Gives His Side Of
the Case.
MIR. BENEDICT'S POSITION


out of the question of the amount of work
to be done in day, is causing some fric-
ton in the great printing house of the
government There were rumors for
awhile of a possible strike, but t3day's
events warrant the belief that 1t will not
be necessary to resort TO extreme meas
ures unless the disagreement should reach
more acute stage than at present.
Under The law anl the regulations of
the government printing Office, eight hours
labor constitute a days Work. 1t has been
the custom in the bookbindery department,
custom fixed by :he employees them
selves, to fix limit to the number OF
books to be bound in a day. This scale
has been acquiesced in by the several gov
ernment printers fo- the last thirty years.
AS far as could lie learned it has been
an arrangement made by the hookbinders
themselves for the better regulating OF
their order and the work of each man.
For some time past the bookbinders have
been at work upon Job of census re-
ports which, under the scale, should be
turned out at the rate of sixty day The
bookbiuders. however, have recently con-
cluded that the peculiar nature OF the
work made the completion of sixty books
too much of AL undertaking. and nave Ge-
manded that the number be redut eu ny
ten in order that time 5hould be allowed
for completing the head binding" which,
II is unde rStGod, is the operation that gives
rise to the claim that the work of
handling sixty looks d day Is an excessive
requirement.
Foreman Espcy's Statement.
The demand for a reduction was made to
the foreman of the bindery, Mr.. X. c. Es-
pey who refused to comply In explain
ing his action to Star reporter today Mr.
Espey said:
Il am not exactfng one thing from those
tl,At,. Ia "a
The trouble arose over a job of work now
- in hand. They are working on books
which, according to their own scale, liked
by themselves, should be finished at the
rate of sixty books a day. They have de-
manded that they should only do fifty OF
these upon the ground that there is extra
work connected with the Job
THE extra work is what they term
head banding the books. l do not con-
slider it extra work. and 1 think they can
do that amount without any trouble
Letter From the Binders.
The question was taken up at meeting
of the Bookbinders: Union held at Typo
graphical Hall last night, and, after being
thoroughly discussed, was passed upon by
a unanimous vote The decision reached at
last nights meeting is best explained IN
the following communication which was
handed to Foreman ESpey today:
WASHINGTON, June 13, 1895.
Mr. H. C. Espey, Foreman of BIndery:
Dear Sir: At a meeting of Local Uni on
No. 4, International Brotherhood of Book
binders, held June II at Typographical
Hall the following resolution was unani-
mousy agreed to:
That this union sustain the action Of the
arbitration committee and direct such COM
foreman of binding and notify them that
this is the ultimatum of this society; that
the task in dispute shall be fifty books in
eight hours. with half hour added for past
ing, and that the men such work be
SO notified.
Respec fully, W. b. HYDE, Prest.
VIM. Maloney Rec. Secy.
MY response to that letter was this"
said Mr.. Espey to Star reporter: Il told
them that 1 would not agree to make fifty
of those books a days work. l shall ex-
pect every man 10 work eight hours for
days labor, but l have not and L will not
demand that he shall finish sixty books in
that time or finish any specified number
/ shall expect him TO work faithfully while
he is at it, but will not require him to
make sixty books. That much work can
be DONE however, and has been done light
along They have finished one-half of the
Job already at this rate"
Unwilling to Talk.
Mr.. W. B. HYDE the president of the
Bookbinders' Union, was then seen by The
Star man, and he was asked to state to the
public his side of the controversy and an
explanation of the facts in the case from
the bookbinders' side.
Il have nothing at all to say upon the
subject" answered Mr.. Hyde. Application
to another officer of the union met with the
same response. Individual members of the
union when seen by The Star reporter also
declined to talk further than to say that
requirement of sixty books a day under
existing conditions is excessive and that
on account of the nature of the work a re-
duction of ten books should be made.
What MIR. Benedict Says.
Public Printer Benedict was then inter-
viewed. Il have not interfered In this
matter" he said 1T is question between
the men and their foreman. 1 do not re-
quire task of any workman. All that 1
ask is what the law requires-that a man
shall be paid by the hour and for the work
that he does. The bookbinders themselves
fixed the scale under which they are work
ing. and / have never interfered with it.
have known cases where the union has
fined its own members for making more
than the scale number of books in day.
1t seems odd to line a man for his skill and
industry, but that is what occurs here at
times
Mr. Benedict did not believe the book
binders would go to the extremity of strik-
ing. He said if they did he would have to
do the best he could to keep up the eff
flciency of the office. even If necessity
should require putting in machines to take
the place of hand labor. He said he did
not want to go to this extremity how
ever, and believed the present difficulty
would be adjusted
There thirty-onc men employed on
the work that has caused the trouble.
There are 6s4 members of the union, how
ever, who would be affected by Il strike if
one should occur
Conference With the Public Printer.
A letter similar to the one sent Foreman
Espey was also handed to Public Printer
Benedict. Mr.. Hyde, president of the
Union. also had 4 conference with the pub
lie printer his afternoon. Mr.. Benedict
has taken the letter and its representations
under advisement. and will probably send a.
reply at an early date. In the meantime
the bookbindars are at work.