The herald., 1895-12-15
JOTTINOS


EDITOR HERALD:-In your issue of yesterday
appears communication from the officers of
the Printer Protective fraternity. denying
certain statements published by the Typo
/ graphical union concerning the Los Angeles
Morning Journal. 1t is claimed by these gen
tlemen that the statements are false and mis-
leading in every particular. AS the officers of
the Fraternity have received their informa-
ton from the proprietor of the Journal solely,
they doubtless believe their definition OF the
cause of the unions dissatisfaction is correct
one. In order to acquaint them, as well as tn Q
public, with the truth of the matter, l re-
spectfully submit the following:
Upon learning that q new morning paper
was to be started, the executive committee of
the typographical union waited upon Mr..
Wilson. the proprietor, ana asked him to
unionize his office. pay the scale of wages and
recognize the condition of labor in vogue in
otoer union offices in this city. We merely
desired that the new paper should be com
petitor upon equal terms as to wages, hours of
labor. ETC.. with the established papers IN the
local field Otherwi the success OF the new
enterprise would be a menace to the en-
ployees who are now receiving good wages on
the established papers.
The union did not ask Mr.. Wilson to dis
charge any OF his "old and tried employees to
make room for union men. All VIC asked was
tHut Luos suouiu tHo saluo phy
the same rights as our members, and were
willing to take all competent workmen into
the union on these conditions. Nothing
could be further from the truth than the
statement that the union offered to do work
for lower rate than is being paid the Journal
employees II present The rate for which the
Typographical union offered to do the work is
the same as is being paid in other union offices,
and is about IA per cent higher than Mr.. VIII
son claims to pay his employees, and 33la per
cent higher than they themselves admit they
are receiving.
Finally, allow me to affirm, upon the pro-
prietor's own admission N our conference
with him, that the Journal is a non uni on
, office because it's employees are working for
such wages AID under SUCH conditions which
members OF the Typographical union could
not accept with respect to themselves and in
justice to fair employers. MT.Wilson admitted
that he respects union men, ad mires their prin
ciples and wouli employ them in preference to
others but for the fact that he Is running his
paper for revenue, and is not influenced by
sentiment, but is governed by pecuniary con
siderations solely. Hence We deemed 1t expo.
dent 10 notify all friends OF labor and lovers
OF justice of these facts that they might gov
ern themselves accordingly.
As a further proof of the claim that the
unions opposition to the Morning Jou rnal is
solely because 1t is low-wage competitor with
honest labor and fair employers, and not be-
cause our members ia led to get the positions
OF non union men at lower wages, as is claimed
by the officers of the Printers Protective Fra
ternity l would cite tho fact hat so long as
tn. Journal was q class paper, with no union
paper for competitor, we did not oppose it or
demonstrate with its employees fnr working
for less than our scale. Respectfully yours,
J. b. LIvENGooD,
Chairman Executive Committee Los Angeles
Typographical Union.