Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-11
MAY MEAN A FIGHT.
INTERNATIONAL MACHINISTS PRO-
POSE A VITAL RESOLUTION.
IF ADOPTED TO-DAY, THEN WAR
INTERNATIONAL TYPOGRAPHICAL
UNION WILL BE IN 1T.
Prospective Conflict Is Over the Point
Whether Tenders of TypesettinE
Machines Shall BE Classed
ms Machinists or as
Printers.
If ADOPTED TO-DAY, THEN WAR

A conflict between the International Ty-
biographical Union and the International
Association of Machinists will undoubtedly
result If resolution, which a committee
of the Machinists' Association will intro
duce at to-days convention, is adopted.
The two labor organizations are at variance
over which shall have the prerogative of
debating to employing printers who use
the Mergenthaler linotype machines in their
offices the class of workmen who shall look
after the machines. When the Mengen-
thaler machine came into general use in
news and job rooms practical printers were
employed as operators, while machinist
was employed to look after the machines
and see to it that they We're kept in proper
condition and make all necessary repairs.
A machinist does from two to four hours
actual work in every work day of eight
hours. His wages run from so to S6o a
week.
In the larger offices in the East there are
several machinists employed, about one to
every six machines. Their pay was large
and their labor not arduous In New York
they decided to organize separate union
of their own and applied to the Federation
of Labor for a charter, under the name
of the Operating Engineers. They were
turned down. and complications arose, out
of which the machinists claim the Typo
graphical Union attempted TO profit. AT the
last meeting of the Typographical Union.
in Colorado Springs, resolution was adopt
ed that machine '.tenders"-another name
for a machinist-should be members of the
Typographical Union. 1t was argued that
while the machinists constructed the type
f1n me ral IA q
that they should be placed in charge of
them than It was that railroad locomotive
engineers should be members of the Ma
chinists' Union. The Typographical Union
will try to have the machine tenders taken
from members of its organization.
The delegates to the International Asso-
citation of Machinists contend that the
work of looking after the machines is in
no way connected with the art preserv-
ative of arts. and that a man, to properly
discharge the duties of such position.
should be a skilled mechanic. The print
ers meet this argument with the statement
that the most expert machinist in charge
of linotype machines in Chicago was for
merly u drug clerk, who never worried Il
day iE a machine shop. Inc machlnlsts
also say that the printers want the right
of controlling the machine tenders, Tor the
reason that the machines threw thousands
of printers out of employment ana they
want to get many of them back at
work again as possible.
1T has been my experience, sald a dele
gate to the convention yesterday. thit
where printers are placed in charge OF the
machines. the proprietor demands that he
shall set type while not working with
machine, and that, instead OF giving work
TO an extra man. II really takes away
place from Il machinist and does not bene-
fit the printers.
The resolution that it is proposed to in
troduce in the convention of machiniStS
to-day declares that only members OF the
Machinists' Union shall be eligible to tend
the linotype machines: that there shall be
has at least six machines: that for every
six machines in office there shall be one
machinist, and that where there are less
than six machines Il member of the Typo
graphical Union may be employed to tend
the machines and work as an operator.
viewed yesterday that the proposed reso-
luton would be adopted to-day.
The members of the local Typographical
Union say that in case the machinists try
10 force the issue, Il conflict between the
unions will result The printers. who. be-
undoubted leaders in organized labor strug-
giles, have not lost their assertiveness, al
though weakened in numbers. and declare
they can whip the machiniStS out OF their
boots in no time at all on the PROPOSE
tion.
1t is probable that to-day will end the
convention and that the majority of the
delegates will leave the city tonight. Offi-
GERS were elected yesterday: as follows
Presdent-James OConnell. Chicago.
Grand foreman and editor of the Journal
b. Douglass Wilson. Chicago.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES - George Preston,
Chicago.
general executive board-Harry Smith,