The San Francisco call., 1898-04-05
Employers and Men Both
 Appear Determined to Resist.
The Large Job Offices More IncOnVenienced Than
 the Small.
A Speedy Settlement of Difficulties Hoped For by All
 Parties.

The strike of the book and job printers for a nine-hour workday was marked by orderlineSS and quiet throughout yester- day. Police officers were stationed in front of each of the offices where there had been a strike declared. but their ser vices were not needed. Members of the strike committee were also stationed in front of the buildings to watch all who go in or out. The headquarters in the Hal- leck block have been filled with men all day, but everybody was orderly and quiet. A great part of the afternoon was taken up in initiating new members. Some of these were apprentices who had volunta- rily walked out with the men, while oth- CTS were men who had come to this city to take the places of the strikers. but thought better of 1t afterward and cast their lot with the union men.
 Many of the larger offices decided to shut down for day or two to watch the outcome of the movement, while others have small forces of non-union men work ing. Good pressmen. either in or out of union circles, are hard to find, and the absence of these cripple the proprietors as much as anything else. The proprie- tors claim that they had more appllca- tions for work than they could possibly fill, and were turning men away all day, but few of them have more than one-hfth the usual force at work They rushed things all last week. working night and day to finish what was on hand as 1t is almost impossible to find men familiar with the routine of work of the estabnsh- of the strikers The shops will practical ly remain closed until the strike is decid- ed one way or the other.
 The union is carrying on an aggressive fight by the old time-honored l. T. U. method of visiting merchants and re- questing them to carry their patronage to the offices which have signed the new scale. and have been very successful in their efforts.
 we think this is the best plan" said enough union offices in this city now to do all the local work, if they were pushed to anything like their full capacity. and place orders. This afternoon the adver- Using manager of one of the largest de- partment stores in the city telephoned fair offices, stating that he was about to issue his spring catalogue and wanted to be sure 1t would go to a good union office Other similar requests have come in from outside sources and we regard them as encouraging. I do not believe the strike although many of the small shops. or .one-man offices may hold out for an all most indefinite length of time. l think from the reports received to-day that many of the big concerns have already weakened, and that the morning will see many of our men at work.
 The proprietorS take a very different view of matters. They one and all laud the management of the union for the gen. tlemanly way in which matters have been carried on so far, but they think the de- mands of the union unjust, as they say 1t would throw them into unfair competi tion with the East, owing to the high freight charged on paper: Many of them suggest that compromise might be ef fected. and all are willing to employ union men if they will go back at the old scale. They report applicants for work from the outside plentiful.
 A great many "rats'' appeared at head quarters yesterday and applied for money with which to leave town, but all were bribes. as it is confident of winning with
 The strike committee and "chapel dad- dies'' will be at the rooms all day to-day and men have been told off to the various districts to see that quiet is maintained. No groups are allowed to collect anywhere outside the union rooms, where the union Is responsible for their actions.