The Daily Texarkanian., 1898-01-04
As, TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 4, 1898
OUT ON A STRIKE.
Texarkana Printers Walk Out OF the
Three Newspaper Offices,

|
This morning the printers in the
three newspaper offices of this city,
went out on a strike" without
giving any notice to the publishers
of the three newspapers-the Call,
| Courier and TEXARKANIAN.
We will 90 back few months
and detail the inception of the
move, with causes, etc,
Last summer, If we mistake not,
a printers union was organized
here, Some Of them stated to us
that it would in no way attempt to
dictate to, or interfere with, the
proprietors of newspapers, in con-
ducting their business-that no
scale of wages" would be adopted.
In less than two months question of
adopting such a scale came up, and
one soon thereafter was adopted,
to take effect Oct, lst, 1897, and
continuing for six months. This
scale was $500 per week for day
work. tllOO per week for night
work, $1,000 Tor day foremen and
1850 for night foremen,
In order to get the proprietor Of
this paper to sign the agreement,
three of our printers, Messrs, H. E
Watson, Gus Bate and ed Hays
agreed to do all the work Of our of
dce, about the same work that four
men had been dolng-letting out
one man, This was their own prop.
osltIou, and, as the wages Of the
one man to be let out about even
ed up things, aud brought the wa
ges Of the three remaining up to
the scale, we signed the agreement,
with the distinct understanding
that both were to be alike binding
or void II not kept
AT the end Of three or four weeks
Ed Hays backed out OF agreement
made and quit, and Mesars, Watson
aud Bate we're, Of course absolyed
from IT, We were forced to employ
more labor, finally securing one
''two.thhder" who received two
thirds Of scale, the union allowing
this, Although we could have soon
er dropped the scale for non.per-
performance ol contract, we con.
tlnued to pay II until Jan, ist- or
now This h history as regards our
relation to the union,
A few evenings since the editors
OF the three papers were accident.
ally thrown together aud began to
compare notes, which showed that
the printing business had been dul.
Ter here, for past ak months than
over known before excepting Dee }
and that all had actually loat mon-
ey part Of the time So all thought
to ask the printers union to abolish
the scale for the present, after
Informing II Of this fact, aud fur
ther that prices for Job work had
been cut TO where there was little
profit In It, and the newspapers
we're actually receiving no more for
space than some weeklles IN this
section, Petition was given the un.
ion, reeltIng these facts, aud same
was rejected
Yesterday morning the three edls
tors pot together aud decided that
AZ union had seorucd their petition
they would hereafter run their own
business as they saw ht An agree.
ment was entered into TO join TO-.
gether aud pay printers about same
wages as before they raised their
own wages by adopting higher
'seale maximum rates 10 be for
day work 100 per weet, night tO 90
day loremen, anon, night torcmou
tlO.bO, payable at end of month,
and to 90 in effect Jan. 10th, next
Monday On receipt of this infof=
nation the union met about bB0 d,
n., aud decided to demand an
agreement from the newspaper
men 10 continue 30 pay the scale,
or else they would at once walk
OUT on q 'stdbe" We refused
ta,.a,,d ..d il.,t.t a,,s. .ult a.