The times., 1899-05-10
FOR ORGANIZED LABOR.
Messrs. DOnnelly and Duncan Before
the Industrial Commission.

the Industrial COmmiss1On
Samuel B. Donnelly, President of the
International Typographical Union, and
| James Duncan, of Baltimore, general
Secretary Treasurer of the Granite Cut
ters' Union and Second Vice Presi-
dent of the Federation of Labor,
gave testimony before the Industrial
Commission yesterday. Representative
Often, of Wisconsin, member of the
Commission, was in attendance yesterday
| for the first time since the adjournment of
Congress.
Mr.. Donnelly was the first witness. He
| said that the membership of the typo
GRAPHICAL union was at present $4,000. This
did not include pressmen and bookbinders,
who. since 1885, have formed independent
! international unions. Strikes, he said,
among the printers are becoming very
rare. He said the agreement of the Inter-
national Typographical Union with the
| National Employers Association in favor
of nine-hour day in the book and job
| trade had been violated by twenty-five
members of the latter organization, who
continued TO work their men ten hours.
In speaking of the Mergenthaler type
setting machine, Mr. Donnelly said that
by the introduction of these machines many
compositors had been misplaced, but the
effect had been to SO increase the quantity
as many printers would be employed as
on the day the machine was introduced.
There are four thousand machines in use
today.
He said he does not favor the incorpora-
ton of labor unions under the present
conditions. He was afraid that injunction
might be used to tie up the funds of
labor organizations in case they were in
corporated. The printers of the country,
he said, are unanimously in favor of the
Government ownership of telegraph lines.
He believed this step was necessary to Sc
cure the continuation OF the system of open
competition and prevent combinations and
combines in news gathering and distribu
tion.
In regard to needfuI legislation Mr. Dom
nelly recommended the passage of the
eight hour bill and restriction of immi-
grafton. He believed that it was the duty
of the Government TO encourage and foster
trade and labor organization. In his opin-
ion all industrial problems will be solved
through the medium of organization.
MIR. Duncan took the stand during the
afternoon session. He gave a brief his
tory of the granite cutters organization
which dates from 1877, although local un-
/ ions were in existence as early 1920.
! The union has total membership of over
/ u 900 and embraces between 80 and 80 per
/ cent of all the granite cutters in the
! United States. All the business of this
| organization is transacted through the
referendum, only one convention having
! been held since the organization of the
union. There is death benefit of Sl25
and 81 day guaranteed TO striking men,
bers.
! A brief history of the lockout which
occurred in New England in 1892, and
which was the only labor difficulty of
magnitude ever had by this craft, was
given by Mr.. Duncan. The granite cut
tiers were entirely successful in resisting
the demands of their employers which
meant practically the anihilation of their
| organization.
The padrone system of avoiding the pay
ment of the authorized scale of wages
was the greatest curse the granite cutters
| have to contend with according TO Mr.
! Duncan. The workings of this system
are most pernicious. An agency will be
established for instance in New York
( and a collection of unprincipled and in
ferior workmen made. Negotiations are
| then made with contractors on terms
whereby the contractor is to pay his work
| men the authorized scale of wages the
| workmen returning TO the agent certain
| proportion OF this money. who in turn re-
| mits again 10 the contractor after deduct
ing his commission. This system is most
difficult TO check. The restriction of immi-
grafton. however, would do much to
remedy this evil, as it is mostly what
are known as black Italians, who work
under this padrone system.
Granite cutters find employment on an
average OF about nine months a year and
their average wage is SO day.