The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-11
UNION RULE or RUIN.
The Employing Printers Of Kansas City
State Their Case.
Prom ne Kan,as C,tv Hmes.


The TypothetB yesterday issued the follow.
ing statement OF the present strike as viewed
by IT,
although the present strike among the
printing and allied crafts In Kansas City has
now been on four weeks. the facts have never
properly been presented to the public. A state.
ment. therefore. OF the facts on the side OF
the employing printers may not seem i'm.
proper under present conditions. To begin
with. the matter OF wages has apparently been
one OF minor Importance to the strikers.
and has not been factor in the pres.
emit strike. This 10 manifest from the
fact that some time ago a committee from
Typographical Union No. 80 offered to have
it's scale Of wages reduced from Sl7 per
week to SIS per week II the proprietors
would unionize their establishments
ia. employ none but members Of the unlons.
It is also to be remembered that the GIN.
poying printers OF Kansas City have, in
accordance with the action Of the Syracuse
conference. reduced the hours per day from
nine and one-half to nine. and although
that conference did not so provide. they are
paying the same for nino hours as they were
paying for ten hours. labor before said syria.
cuse conference. The aim and object Of the
present strike Is to make the city absolutely
and strictly union and to have no open offices
tolerated therein BY open Offices are meant
those where both union and non union men are
employed.
The scale for composItors in Kansas City
has been SIT per week and 30 cents per 1000
ems. while for pressmen and feeders tho wages.
OF course. varied as the circum stances and
classes Of work in the different Offices seemed
to necesstate. yet. without complaint on the
part OF the men, The first intmation that tho
officers had OF dissatisfaction was the presen-
tation Of a proposed contract by q COMMITTEES
from the Press Feeders Union. who left II with
a request for the employers signature
thereto. in most instances within twenty
four hours. In some cases the time was
longer than this. and in other cases but few
hours were to he given the employer to con-
slider the matter. said contract contained
upon its face provision that none but union
members be employed. The officers refused
to sign the proposed agreement. and the union
feeders went out on a strike. and. on the noon
following the day on which the feeders were
called out. the compositors were ordered to
leave their positions. which they did. In few
days they were followed by most OF the press
mssWR ,u0 ,,,. s,r,,. ,.. =, ,o,r.o ,.o,
noyinR. II has not assumed n serious aspect
until within the last week Then the old tao
threatening character we're for few days done
away with Crowds that formerly loitared
drOunU eStuDHsnmpntS IN Or0er tnHt tney
left the different houses to go to their
homes, seemed to disappear entirely
the crowds omitted to congregate about the
offices employees. have been .waylaid al
Of them assaulted and brutaily beaten. En-
ployees have been assaulted almost at their own
doors and have been attacked when working.
after dark in close proximity to the Offices OF
their employers. The strikers are beginning
now now TO realize that the demand to nnonize
and that while they have caused their former
employers considerable EXPENSE and them
families. they have failed to, gain the point
they were after. and that it will soon be neces-
sary TO seek employment in order to support
1T is the same old story OF body OF appar-
entity sensible and wei; balanced men being
and acting under directions OF those who have
the least to lose in case OF failure OF the strike.
OF the country. until it would he a very easy
matter 10 supply for each place made vacant by
g striker many competent non.union men
non: union Torkmen. The employing printers
Ing for their rights without sign OF wavering.
They have been confronted with question that
try The questions are: Does a man own his
business, or not; Is he entitled to control and
manage his business himself. or must he Yield
its control and management TO some one else?
Can he employ non union men, or must he EN-
ploy union men? The courts say that business
Is property. II yes. does IL belong to the owner
and proprietor. or must its control and man
agement be turnedorer to,the EN- ployees or the
union to which they belong?
The force of this ought to be felt by every
employer, and especially when II is recollected
that another demand is that every foreman
shall be member Of a union. and that an en-
ploy.r must not have a foreman non union
man This practically turns over to the unions
the control of the shops. IL is to be devouty
hoped that wherever demands are made SINH
lar to those made in Kansas City the en- ploy-
erS will face the conditions like men and will
stamp out for once and forever in their re-
spective localities the idea that employees. o.
their unions, can dictate TO the employers
whom they may employ-a matter in which the
law guarantees freedom OF choice to the em-
poyer.
IF. p. Burnap Stationery Co..
Icchtman Printing Co.
Hudson Kim berly Publishing Co
Union Bank Note Co,
Burd 4 Fletcher Printing Co..
Gerard Printing Co..
Woody Printing Co.
Righy Binding Co,
Model Printing Co.
Flint Advertising Co..
j. " Mailman,
American Advertising Co..
Standard Printing Co,
Register Publishing Co.
Pantagraph Printing Co..
Berry Printing Co.,
Charles T.. Brown Printing Co.,
BerkowitZ 4 Co.,
Bramhall Printing Co..
Irwin l.. Bunker"