Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-01
HNanAHrns tualLANr.
John o. puober, tho A nti-Trust Millionaii
Ahsisrs Locked Out Men.

Ansists Lacked Ont Men.
The IS Philadelphia watch case en-
gravers, who we're locked out, are jubi-
liant over letter received by George
e. Nicholson, president of the Watch
Case Engrafers Association OF America,
from John g. Dueber of Canton, o.,
president of the largest watch case
factory in the world.
The letter was as follows: 81 am in
receipt of your favor Of 3D., and in reply
would say the fight you are waging is
the same | fought with the watch Trust
for over IL Years.
~ want my COMPETITORS, when I give
a dollar for labor or gold, to do the
same thing, but I cannot compete
against firms whose employees work ON
the minute system and like those IN
the combination against you, who put
20 pennyweights of lead in so called
solid gold 40 rennyweight case. They
wanted to drive us out of the business
with low prices, but failed. This sense
less oppression of employees, cutting uf
prices and debasing Of the goods has
got to stop some time, aud we would
like to have 1t terminate at once.
1--WE are glad that you have taken
the stand you have, and this company
will assist you In every possible way.
Ii you have any engravers who are in
| need of work let us know their names,
! and we will do our best to keep them
employed. II they need us to assist
them in getting here, please let us
know.
1.-The same argument now advanced
| by the trust was used against us In the
| fight ~ years ago, when we won single
handed and alone. Then our enemies
said: We will lust Dueber up in 30
days They felt quite sure of it,
because with one stroke OF the pen, tho
combination took away all our GUS
toners. Had we not been supplied
with sufficient money to send our trav-
elers to the retail trade, this factory
would have been closed. lSigned)
| John g. Dueber, President. -
| At request 20 of the local engravers
will leave today for Canton, o. If
necessary, a second instalment of men
will go to the Buckeye State in few
days. The Dueber factory, the largest
in the world, employees 5000 hands, in
Guiding l25 engrasers. Arrangements
have been made since the lockout by
Mr.. Dueber whereby so or 100 more
engravers may be put to work.
The minute system, by way of ex-
| PLANTATION. provides that case must
be engraved every 80 minutes. The
men are employed on the basis OF 600
minutes to the day. Whenever more
than 80 minutes are taken by an en-
grayer to finish q case it means that it
is taken off his time. Poor workman
ship is the natural result as the only
object is to get as many cases COM
pleted in given time as possible. 1t
is also worse than what is designated
as the sweating system" about which
SO much is heard. There are very few
engravers who can accomplish the de-
mands Of the minute system and as o
consequence they suffer in losing much
time that IS really employed most dill
gently.
The watch case manufacturers held a
meeting in New York and combined to
combat the union movement of the
Independent Watch Case EngIavers of
America. Mr.. Dueber was requested to
join the manufacturers combination to
break the backbone of the engravers'
association. but unfortunately for them
he declined.
"Mr. Dueber says to ali engraveis
we will not join. We need no pro-
lection. We will not assist to enslave
them. We will furnish work for all
good men who need work. and assist
you in any way possible.
| As Mr.. Dueber has recognized the
union in his factory, the Canton branch
at their meeting Sunday, instructed
their secretary to write MI. Dueber
thanking him for his stand in their
behalf. Had he joined them, pressed
cases would have been put on the mar
ket by every factory in the country as
substitutes for engraved ones. But
since Mr.. Dueber has refused to join
the combine he will be aEle to supply
the market with fine hand-eneraved
watch cases which the other shops
must finally come to II they desire to
hold their trade. The locked-out On
grayers have now the support of all the
engravers in the United States morally
and financially, as well as the American
Federation of Labor and the recog-
milton OF Mr.. Dueber.