The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1900-06-07

deserves neither the sympathy nor sup
port of the business public. IL would
be far better for FL Paso business mer
to support one or two good newspaper,
in a manner that would enable the prin
ter to obtain good wages, than TO sup
port half a dozen concerns that draw
the same amount Of advertising patron
age and produce publications that are
not In keeping with the advancement
and enterprise of the city.
Each newspaper established must have
hobby or issue as an excuse for its ex'
istence. And each hobby or issue must
have supporters among the business
men. Too many issues divide the COM
munity and injure business interests.
II is a far better plan to have two good
newspapers that will work in harmony
for the best interests OF the city, than to
have half dozen which must cut wages
to exist, and which are constantly rib
bing up issues" to divide the business
men, and secure patronage.
There is a feature of unionism which
should not escape the organizers of the
printers. The object of unionism is not
only to raise the wage scale but to ele-
vate the standard of proficiency among
printers and protect the proprietors of
offices against the incompetent vandals
who pose as competitors of the union
shops.
1t does no good to rush pell nell into
strike and crush the printing Office
operator. 1t should be taken into con-
sideration that the proprietor is in a rut
that may be hard for him to get out of,
and he must be educated to value skilled
labor while he, in turn, is educating the
merchant to value advertising at its
worth. Give union cards to proficient
printers only, and give the proprietor an
opportunity to utilize one apprentice in
every department requiring skilled la
Dor. In majority of places the young
compositor, job man and pressman is re-
quired to labor from three to five years
as an apprentice before being admitted
to full union benefits His education is
such that when his apprenticeship is
served, he is fully entitled to the wages
demanded by the union. The indiscrim-
mate admittance of unskilled labor to
the union should be guarded against.
II the proprietor is "A sensible man, he
will say to his employees when they re-
quest an increase in wages: realize
that you are worth the wages you ask,
and am willing to pay it. If my adver-
tisers will stand raise to justify your
demands" Then the situation becomes
easy to adjust and profitable for the pro-
pretor, the printer and the merchant.
Organize local federation of labor and
get the assistance of the railway men,
stone masons, brick layers, carpenters,
and every other union. Induce the
members to patrOnze none but union
newspapers and job printing offices, and
only merchants who advertise in news
papers carrying the Typographical union
label
To succeed, the merchant must have
the patronage of the laboring men. He
will pay for the custom if he can get it,,
and he will make up the deficit in the
bank account of the printing Office
caused by increased pay rolls. There is
no necessity for bOycotts. Natural
trade conditions will have the desired
results when labor organizes.
If the printing Office proprietor be-
comes bullheaded and does "not propose
to let a union run his business" " (the old
gag, he will come to his milk when his
source OF revenue is chopped off and he
finds that large percentage of loss is
shown through the employment of in
competent labor.
At the present rates charged for ad-
vertising by Ell Paso newspapers, it is
no wonder that they cannot afford good
wages, or that they welcome large "skin
game" advertisements 'just to save com
position and fill up space"