The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-26
HOW 4 ONION WORKS ITS WILL
As So OWN IN THE STRIKE AT
WJLFF'S DOOK BfSDERY.
'Pu. tins screws on an Employers Gus
TONERS - Patroiiing and Pfcketing for
Over q Year Question Of jewish
Labor Involved - Injunction Hearing.

Labor Involved Injunction Hesrihs'
A emporary injunction restraining the
officers OF the Book Cover Stampers' n
Gold Layers Union, Local Union No. ~.
International Brotherhood Bookbinders,
from interfering by intimidation, coercion
or force with the business OF Harris Woin,
bookbinder. at the cJrner OF Leonard
and Centre streets, AS bcen granted by
Justice Miles Beach n the Supreme Court.
wilder A Anderso,. are counsel for Mr..
Wolf, and II the allegations made in the
complaint on which the temporary restrain
inR order are facts they expose as ugly
an attempt to ruin a mans business under
the cloak OF unionism as has come TO light
in many q day.
Harris Wolff. the plaintiff. in his depo-
sition, says that In his bookbinding estab-
Isbment, one OF the largest in the city oil
New York. he never. up to Jan. l, 1900.
.mployed help who were not members OF
,be Book Cover Stampers' and Gold Layers
Union. On or about the first Of last year
he discharged from his employ his foreman
bookstsmper, william Germanhouser. be-
cause he was incompetent. insubordinate
and Incorporate.
He tIECNl W III oCi o Bta,V
Without regard to union Affiliations. He
engaged a man named Brady, giving him
no a week, which was IS a week more than
Germanhouser got.
Charles +. Weimar, President of the
stampers' Union, was dissatisfied with the
employment Of Bredy because he was not
q member OF the union and notified Mr..
Wolf that IL Brady were o Immediately
discharged tha union would interfere with
his business and call out on strike the entire
stamping department.
Mr.. Wolf says that he refused the de-
mand to Discharge Brady, made simply
because the new foreman was a non-union
man. ThS reupon all the stampers struck.
Mr., Voc. was then waited on by President
weinIr and other union men, who told him
the. the union had declared a strike.
fhey also told him that they had made
arrangements with the International
motherhood Of Bookbinders. which has
branches throughout h United States
and Canada, whereby the entire force OF
the Brotherhood would be enlisted against
him and his customers. Threats were
made to send circulars throughout the
bok trade that would injure Mr.. Wolh'
business, TO circulate handbills OF a derog-
atcfy nature and to form committees whose
business II should be TO call weekly upon
the patrons Of Mr.. VOLTS customers TO
try to induce them 10 discontinue patroniz-
ing any concern having business relations
with Mr.. Wolf.
And according to the sworn Statement
made by Mr.. wolf these threats have been
more than MADE good. he says that from
that time, a little more than a year ago.
up to the present he has been the victim
Of q malicious persecution. He says hat
the officers Of the union have picketed
and pstrolled his place Of business and
endeavored, by threats, ~entreaties and
byfbes, TO induce his employees to leave
hm.
They have followed his trucks in their
round Of delivering goods In order to asoer-
tain the names and locations OF his custom.
es and have then tried by threats n
their trade from Mr.. Wolff. Often, IL Is
alleged, his employees have been attacked
and beaten, and In many instances they
have been terrorized into throwing up
their jobs. Affdavits OF men who say
they have been brutally assaulted are
submitted.
In the month Of October last, II is as
serted, the union began to send out circu-
lare TO the book trade, and every month
since that date at least 5000 OF them have
been distributed largely by means Of the
mails. Direct attacks upon Mr., Wol1
would have been inconsequential compared
with the method the union followed, which
was the one Of putting the screws on
his customers to compel them, for the sake
Of self preservation, to withdraw their trade
from him.
BY means Of this conspiracy Mr.. Wolf
says that the union has compelled many
regular customers to withdraw part OF
their trade and refuse to send their books
TO him to be bound. These circulars,
which have been vent out to the trade at a
October, alleged that Mr.. Wolff asked his
superintendent to reduce the wages OF
employees and made the following remark:
Il will squeeze these workingmen. like
silemon and when they are dry / will throw
them away and get others.
Mr.. Wolff denies these statements under
oath. That wages were reduced is not
stated. No other real grievance against Mr..
Wolff was raised than that he hired nom
union men 10 work for him.
No Question Of wages or hours OF labor
was involved. Mr., Wolf believed that he
had a right 10 hire q man whether he be-
longed 20 a union or not. On this question
Of an employers right to choose his work
men the light has been waged.
The circulars warned the trade not TO
patronize Mr.. Wolff customers Wnom tne
union had not been able TO ALLEVIATE. They
were called cheap publishers.
The damaging effect on Mr.. VOLTS bust
mess by this method OF putting the screws
on 10 shown by letters 10 the ~bookbinder
from his customers. On Jan. Is OF this
year the c. NJ. Clark Publishing Company
OF Boston wrote Mr., Wolf:
We will have TO cancel order for the last
10000 copies Of -Blennerhassett. and will
not be able 10 have you do any more work
Tor us until you can in some way put a stop
20 the circulars that are being sent out by
the binders union, advertising our CON-
pany as cheap publishers.
Jefery N. Ruston, manager OF the +. NJ.
Lupton Publishing Company. since Feb. l
the Federal Book Company. in a sworn
statement made on Feb. S says:
That the contract between the said r.,
NJ Lupton company and Mr.. Wolf expired
on or about Jan l, 1902. and that. while de-
ponent.. personally. IL not In any wise in
fuenced against Mr.. Wolf by tho said cir
culars. at tho same time the effect on the
business Of deponent's company Is such
that they have notified Mr.. Wolf. that I'M
less the placsrdins Of Opponents company
In the circulars referred 20 above shall
eease. and the issuance and circulation OF
eaid circular be suppressed, they will be
compelled TO and shall discontinue dealing
With Mr.. Viola. for the reason that they can
not afford to have II stated broadcast among
the y VI Iuntonfa 0opanany auafamRTa