Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-28

men at s24. This demand for increase
caused trouble. and as a result the Journey
men of the government printing office went
on strike After a short struggle the
journeymen were victorious and returned
to work.
In February of the following year an in
vitation was rendered the Columbia Typo
graphical Society to become affiliated with
the National Typographical Union, which
was accepted. Application for charter
was made. and the necessary changes in
the constitution of the Columbia typo
graphical Society were made to suit the re-
quirements of the national body. At
meeting of the society in the following
May Columbia Typographical Society was
merged into the Columbia Typographical
Union No. 1O1. In February, 1859 the
Union had increa sed to SO.
AT a meeting of the National Union in
Albany. n. Y, in 1869, it was decided to
extend the organization throughout the
North American continent and the name
of the international TypograI hical Union
was adopted
In April. 1875. a strike occurred in one of
the local newspaper offices, which has
since gone out of existence, which resulted
rather disastrously for the Journeymen
The establishment refused to pay the union
scale in any way recognize its authority,
and in consequence outsiders were brought
in to fill the places of the strikers. The
month after the newspaper strike COM
munication was received by the union,
signed by fourteen employing printers, ask
ing for a reduction of the scale of prices TO
enable the employers to meet competition
from other cities. The reduction asked for
was from s24 TO $40 per week. eight hours
per day. After elaboration of two months
a committee which had the matter in hand
refused to accede to the employers de-
mands. Eventually the terms asked for
by the employers became general In many
Offices.
Another disaster came upon the union in
February. 1877. when $500 per day became
the wage scale. All the combined forces OF
the pressmen, printers and bookblnders
were eXerted to defeat the amendment to
the urgent deficiency bill which caused the
reduction, but without avail. For about
two years following this time the union had
hard time.
In April, 1878 the international body OF
printers was invited to meet in annual con-
vention in 1879 in this city, which invita-
ton was accepted. No convention of the
International Typographical Union has been
held in this city since. but 1t Is the pur-
pose of the local union to have the "l3Et
convention of the printers come 10 this
city.
At the June meeting, 1879, an amendment
to the bylaws, the passage of which is re-
sponsible for the present Typographical
Temple was inserted, which set forth that
$50 per month should be put away .'foI
the purpose of purchasing ground on which
to build a suitable hall for the use of the
union, and for such purposes as majority
of the union may deem proper and eXpel-
lent This was adoptGS in the following
September.
April 10, 1894. resolutions were adopted
nstructing the delegates to the Louisville
convention of the International body TO In
tIoduce resolutions in the latter body 1aEor-
ing the removal of the International head
quarters to this city. This was done, but
the resolutions were laid on the table.
The organization, which in 1914 had but
a very small membership. is now composed
of iytI CHI rplS
man and other officials, and has an enroll
ment of over 1000 members. The lnterna-
tional Typographical Union has the names
of 5000 men on its roles.
The present officials of the union, which
were elected about a month ago, are
President, Mr.. Joe NJ. Johnson; vice presi-
dent, Mr.. Edgar B. Merritt; secretary, Mr.
William NJ. Garrett, who has been re-elect-
ed each election for a number of years;
treasurer Mr.. John r. Berg; sergeant-at-
arms. Mr.. Frank Bates; doorkeeper, Mr.
n. c. Stoops; trustees. Messrs. j. II
Bright chairman; Charles w. Otis, W. L.
Gutelius, Joe NJ Johnson and William NJ
Garrett.
President Johnson was born at Salem
Tenn, October p, 1851. He started his
printing career on the Fayetteville, Tenn.
Observer in 1870 and was a member of the
Typographical Union at Austin, Texas, IT
1SS2- He was a charter member of Fort
Worth Union and served twice as its pres
ident and was vice president of Galveston
worked in Topeka, Kansas; Chicago, Ill.
st. Paul and Minneapolis. Mimi. In the
year 1890 he went to Spokane. Wash, and
was elected president of the Spokane Unior
in that year. He was afterward secretary
Of that organization for two terms anc
served one year as chairman of the execu'
tive committee of the same union. Later
he went to Portland. Oregon, and Olympia
Wash, going from the latter place to Cal
ifornia, where he published a country
weekly. Yn 1899 he was appointed a com
positor in the government printing office
In this city. where he is now employed. He
has been chairman Of the grievance com
mittee Of the local union one year and also
a trustee one term. He was elected presi
dent of the union at the annual election II
May last.
Secretary Garrett Is a young man, and
is most efficient secretary. He was born
In Tamaqua, Pa. He first stood at the
case in Pottsville, Pa, in which city he