The labor world., 1903-11-07

New York, Nov. 5.-A. J. Boulton, a
prominent member of New York Stere-
otypers' union No. 1, was asked several
questions relating to organized labor
! recently to which he gave clear and
convincing replies. Two of the ques-
! tions and the answers thereto follow:
l. What is the attitude of the union
on the use of labor saving machinery?"
! "Our union has always favored ma
! chinery. We have never tried to OBJ
! struct it's use in any way. I think the
| trade union movement is to Intelligent
to have any other feeling than that
opposition to the employment of inn
proved machinery would be an injury
to the union. The unions which oppose
it sooner or later realize that they
have made mistake
Some unions have successfully
fought off improved machinery. In
the glass trust the company and the
employees entered into contracts. They
agreed to use certain machinery and
made contract as to the output. The
| glass trust wanted the plate glass
| workers to shut down in May instead
of June to limit the output. The work
ers agreed to this, fearing that the en-
ployers might Introduce new machin-
| cry If they didn't. The advantage to
! the glass trust of limiting production
would be so great that they would be
willing to let the new machinery go.
OF course the men would not be will
ing to accede to the glass trusts
wishes unless the glass trust would
give them something in return. The
wages average about $3.50 a day
Il think that the general effect of
the trades union movement in this
country has been an incentive to the
production of improved machinery.
High wages always offer an incentive
| to the introduction Of improved ma
chlnery. In Il part Of the country
where wages are low an employer
would not have this incentive. But
where he sees lot of men. working
and making 81 day he thinks, if 1
make machine that can take the
place of some of those men it will be
wanted. If they are getting only 81
a day it is not worth bothcring about.
The autoplate machine, for instance,
costs $20,000 SO unless it displaced a
! number of high priced men it would
not pay. The higher the wages the
greater the incentive for improved ma
| chinery. The high priced men are al
ways more intelligent and better able
to use high priced machinery.
"Shorter hours, too, have been an
| advantage to the employer. In shorter
hours a man is able to keep his mind
| alert. The longer he works the greater
the danger Of accidents. A man be-
comes stupid and careless and lacks
energy after long hours of work.
:, Something that the trades .sunion
| has learned is that improved n1achin:-
cry does hot displace the number of
| men that at first glance it appears to
do. can remember when fifteen years
ago the molding machine was intro
duced into the stereotyping business
| 1t is used on newspapers and magazines
! for taking an impression from type
The machine does in half minute
! that it would take a man three min
| utes to do. It cheapened the getting
out Of plates, SO that the publishers
| used more plates. The same thing is
| treu of the %utoplate machine. If they
! now made only the same number of
| plates as before it's introduction fewer
men would be employed, but as a fact
! they make more plates. I find very
| little hostility even outside of our un-
| ion to improved machinery. partly
from the idea that it would be foolish
to oppose it and also from the idea that
to cheaper production is going to in
| crease production.'
! What about the common statement
| that the unions fix a maximum scale
of wages?"
Il do not know OF any trades union
| that imposes maximum scale. T do
not think any trades union would be
SO foolish. The members do not feel
that every one ought to be placed on
| the same level. They feel their indi-
vidua1 worth as much as if they were
not members of union. If we had
such maximum the best men would
want to stay out. Our object is always
to get the best men into the union.
Sometimes we find good men who op-
pose the union, but when we do we
try to secure them, as they strengthen
| the union. But the man who is not
| competent we want to leave outside
He is no menace to us on the outside,
and If inside he does not give satisfac-
tlon. If the employer pays every one
the same scale it is his own fault The
union merely fixes the minimum scale,
and we are glad to have him pay more.
| "One-third of the men in our union
| were receiving premium wages during
the past year because business was
| brisk, but there never has been time
! when considerable number of them
! were not receiving premium wages.
| There were always some experts who
received more. Map work is difficult
work, and some men are much more
apt at it than other. If firm has a.
good deal of map worw it is anxious
to get the very best men. To secure
them it must offer premium wages.
The scale is never raised unless the
business warrants it. It is always done
through discussion and agreement We
meet the employers and talk over the
1matter with them. Our scale in book
and job offices was raised from 81 to
| $3.50 last fall. The employers had in
| creased the selling price of the plates.
! and we fhon1ht No mara +r,or =.