The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-01-16
HOW PROPOSED CHANGE IN LAW
WOULD WORK.
DRIVE AT COUNTRY PRINTER
Jealous Labor Advocate Who Does
Not Understand Matter He
Is Agitating.

A member of the state federation
OF labor unions is at Helena adyocat-
ing the passage of certain measures
by the legislature beneficial to labor
throughout the state. Speaking ON
matters along that line to a reporter
Tor a Helena newspaper the repre-
sentative of labor refers among other
things 40 the matter Of certain pub
lie printing done outside of the state:
There is now upon the statute
books a law requiring county com
missioners to have all printing done
within the state, but it appears to
be defective, inasmuch as a large
proportion of such work is sent to
other states, to the detriment of Mon
lana printing houses. An effort will
be made to so amend the law as to
render it effective"
The defective law complained of is
the making of black books outside of
the state. With the exception of one
or two printing establishments in the
state none of the printing offices are
equipped to manufacture the large
blank books in use by the counties
and cities of the state. These are as
a rule supplied by the large book
mQn11fo afl1p0irn 00r0n~r~ 80 xl~ ~--A
or by one or more houses engaged in
that line and located on the Pacific
coast. The orders are placed invari-
ably by local printers with a dis
count to the county or municipality
making the purchase of from Is to
SO per cent from the prices allowed
by the present law.
The scheme outlined by the repre-
sentative of the state labor union at
Helena, and quoted in this article, is
simply a proposition to enact class
legislation. 1t is a direct slap at ev-
cry printing house in the smaller
towns of the state for the benefit of
one Or two concerns in Montana oper-
ating partially equipped blank book
establishments. If enacted into law
making the purchase of Montana man
ufactured blank books obligatory it
would simply deprive the country
printer of the small profit he now de-
rives as the middleman and raise the
price to the cities and counties of the
state on every blank book purchased.
Instead of helping a score or more
proposed would simply establish a
trust for one or two large corporate
concerns in the state.
Newspaper publishers in the main
throughout the state hear a great deal
about the patroniZing of home indus
tries and the upholding of organized
labor. With but few exceptions
printing establishments in Montana
are identified with the International
Typographical union and observe
strictly the regulations of that we'll
governed organization. 1t can be said
without fear of successful contradic-
ton hat no class of business men
in the state are more handicapped by
competition coming from outside of
the state than is the average printing
house. This is especially the Ease
in the smaller cities and towns in
Montana. Thousands Of dollars are
sent to eastern establishments annual
ly for stationery, which in most in
stances could be produced at home,
and the people who do the largest
amount of Kicking whenever a
printer deals out a little of the same
kind of medicine are those who sell
dom visit a local publishing house un-
less it be for the purpose of secur-
ing a little free advertising.
If the legislature of the state
adopts a law along the lines indicated
by the member of a labor union at
Helena then why not include a pro-
vision making it a penalty for anyone
engaged in business in the state to
buy any kind of printers supplies out
side the state? The one proposition
would be just as consistent as the
other.