The St. Louis Republic., 1904-08-10
TYPOS CONVENTION DIVIDED
ON 'PRI0RITY' QUES TION
Printers Vote Accept Report of Committee Laws and Then
Reconsider Matter Back-nternationa TpOgrap
ical Union Day the Fair To-Day.

At the night session OF the Interna-
tional Typographical Union at Conven-
ton Hail. on the Worlds Fair grounds
last night. the convention decided to re-
consider the vote on the priority ques-
ton taken earlier i'll the day.
This action refers the matter again to
the Committee On Laws. which had
brought the question before the conven-
ton. This committee will give the ques-
ton further consideration and make an
other report on It before the adjournment
Of the convention.
Miss Lille Frederick. a member of the
Executive Board OF the United Garment
Workers Union. appeared before the con-
vention and made an appeal for funds to
aid the garment workers In their present
strike. She said that the Garment Work
ers' Union is without money.
The speech OF Frederick Driscou, repre-
sentative Of the American Publishers As
sociation, before the International Typo
graphical Union Convention yesterday led
to long discussion on 7he use of priority
lists in composing g-rooms, and resulted IN
a vote by which the convention declared
in favor OF retaining the section under
discussion.
This section provides that in onices
where the force has been reduced, and
ls raised TO its original number later. the
foreman shall give preference to men dis
charged at the time of the cut in force.
The opposition to this law contended that
ii forced foreman to keep on his pay
roll incompetent men. and tnat It did not
give to the employer the control of tho
composing room. which is necessary to
the satisfactory transaction Of business.
PRIORITY LISTS RETAINED.
The discussion thus precipitated grew
very warm, and delegates from all por-
tions Of the country took part in it, The
proposition to change the rule was de-
feated decistvely
To-day has been designated Interna-
Fair. and printers are expected to be very
much In evidence. The meeting will be
held in Festival Hal. and besides the
usual business speeches will be ns made ~
Folk and Cyrus P. Walbridge. candidates
for Governor. will speak, as will several
members of the union. Mrs. Leonora NJ.
Lake, a well-known temperance lecturer.
and President David R. Francis will also
address the delegates. Admission to the
Festival Hall is by card. and. il is be
lieved. the capacity of the building Will
The report OF the Committee on Creden-
tials was taken up by the convention
when II convened yesterday morning
Several clerical errors In credentials were
corrected ard one delegate was unseated
because his lodge was in arrears with Its
dues. The president then asked all dele
gates to rise while the pledge OF fealty to
the parent organization was taken
The report OF the Committee on LAWS
was then taken up. The commlttee mao
considered more then 100 amendments
which had been offered by various dele.
gates. The first two amendments offered
by the committee were accepted and the
third refused. 1t proposed to give to the
ern!ng Board Of the Printers Home and
in the American Federation OF Labor.
M. DrtscOll. the representative OF the
American Publishers Association, re-
He pointed out that twenty-three dis
putes between printers and publishers had
been settled by arbitration, and that in
twenty of these cases the printers had Sc
cured an advance Of wages.
PROTESTS AGAINST CONDITIONS.
He protested that certain conditions Inn
pressed the hope that such laws would be
changed He said that the urJustness OF
the priority list was plain to everyone,
as it compelled publisher to hire man nan
that 1t held incapable men on the pay
ssi. SAID T in 4 #:
During the past year there has been a wide
Of the open versus the closed shop The at;
taas Of soa On aaSns .ss ~ courts Is f n
variou. sections Of the country. the publishers
whom 1 have the honor to represent fully real,
arbitration contract. with the International
Typographical Union thereby bound moral
~. II no; legally. to the closed shop until May
i, 1907.
seriously affect the opinion of publishers
on this subject The first will mention Is the
manifest erdeavor OF local unions to exclude
all unskiled workmen from performing
skilled work in the composing room The pub
fishers strenuously object TO paying journey
man wages for that portion OF labor which re
auIres little or skill experience. The pod
tion has been taken by the highest authority
in your union that all labor in the composing
rooin must he performed by members OF the
union or union apprentices. long as the
present l. T. T. laws remain In force. Not
only Is .he number Of apprentices allowed by
the union unreasonabIy limited but the re-
Gently increasing requirements to teach the
trade TO these apprentices Will. II carried out.
prevent them from doing much Of this un-
skilled work, so that. II other unskilled labor
- hI,sta rxill h..