The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-10-14
TYPOThETAE AND THE OPEN
SHOP.

A0 NSAAA0AAN VI LuO AOSS1l DOoS ~ AN<-
ers for the open shop. or rather nom
union shop, because no union printer
Will be permitted to work in any but
a. thorough union shop, is furnishing
considerable amusement to those on the
outside who are familiar with the
methods, tactics and habits of the boss
printers organization.
Space will not permit in this edition
of the Labor World review Of the
past methods Of the local typothetae In
its policy Of robbing the public treas
pries by submitting high bids for pub
lie printing, or Of its exorbitant and
excessive charges to the small, or even
moderate customer for printing. There
is no doubt but that their organization
Is operating clearly In violation Of the
laws of Minnesota.
They have a schedule of pricae s for
the ordinary supply Of printing which
is extortive and unreasonable. In
larger amounts where bids are received
for work, figures are given by the Sec
rotary Of their organization, and five
per cent is tackled on to them to pay
the expenses Of their organization:
For firms like the Kelley-How-
Thomson company and others the
printing work is figured much cheaper
for two reasons. First, if the firm
could MOT get reasonable prices In Du-
luth it could afford to send to other
cities. Second, the prices are kept low
to discourage the firm from installing
it's own printing plant, just as is now
done by the MARSHALL Wells company.
It is the smaller customer who is
taxed the highest for his printing. TO
MIN no price is given for work less
than schedule fixed by a committee
of the typothetae, or an organization of
like nature behind which they do their
extorting work.
The local bosses claim they want the
open shop. Such inconsistency. What
is good for them ought to be good for
their journeymen printers. The firm
that starts in business in the city of
Duluth will have a sweet time getting
along without first consulting the boss
printers organization. Only a short
time ago they tried to induce O foreman
in certain printing office to buy out
his employer for their organization.
Their purpose was to reduce the num-
her Of printing offices in the city.
Once the county commissioners re-
jected the bids for the county printing
of the local printers, on the grounds
that the county was being robbed. Out
side firms were invited to bid on the
work by the commissioners. Oh, but
the Tea Pot' (Typothetae) got wor-
ried. They studied about for a time.
and then they found two prominent
members Of the typographical union
with some political influence, who
agreed to intercede for them. After
considerable coaxing the commission
ers were induced to recede from their
position, and the printing was let to the
local bosses, and the county was robbed
for another year.
We submit that the local bosses are
decidedly arbitrary and unjust in their
present position. They seem to have
no gratitude. They never hesitated
about using the union whenever it
served their purpose. They were ever
willing to have representatives Of the
Typographical union intercede for them
In the matter Of public printing, and
they had no scruples about intimating
for them If the work was not done by
union printers. But where the printers
were given only a small wage for the
work thus secured by such intindda-
tion1 the bosses divided the public plum
der among themselves
AAoH OPeu SlOp OemanQ Will bring
them nothing. When this strike Is set
tied those firms that are left will run
either union or non union shops. Union
labor will not stand for open shop hyp-
ocracy. The boss printers may strut
around with lengthy bluff interviews in
the daily papers but 1t will win them
be their supporters, but their friend
ship is doubtful. We are willing to
admit that many business men who are
opponents Of union labor are giving
hopes to the boss printers. but for one
business man friend Of the bosses, we
can produce ten business men friends
OF the union. They are tho hind ~