Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-07
Union Has a Surprise for the
Typothetae.
lot FIGHT PROMISED
EIGHT-HoUR Law FOR GOVERN.
MENT WORK.
Printers Claim Printing Of Official
Documents Cannot Be Done in
Long Day Shops.

An important factor was today brought
into the great eight-hour contest between
the 5ourneymen printers and the proprietors
Of private printing establishments who are
opposed to the shorter workday.
The factor in question Is considerable
amount Of government printing that Is now
being executed by private establishments,
some of which. 1t is said, have declared
against the eight-hour workday. Some of
the public printing referred to is that for
the United States Supreme Court, the
Court of Claims. the isthmian canal COM
mission, the Spanish claims commission and
much Of the stationery and money-order
blanks and registered letter work for the
Post Office Department
1t is contended by members of the Typo
graphical Union that this government work
cannot be printed in offices that declare
against the eight-hour day, unless the spirit
and letter of the eight-hour law Is violated
thereby.
printing mentioned is now being executed
in offices that have declared against the
shorter work day. labor leader said to
Star reporter this afternoon that this
work properly belongs to the government
printing Office. and the attention of Con-
sress will be called to the matter. He also
said he understood that 1t was given out
by the several departments without COM
pellliOH, "HSTSdS 1t SuOulO, II given OUT at
all, be let In open market to the lowest
bidder
The statement was also made, In connec-
ton with this matter, that one result of
Germs was to reduce the yearly aggregate
of the expenses Of the government printing
office
A Many Sided Contest.
Unusual conditions have arisen In connec-
ton with the printers eight-hour move
ment which is now being actively agitated
by typothetae and typographical unions
here and elsewhere. Charges and counter
charges are being made, and in some in
stances the contest has assumed q TRAN
gular aspect, the parties on the three sides
being the journeymen printers the typothe-
tae offices that have declared against the
eight-houf day and those that have con-
scented to give their employees an eight
hour workday.
Company, which concern has signed an
eight-hour contract with the union, claim
ing to be the first local printing office to
do SO. said to a Star reporter today that
there are thirty-seven printeries In WASH
ington that use the union label. He figures
out that approximately thirteen of these
have either signed eight-hour contracts or
intimated their purpose to do so.
Journeymen printers claim that fifteen
label shops have already signed eight-hour
contracts with Columbia Typographical
Union. not including two offices that are al
ready giving their employees the eight-hour
day. They also claim that Pearson's office,
9th and D streets was the pioneer shop In
Washington in granting the lesser work day.
1t was also said by union printers today
that the proposition is being considered of
establishing In Washington a cooperative
printery, similar to that established by the
union at Niagara Falls, N. Y, should such
a step become necessary In their opinion
Arranging Their Forces.
The typothetae offices here as well in
other cities, are said to be paying per
cent of their pay rolls into the employing
printers funds with which to fight the
eight hour movement. The allegation is
made that certain of the typothetae offices
here have entered into combination to
have certain of their concerns grant the
eight-hour day, but still retain member
ship In the typothetae for the purpose OF
controlling the label and other trade which
is affected by trades union influences. ana
keep it within typothetae circles. Also that
part Of their program is to take work at
figures less than those estimated by union
shops
1t is also stated in printing circles that
the National Typothetae, in its titanic
struggle has arranged to Issue 'typothetae
working cards to non-union printers VINO
may join forces as strike-breakers with the
employing printers association.
These Typothetae cards will, it is said,
give the holder preference in any printing
office under the control of the National
Typothetae In all parts of the country over
journeymen who are not possessed of such
cards.
The statement Is also made that certain
typothetae offices are Offering higher
salaries to union printers to continue in
their service and work nine hours a day
than 1t would cost them to carry out the
eight-hour work day proposition.
Mr. Charles F. Sudwarth of the Sudwarth
Printing Company states that he believes
~ tf,,,I has hnap ,V,fn rn6 iy1tn ai,aot
him by certain typothetae offices because of
his repeated declination to become a party
to the fight against the eight-hour day.
take work at loss when they come into
competition with an eight-hour Office and
pro-rate the loss among themselves.