The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-10-21
Merritt & Hector Join Union
Ranks Second Week of
Strike Opened With Score in
Favor Of Union -Typothetae
is Completely 0utwitted by
the Union.

"Tea Potters"> Still Giving
Out Bluff and Novel Inter
views to Newspapers. Claim
That Union Printers Have
0verstepped Bonds of Gen
tlemen Denied.
The printers strike for the eight-hour
workday is still on. One firm came into
the fold since last issue. Merritt &
Hector who are abused and ridiculed
by the Tea Potters, but who spent the
best years of their life in association
with the men now on strike saw the
futility Of opposing the union in it's de-
mand for the humane work day, and
signed the scale. They are now getting
splendid share Of the work that the
union is able to sway to the union shops.
The big bunch in the Tea Pot. who
are laboring under the hal!ucination
that the large business and industrial
still continue to oppose the just de-
mand for the eight hour day.
Everything during the week might be
forgiven II it was not for John
Christie's bluff interview in Wednesday
evenings Herald. He threatened to
drive some union printers out of town.
He claims that a black list will be in
troduced, and only a certain number
will ever be employed. Listen to this
bit of foolishness. John Christie of the
executive committee of the Typothetae,
says:
Encourages Cheap Labor.
"No more closed shops for me. For
instance have been paying $1S week
for men to distribute type, work which
should and could be done by boys or
girls to whom s. to $12 week would be
big money. There are other matters in
which the union held me helpless and
through which I was losing money. This
strike, while I am losing money at the
present time. will be money maker for
me in the long run and I will not stand
for closed shops any more"
"Some of the men have acted in the
smallest possible manner and have done
every dirty. trick they could conceive to
bother us and. make us angry. These
men are marked and after the strike sis
Z lll1I1,a e llallal
the
srear platform 81 some train, for they
can never work in a shop here again.
There are other members Of the union.
and a good many of them, I am glad to
say, who have conducted themselves
thus far as gentlemen, not overlooking
any fair advantage they found, but not
doing mean things. These men we will
be glad to have work for us again and
after the open shop will have become
an established fact, we will be glad to
give these men anything we have to do"
Threats Are Premature.
Don't you think, Mr.. Tea Potter, that
you are counting your chickens before
they are Matched. You are doing most
of the talking in this strike, and you are
saying some things that Ill becomes
gentlemen of your standing. OF course,
we thoroughly appreciate your embar-
RAISING predicament, and you are maxi
ing as good a fight as you know how.
But your cause is a lost one. Even If
by some unforeseen chance the Journey
men would lose this strike, you will
win nothing. The fight will be taken
up again at some future time until the
eight-hour day is a settled fact in the
printing industry.
Returning to Mr.. Christie's interview.
He says that he can secure boys and
men to distribute type work at from
$500 to $1,000. Mr.. Christie has been
too long in the business to believe this,
but his purpose Is to convey a false
impression with the public. With any
printer the distribution of type is .:
more importance than composition.
Cheap labor may have been used thus
far during the strike by Mr.. Christie
in Throwing in" his type, but he will
soon ascertain whether the labor was
cheap when compelled to use the type
again. If we are not mistaken it will
prove to be very expensive labor.
Those business men who claim to have
sympathies for the typothetae ought to
be proud of themselves when they
champion a cause that espouses cheap
labor. The cheap laborer is poor pur-
chaser. When he pays his grocer. but
cher and landlord, there is very little
left for the clothier, dry goods mer-
chant or shoe dealer. Can't you see
the point. Mr.. Merchant? Stand with
the union. It's cause is your cause.
Good wages and good elevating. humane
working conditions means increased
of the things that you have
to sell.
Relative to the statement that some
of the union printers are resorting to
dirty work." let it be said that the
fact is denied. We challenge proof of
the statement. We have been proud of
the conduct of the printers in this
strike. They af2 gentlemen, each and
every one Of them. Ehey are notA going
to lose their temper because Of malici-
Gus and false statements made on the
other side. They are not going q re-
sort to other than clean methods to
win this strike. One act has not been
committed that would prevent them
krom reaching across the chasm caused
by the strike. and greeting their oppon-
ents with the right hand Of fellowship.
Printers Noble Spirit.