The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-10-20
BIC INTERESTS WORK
AGAINST PUBLIC PLANT
Government Printing Office Is
Opposed by Predatory In
terests in, Land.
High Dues is. Saviour of Condi-
tion of Americas Leading
Trade Unions.

4AA6A OuC0 10 0uV4Ou1 VI OOuu1-
tion of Americas S Leading
Trade Unions.
The private interests that during the
last session of Congress endeavored to
have the government abolish it's great
printing plant in Washington have not
lost heart at their failure. The work
Of undermining the sentiment favor
able to the government doing it's own
printing goes merrily on. In fact the
fight to get control Of the government
printing has become SO intense that
the employees are being dragged into
the affair. Some sixty printers recent
ly refused to pay their dues into the
Washington Typographical Union No
reason was given by the delinquents
They were expelled. It is now said that
the men who refused to pay their dues
had been induced to do so as the result
of the intriguing of those who want
government printing contracts.
During the past thirty-five years
there has been the same annual effort
to capture the government printing
by private concerns. Many attempts
also have been made to make the gov
ernment printing office nonunion.
when Fred Douglas son was rejected
as a member of Columbia Typo
graphical union the cry was raised
that the union men should be driven
! out of the office. Senator Anthony,
who owned the Providence Journal. a
nonunion paper. was chairman of the
printing committee for many years.
| 1oto I'M to <7,,i1,
the unions out of the printing plant
But Senator Conger Of Michigan and
Senator Dan Vorhees fought Senator
Anthony's plans and succeeded in saw
ing the office to the unions.
New Plot is Hatched.
! It Is now being charged by leading
union printers that the private inter-
ests seeking the printing contracts
have devised a novel plan for gaining
thearseads dsas.. q ,aasEsds that tsunion
men of all trades are being urged to
quit paying dues so that they will
be expelled. AS President Roosevelt
declared for the "open shop in the
government printing office and en-
forced 1t in the case of Bookbinder
Miller, those who are expelled from
the union will still retain their jobs
But this will not always be the case,
those who are engineering the game
contend. 1t is expected that sooner or
! later the unions will make demands
upon the government, which if refused
may end in a strike. If this can be
brought about during a session of
! congress senator and representatives
are expected to become so disgruntled
hot will ;oI,
printing office There are 1,50O men,
bers Of the international Typographical
Union employed in the plant They
know what is being done and are GER
tain to keep out Of the trap prepared
for them
England Is the only big country that
farms out it's printing. The office of
"royar' printer was established 400
years ago, and was considered as graft
even in those days. The cost is much
greater in proportion to population
than that paid by the United States
for printing.
The organized strikebreakers of the
country have a grievance The bosses
who find jobs for them in time Of
strikes have decided that while at
work as strikebreakers they must wear
a uniform to distinguish them from
union pickets and their sympathizers.
The idea is not looked upon favorably.
The padrone who gets them the jobs
believe that If they were in uniform
the police could distinguish them in a
mob anod would avoid doing them in
jury in case of riot The strike-
| breakers on the other hand believe
that uniforms would make them so
much more easily recognized.
United Hstters.
| The United Hatters Of America is
one Of the most remarkable organiza-
t1ons in the country. Its officers state
that it's success dates from the time
it adoped high dues. Every member
pays three per cent of his earnings into
the union treasury. Two per cent
goes to the international union, while
one per cent is used for local expenses.
| There are 5000 members out Of $4,000
engaged in the business in North
America The straw hat makers are
not organized to any extent, although
there are 10000 in the United States.
At a conference recently held in Balti-
more 1t was agreed that the STRAW
hatters," as they are called, will be
|
hat makers.
Every member Of the union makes
at least SO per day.. They are employed
by the piece, but the union rules re-
quire that the. rate shall be high
enough to permit halter to make
ateleast SO per day. Some can earn
as high as 81 and SO per day. During
the last twenty-one years270, ,00O,0 900
union labels have been used. Last year
union hatters made nearly 10000, 600
hats. Daniel P. Kelly, general organ
izer Of the hatters. is now in the city
in the interest of the label. He is
an ideal organizer. as he knows how
to keep his temper and possesses more
than the usual tact necessary in such
an Official. He will visit all the unions
and address them. During the past
fsix years he has been travelling
i Ithrough the country. and has been