Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-02
,chanical trade in the District of Column
Eight-Hour Day.

hours less. OF the nearly 2.UoO members
of Columbia Typogra phical Union less than
$50 Will be involved in the fight for eight
hours. Strange as Il may seem, this COM
paratively small number Of men are asked
to work an hour a day longer than the rest
of our craftsmen, and at the same time De
satisfied with dollar day Jess wages. 1t
Is generally understood that the prevailing
rate of wages for printers in Washington Is
81 for eight hours.
This is true of the government printing
Office, and the rate of pay on the news
papers is fully much, but the men en-
ployed in the book and job branch OF our
business-the men affected by the coming
struggle for eight hours-receive but So for
nine hours. In some of the offices. owing
to the system employed, Il is difficult for
our members to average as much as $loo
day and almost impossible to make -. so
that, after spending four years learning MS
trade, the book and job printer In WASH
ington works longer hours, receives less pay
and suffers generally worse conditions than
any other craftsman in the District of CO.
lumbla the least wages prev ailing In any
other skilled trade being $3.50 for eight
hours.
Against the contention of the Typothetae
that they cannot afford to grant what
practically everybody else In this city now
enjoys. this being universally eight-hour
community, we have the evidence OF very
large percentage of the book and job en-
ployers that the demand for eight hours Is
a reasonable one and that the business
justifes granting 1t. OF the men working
IN DOCK ana JOB SHOPS, dOoul ~ pei 'Sit
are working in offices that have either been
on an eight-hour basis for years, or nave
recently adopted eight hours. Among the
offices that have established the eight-hour
day will be found some of the most inn
portant in the city, as can be seen from
the following list:
'Sudwarth Printing Company Law Re-
porter Company. Joseph l.. Pearson, Ma
tional Publishing Company, Trades Union
list, Army and Navy Register, SaXton Print
ing Company, Joseph D. Milan. Graphic
Arts Company. Terry Brothers. Norman T
Elliott. Thomas +. Moore. National Trib-
une, F. z. Ldppincott, Carpenter Press, Re
view Publishing Company, Schneider &
Shaw, De Neane Brothers, John +. Dunn,
Lippman Printing Company. W. J. Brewer,
l.. NJ. Thayer. knights of Labor Printing
Company, Interstate Printing and Engrav-
ing Company. Bernhard Schwartz, r. H.
Yates and Oliveri Press.
Strain of the Work
There are a few men who operate type
setting machines in the book and job offices
who receive 81 a day and who have been
working on an eight-hour basis since the
machines were installed several years ago,
the strain of this work making the shorter
day absolutely necessary to the preserva-
tion of health. but those Typothetae firms
using machines have given notice that on
and after January they will not only re-
fuse to give the eight-hour day TO those
employees who now work nine hours, but
Will increase the number of hours to nine
Tor those who now work only eight. The
following is a full list of those who have
declared that they will refuse to grant the
eight-hour day:
Byron S. Adams, R. Beresford, Crane
Company, Clarence f. Davis, Gibson Broth
ers, George E Howard Globe Printing
Company, Judd & Detweiier, Manhattan
Printing Company, McGiH & Wallace, w.
r. Roberts, III. l. Rothrock. ]. F. Sherry. s.
F. Tomlinson, G. S. Whitmore and wilkins
Printing Company.
Notwithstanding the members of the
Typothetae contend they cannot afford TO
give their men eight hours at 50 a day
we are confronted with the anomaly of
their offering much higher sums if the
men VIII only desert the union and sign
nlne-hour contracts. In some cases the
men are given blank contracts to be filled
out, and are assured that they can fill in
any number of years at a price several
dollars in excess of the 50 day as a con-
sideration of their desertion of the union,
and acting as strike-breakers
One prOmin~nt Typothetae employer even
goes so far as TO suggest that If the men |
do not want to do anything at home of |
which they might be ashamed, he would
send them TO any city they should name |
and see that they are placed In good po-
slttOns. The claim of the Typothetae that
they desire to inaugurate the open shop
as the only means of guaranteeing indi-
vidual liberty Is met by the statement
that there is no such thing as open shop
family, government corporation, religion
or court If we say that the government
departments are open shops just try to
get a position in one of them, no matter
how capable you may be, and you will
soon find that you must be q member of
The Civil Service Union, or you don't wolA
IN those open shops If you think that
the courts are open shops just try 10 |
practice before them. no matter how able
an exponent of Blackstone you may be-
and you W soon find that unless you have
the proper credentials from the recognized
university or a member of the bar asso-
citation. you are barred
Open Shop Question.
III you think that the churches are open
shops, Just try to become member of
some one of the denominations without
subscribing to the tenets of the faith, no
matter how good you may be. and you
will soon discover that you mistaken.
And 50 it goes through the list-the open
shop being nothing more nor less than a
condition which makes for the most chaotic
state Of affairs society could be cursed
with
The book and job printer in this city
stands alone in this-that he is the only
man whose condition has not improved III
the past generation.
The present rate of 50 day was es
tabllshed about thirty years ago. and. ex-
cept in instances where merit and skill alb
solutely demanded more, the rate has re-
manned unchanged. Therefore, taking Into
consideration the great advance In the cost
OF living expenses. the condition of the book
and job printer is much worse today than
I. was thirty years ago. We are IN receipt
o. assurances from people in all walks OF
life in the District of Columbia that they
are with us heart and soul in this move In
the direction of advanced civilization, as
well as the upbuilding of beautiful
city, because the shorter workday Will give
TO the maximum number of men. employ
ment which will enable them TO support
their families IN a self-respectfng manner
and maintain that dignity of MANHOOD in
tended by the Divine Master Our 1900
members constitute important element
in the commercial life of the capital. They
expend with our merchants and property
owners upward of $4,000 month; they
are among the heaviest patrons OF savings
banks and building associations in the city;
they aid through taxation more largely
than any other one element in the sup
port OF the public school system, the eX-
tension of public improvements. and the
maintenance of law and order; they patron
ize the press-the product of their hands
and brains-and are liberal to magnantmity
in contributing 10 the church. to institu-
lions devoted to moral uplift, and to cha
ity of every kind and character; they pre-
vide amply for the decent burial of their
dead and render all proper and necessary
aid and comfort to their sick and dts
tressed. Our object Is to secure one more