Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-13
IN LABOR CIRCLES
60

The advent Of the International Brother
hood of Bookbinders. now in session In this
city. has created additional interest In iaoor
matters. The words OF President Gompers
OF the American Federation of Labor al
the opening session yesterday are yet ring
ing in the ears Of organized labor. He reit-
Grated In most forcibie manner the dec
laration that the wage workers of the land
propose to play leading part in the COM
ing battle of the ballots. and that they
would give singing rebukes to those sena-
tors and representatives who have den ed
or disregarded the requests of the toiiing
millions for what he considers Is just iegis-
lation.
There can be no mistaking the words of
President Gompers. the labor leaders de-
clare. He has sounded the tocsin and
sounded 1t boldly that in the next election
the forces of labor will be arrayed solldly
against their enemies. Speaking directly
to the men who bind books Mr.. Gompers
said yesterday:
Il remember when the bookbinders
worked from early morning to late at night,
but before 1 die I would like TO see in
scribed on their banners Eight hours for
labor. Bookbinding is one of the Oldest
trades in the world. There has always been
continuity of associated effort of the men
of the craft. 1t should bein the front
ranks of the advancing hosts of labor"
Mr.. Terrence v. Powderly. formerly at the
head of the Knights of Labor. followed Mr.
Gompers. He said women had helped to
uplift the labor movement and he was glad
therefore to see SO many of the fair sex
In the bookbinders' convention. He was
glad that the work of women was coming
to be recognized entitled to the same
consideration as that performed by the
) men.
IF a man has the right to go out and
practice at the bar at % o'clock said Mr..
Powderly, why have not women the same
right?"
Mr. Tn T dat,t nf no
Bookbnders' Local, No. f. Of this city.
said the bookbinders here not only repre-
sent the District of Columbia, but many of
the states from whence they come, as well.
He said the International boohbinders pro-
posed to place two ladies on their eXecu-
tive board, and prophesied that the step
would give the organization prestige every
where. He spoke of the many libraries In
Washington where high-class bookbinding
could be seen, especially the Library of
Congress. and that of the National Museum,
where there were vellum work and pigskia
bindings three hundred years old.
Robert Checking, president of the Inter-
national Brotherhood OF Bookbinders, who
is also labor commissioner of Canada de-
scribed President Samuel Gompers of the
A. F. L. as the ''old war horse and chief
tain of labor He said he was a native of
"the land of the lady of the snow, and
that he was proud of his membership in
trades organization that had torn down po-
ltical and geographical barriers which for
merly stood between members of the craft.
Word comes from Cumberland Md, con-
corning an interesting and rather remark
able young woman printer of that town.
1t says that by her own efforts she sue
ceeded in making strike of the Cumber-
land Typographical Union against a daily
newspaper Intellectual, being adamant ito
criticism and unmoved by appeal. She Is
Miss Mary Edith Kirby and her age is
twenty-six years Being self taught in the
art of linotype manipulation she is today
an expert operator and machinist as well.
She lays no claim to speed, but is plod-
der, ever at work, always achieving
the end sought. During the four
months Of the strike. she not only got out
every issue of the Evening Times alone.
but she kept the machines in repair. Miss
Kirby Is decidedly of mechanical turn of
mind although from her slender frame and
fine features. the casual observer might
think otherwise. Her genius seems to have
the late R. C. Paul, who assisted his father,
at Paterson, N. j., in the manufacture of
the first locomotive turned out there. 1t
ran ON wooden rails. Her father, William
7. Kirby, is a stationary engineer.
When the employees of the Evening Times
went out on strike January l Miss Kirby.
though a member of the Typographical
Union, refused to join. She declared that
the Times chapel had signed an agreement
to work on the eight and half hour basis till
February 1. She said she would strike then
if the eight-hour day was not granted, but
not before. All the employees of the paper
went out except herself. The expected en-
barrassment of the paper did not follow.
Miss Kirby kept right al the machine and
the paper was presented every day, practi-
cally on time. She set every line of the
eight-page paper Some days the issue was
twelve pages. She not only set news mat
ter, but advertisements as WELL as the pa