Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-03
ON EVE OF STRUGGLE
Printers and Employers Ready
to Lock Horns.
WILL GIVE NO QUARTER
Typothetae Charges Union With Bad
Faith.
FAILED TO KEEP IT'S CONTRACT
Clause in Existing Agreement Ignored
Mo New Developments Today
Fight Begins Tomorrow.
FAILED TO KEEP IT'S CONTRACT

The friendly fight which is about to
begin in this city between the Typothetae
| OF Washington and the Columbia Typo
graphical Union on the question of the
eight-hour day has had no developments IS
since yesterday. Both sides await the
struggle which is to open tomorrow This
| is the last day when the union men will
work under the present conditions, unless
they decide to withdraw their demands.
There is no lack of confidence on either
side While employing and employed
printers are resting on their oars and are
not disposed to get into a controversy Of
words, they are, nevertheless, keeping their
arguments in mind and seeking quietly to
mold public opinion to their respective
ways of thinking. The chief contentious
Of the union men of the District of Column
oia We're set forth in detail in their state
ment published in The Star yesterday, and
these have been met on various occasions
by the statements in full from the Ty-
pothetae Of Washington
AS the eve or the struggle draws near the
employers are laying great stress, as they
nave aiways done. on the claim that the
Columbia Typographical Union has not
llved up to the contract signed with the
Iypothetae In January, 1904 in so far as
the arbitration clause contained there n
that at the st. Louis convention OF August
l904, the International Typographicai
Union. In voting for the eight-hour day.
announced that 1t should go into effect
January !, 1906, where existing contracts
did not prevent and that as there was
contract, signed here in January of the
same year. and therefore in existence at
that time between the parties In this city
IL should not have been ignored in any part
and least of all in regard to its arb.tra-
ton clause.
Claim Union Broke Faith.
On account of the existence of this con-
tract with Its arbitration clause, the local
employers say. the union broke faith when
1t terminated the contract on the order of
the International body, without submitting
the question to arbitration as provided
The arbitration clause of the local contract
Is as follows:
1T is further agreed That all differences
arising between the parties hereto that can
not be amicably settled by joint commit
tee representing said parties shall be sub
mitted to board of arbitration, composed
of six members, three of whom shall be
named by each of the parties hereto and
In he"event Of failure of majority of
such arbitrators to agree, the members
thereof so named shall choose a seventh
member and a decision of a majority of
the board of arbitration upon such diff
ferenceS shall be final and binding upon
both parties to the contention, and shall
be accepted by the parties hereto and the
Individual members of both such parties,
without hesitation or delay
AS the Typos View It.
AS for the union, 1t claims that the ar
btration clause does not apply in the case
of a national movement such as that for
the eight-hour day. but only In regard to
purely local differences of opinion. The
members of the Typothetae, however, look
on the subject in a different light. What
is the use Of having the contract they hold
If, at the order of the international Union
headquarters. 1t may be terminated with
out regard to the provisions for arbitration
which 1t contains? They claim there might
as well be no such clause in the contract
If 1t is not to be followed to the letter.
and that there might as well be no con-
tract at ALL as far as practical business
principles are concerned.
Two other provisions In the contract to
which reference has been made are Of in
terest at this time. One is:
mine hours shall constitute a days
work; Provided, That nothing herein con-
ta!ned shall operate against or invalidate
any agreement reached as to hours in ne
gotiations now or hereafter pending be-
tween the United Typothetae Of America
and the international Typographical
Union"
The other is the concluding clause Of the
contract:
.It is further agreed, That thirty days
notice shall be given, prior to January of
any year, by either party, TO effect change
in this agreement. Provided That In the
event of no notice being given by either
party hereto previous to said January in
any year, this agreement shall continue In
force and effect for the succeeding year
The thirty days notice provided for In
the last clause or the contract was given
here, but the Typothetae claim that 1t was
not given for the purpose of 'effecting
change in the contract, but to terminate
the contract without the arbitration pro-
vided for.
Government Contracts.
It has been rumored that the approaching
strike of the printers in this city has ef-
fected the giving of printing contracts to
local firms for the Panama canal commits
sion. Some of the union men have said
that the government work must necessarily
be done under an eight-hour rule. and that,
therefore, the commissions printing has
been withheld from certain firms employing
men fw nine hours a day. 1t was stated
at the offices Of the canal commission to-
day however, that this particular consider
alton has had very little to do with the sit
uation. The printing for the advisory board
is not done by local business houses, but
by the government printing Office. short
time ago Byron s. Adams did part Of this
work, and the business would probably
have been his at this time were 1t not for
the fact that the board officials believed 1t
best to withhold 1t until 1t could be ascer-
tained how much delay, If any, would be
caused by the coming strike.
The authorities were not willing to run
even the smallest risk, in spite Of the fact
that the employing printers, Mr. Adams in
cluded, assured all Of their customers that
business will go on the same as ever to-
morrow and every day after the beginning
of the strike.