The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-09
Fifty-Fifth Session of the international
Typographical Union-opened Today
at St. Joseph, Mo-, With
Large Attendance.
PROGRESS OF THE YEAR
'mmsn.. Sum o,.M and Expended
During the Few Years BY
Il TIE nization Of the
~ ype Settlers.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, Aug. e.-The
fifty- fifth convention of the Interna-
tional Typographical Union convened
today in the Coliseum, st. Joseph's
big convention hall Addresses of
welcome were made by Mayor Clayton
President Burnham, of the local typo
graphical union, and others, and a
response by President Lynch of the
International Typographical Union,
after which the convention began
consideration Of large volume of
business ultimately adjourning until
Tuesday morning to hear the report of
the credentials committee on contest
ed seats.
The reports of President Lynch
and Secretary-Treasurer Hays shows
great progress made by the union dur
ing the last year.
The International Typographical
Union is fifty-seven years old. and with
the present gathering has held fifty
five conventions during its lifetime In
1896 and 1898 biennial conventions
were held The International Typo
graphical Union claims to be the old
est national or international organiza-
tion of skilled labor in the world It's
sessions here this week are attended
by three hundred delegates and eight
hundred visitors.
Matters of Importance that are to
come before the convention are prop
ositions for the establishment of an
insurance feature, and certain
changes proposed in the pension pol
icy that was made effective by the
union one year agotssThe relations be-
tween the union and the American
Newspaper Publishers Association
will also be up for consideration.
The International Typographical
Union has many features that are
uhidde withssfabdf determinations, and
which stamp this union as one of the
most progressive in the labor field.
The pension policy, for instance, is
distinctive with the International
Typographical Union. Under the
pension law, members who have reach
ed the age of 60 years and are unable
to secure sustaining employment at
the trade are paid s4 per week. The
payment of pensions has heretofore
been considered the function of the
government, but in this instance the
union evidently believes that its vet
Grams should be taken care of indie
pendent of state or nation The pay
ment of pensions began with the first
of last August, and up to May 81,
when the unions fiscal yenr closed,
S67,5SO had been paid pensioners,
while the administration of the fund
had cost only $4,000.
The union also conducts a Home at
Colorado Springs, and contributed dur
ing its fiscal year TO this institution
SS6,51S.31 The actual expense of con-
ducting the Union Printers Home was
72,59S.94, and there was balance
in the Home fund of $32,33763 The
receipts and expenditures of the
Home from its inception to May 81,
1909 were ss67, ,So1.29 and $685. 5,463.66.
The Home property at Colorado
Springs is valued at 100000.
The union pays a burial benefit of
s75.
During the fiscal year there were
500 deaths, and the benefits paid
amounted to S3S,175.
For advertising its union label the
union paid out s7,817.4S.
The expenditures of the Internation-
al Typographical Union during its
fiscal year were $161, ,544.45.
From the year 1891 to 1909 the
union received s6,1sS,045.75, and ex-
pended s5,95o,S9S.9O, this sum in
cluding the expense of conducting the
Union Printers Home
The union has membership of Al
174.
The union also conducts techni-
cal school at Chicago for the benefit
of its members and apprentices who
desire to perfect themselves I'll their
trade.
The sessions of the convention will
II. 4.