The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-10
EX-CHIEF OF TYPOS
PRAISES union
D, r. sTREETER, EDITOR OF EN-
MONS COUNTY RECORD, FOR
MER PRESIDENT OF INTERNA-
TIoNAL TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION
PRAISES WORK.

b. r Streeter, of Linton, N. D., edit
or of The Emmons County Record, was
president of the international Typo
gra phical union in 1877. He has seen
the organization grow from a strug-
Cling existence to it's present mighty
Mace as the largest and most lnfiu-
initial labor organization in the world.
In a recent issue of his paper, The
Record, he writes most feelingly upon
the recent Minneapolis convention and
of the past history of the movement
and his official connection with the
organization in its infancy.
Following is what Mr., Streeter says:
There was recently in session at
Minneapolis the grahdest organtza-
ton OF workingmen that exists in
this country--the international Typo
graphical union, There were 1000
delegates and visitors in attendance.
Their doings in session were tele-
graphed TO the metropolitan press all
over the country, and the authorities
and other people Of the mill city We'd
with one another in welcoming and
entertaining their guests.
Slow Growth.
But 1t was not always SO with the
union printers governing body. There
were many years when its progress,
though steady, was slow. In its for
native period many members Of the
local unions looked with misgiving up
on the idea of surrendering to q gem
eral body certain powers then possess
ed by each local society.
1t required long period OF care
full and conservative action to remove
these doubts from the minds OF the
local memberships But the progress
of unionism has been constant with
the printers, and today there is scarce
w a metropolitan newspaper or job
printing Office that amounts to much
whose printer workmen are not under
the jurisdiction Of the !. T. U.
First Organization.
This organization is the oldest of
the trade union general governing
bodies in America. In 1850 a number
Of public-spirited members OF several
isolated printers societies met and
discussed the formation of national
union; but it was not until 1852 that
the plan was consummated. In 1871
-as near as the writer can remember
the Canadian printers Independent
societies asked for admission to the
then national union. The request was
granted. The name was changed from
aNationar to international" Typo
graphical union, and soon thereafter
the first session on Canadian soil was
held at Montreal
In Streeter's Day.
The writer has personal knowledge
of the conditions existing In trade
union circles in "the middle age" of
the movement, having been president
of the /. T. u. in 1877. To show the
great progress that has been made In
the world movement for the better
ment OF the economic condition Of the
common people We will give few,
comparisons between the International
union that met at Louisville In 1877
and the powerful body that recently
convened in Minneapolis for weeks
session. At the Louisville session
there were about fifty delegates pres
ent, and of visiting printers from
abroad less than half-dozen. The
president was chosen from st. Louis,
the vice president from Baltimore, the
| secretary treasurer from Boston, and
the corresponding secretary from To-
ronto. One can see what infinite trou-
BILE and worry were in store for the
| T. T. u. officers, separated by such
distances, when required to, counsel
together regarding matters Of vital
interest to the craft The president
in 1877 received a few hundred dollars
as a salary and the secretary -treasur-
err the same. All OF the officers fol-
lowed their trade, and their work as
officers was side issue Now. good
salaries are paid to men whom the
volume Of union business permits to
do nothing else. Then, the president
Of the I. 4. II. carried his Office 'in
his hat" In other words, he had no
fixed abiding place and was free to
come and go from city to city as he
pleased Now, Indianapolis is and has
been for years the headquarters Of
the union. There the officers reside,
and the work requires the assistance
| OF a force OF clerks.
CANARlEs
| For sale, the very best. Ben Hart