The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-15
Efficiency Of Workmen
The President Of the Inter
national Typographical
Union Criticizes EN-
ployers Methods

The volume containing the reports
of the officers of the International
Typographical Union for the fiscal
year ending with May, of 1911, is in
circulation. In his report President
James M. Lynch has considerable to
say as to the efficiency of jOurneymen
printers, and also as to the alleged
lack of instruction that is given APP
prenticeS at the printers trade. we
quote the following from the report:
AT the convention of the American
Newspaper Publishers Association,
the question of the efficiency of our
members and others was brought to
the front, Retiring President Ridder
having much to say ON the subject.
Naturally, Mr.. Ridder was sure that
the employees and their organizations
are responsible for the major portion
of the tncompetency said to be so
rife.
This question is important and or
growing importance. ior what Mr..
Ridder and other employers denounc-
ed so vehemently as incompetence is
in a large part the logical outgToWth
of specialization. and unfortunately
the employers remedy is usually more
specialization.
The typographical union is not re-
sponsible for this breeder of incom-
petents. The air is still vibrant with
the echoes of denunciations heaped
on US because we were opposed to
modern methods-that is, specializa-
ton. It is too much for even the
queer. critics of uniOnists to repro
bate Jsefdf attempting to destroy the
tree and then denounce us because II
hears fruit. If employers, for good
reasons, or no reason, insist on nutur-
ing the tree of specialization. they
can not take unto themselves credit
for for IL tss sp sss ssSna sme US
This question is of vital concern to
the compositor, of great moment to
the future CT our organization and OF
some interest to society at large. SO
let us face the issue. There are IN.
competents among the members of
the union. AS 1 have told employers
time and aSain, the union did not
make them. These men were foisted
on the trade by employers. The I'M
ion is organized not for the purpose
OF making compositOrs, but for the
purpose of advancing the interests of
compcsitors already introduced to the
trade. 1t has TO make the best of
provided for it by employers.
Should Keep Promises
If an employer wants to benefit by
the employment of boy labor, and Sc
cures the services of youths on repre-
sensations that they are going to
learn a trade, then some way should
be found f6 make him keep his
prornfsdzto th 81 best. Of stability, even
though it interferes with some prec-
ious specialization scheme. Address
ing the publishers association ex-
empcraneously, after Mr.. Riders
speech. l said the boys turned out of
some offices were a disgrace to the
Office and scandal to the industry.
That employers should continually
cry aloud for competent workmen, all
the while neglecting to produce them,
is probably the most insignificant
phase of this subject. Perhaps thar
is the humorous side, for the making
of incompetents and the Incompetent
himself has tragic manifestations.
Do employers who sin in this con-
nection ever give a thought to the
wrong they impose against society
when they fail in doing their duty to-