The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-03
CHAPTER XII.

ing brief but modest mention of unique
feature inaugurated by the State Journal
red and blue, with black; one page every
day in the week and two pages maybe on
Saturday. There was big interest in to-
day s noon edition containing the 1ea~
ture- To the best of the writer s knowl-
edge, no newspaper in America has ever
before attempted the printing OF page
of comics in colOrs every day, although
on Saturday evening. and on Sunday, pa
pers are often printed in colors- The
State Journal has been printing two pages
in black, blue and red every Saturday re-
Gently, and it is believed to be the only
daily paper in Kansas printing more than
black pages any day; except one IN the
state, however, is printing two comic
pa ses on Sunday in red, in addition to
the black. but with no other color aside
from red-l
4 see you are endorsing the Typo
graphical Unicn.'' said Party of the
First Part. today.
Party Of the Second Part: Yes. that
was what Chapter XI of these alleg-
ed "Reminiscences Of a Newspaper
Man in Topeka" appears to have done"
Party of the First Part: We'll, can
agree with you. My idea about all OF
these unions is, that they are arbi-
trary and tyrannical- They run things
with a high hand in the newspaper
composing rooms of this country. An
owner of a newspaper has no more
control over his composing rooms than
a rabbit"
Party of the Second Part; IT don't
think you have the correct idea about
the Topeka Typographical Union"
Party of the First Part: Yes, I
think 1 have II your son wanted
place in the composing room of your
own office, you couldn't give him
place without he was a member of
the Typographical Union and without
the consent OF the foreman
Party of the Second Part: II have
mt any SON
Party of the First Part: Wei. your
nephew, then
Party OF the Second Part: He's
only six years old and he couldn't
work in the composing room whether
he was eligible to membership in
union or not or whether or not the
foreman consented to his being en-
gagged
Party of the First Part: We'll, you
know what I mean. l mean that you
couldn't put a relative Of yours in your
composing room if you wanted to-
Party of the Second Part: I do not
see what figure that cuts In the firse
place 1 wouldn't want anybody to work
in my composing room, whether he was
a relative of mine or not, unless ne
was a member of the Typographical
Union in good standing. 1 have con-
hdence in the foreman and 1 would
not for a moment think of asking him
to put a relative of mine in the com
posing room, unless as stated above,
he was a member Of the Union, Ior i
he was a member of the Union would
man. for that is what a Union card
means.
THE Typographical Union of Tope- |
Ia is under a four years written con
tract with me to keep my office sup
piled with the necessary number o.
competent worl1men to transact the |
COMPOSING room business The pro |
prietor of the paper generally has no
worry about this important function,
which is the duty of the foreman The
contract provides that if the foreman
is unable to secure a competent Union |
man or woman he shall put on some |
other man. the best he can get. until
he can secure a Union man.
He thoroughly understands that
the proprietor of the paper wants
Union men in his composing room, be-
cause his contract calls for them, and
because he knows the Union men have
gone through an apprenticeship and
are regarded as competent people, or
they would not be issued working
card
IN the next place the composing
room of the State Journal is not the
only department in the State Journal
operated on a similar plan
..Under the experience of the latter
running over more than thirty years,
in almost every department of a daily
it is his conviction that 1t
is almost impossible to successfully
conduct a daily newspaper except on
a plan similar to that by which our
room is operated.
THAT does not mean that every de-
partmert should be Unionized- If the
reporters were members of the Union
and worked only eight hours d day, It
might be difficult in a city of the lin
tied size of Topeka to get out the pa
per. A reporter sometimes has to miss
his meals and work far into the night
in order to complete his story in time
fo, the next edition of his paper
whether that be noon. or four o'clock.
or midnight. or three o'clock in the
ssWhen Mr.. Kiene, the managing edi-
tor of the State Journal, desires to en-
gage another reporter, he does not
always bother the writer of these
"Reminiscences about it. He knows
what ought to be paid, and whether
the office needs, or does not need. an
other reporter. Furthermore, if a re-
porter leaves. he has full authority to
aY7r,lOv another one without inquiring
whether the proposed new reporter is
a relative of the editor or not. He
knows that the proprietor does not