Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-12
Printers Observe Golden Anniversary
Norwich Typographical Union. No 100 Rounds Out Fifty Years of HistorySixty Gathered Around Banquet Table at Wauresan House-Ambrose Higgins and Hon,- Bliss Only Charter Members Alive.


 have been differences, they have passed away. and it is well that they be not now remembered.
 This suspicious ending of the first | half century of the existence of the Norwich Typographical union may well serve as the beginning of the second haH to which the members may look forward with confidence and high hopes and trust that when a completed cen tury shall have elapsed it will find its members then as now scintillating the light of ages into the dark places of the earth.
 Trankla spoke on the Union Printers Home. describingsit as a refuge for the ineaPaeitated printer, in the heart of the Rockies. made possible by the gem J. DFexeI and the contributions of union printers. Charles L. Tracy, in response to the toast. Our Employers. spoke of welfare of their employes-the peers of master printers wherever found. An Employers Views. William H. Oat. the next Speaker. told of the conditions of newspapers
 d whsn the st, union neadtt,nn was founded com. Mfr. Oat spoke as follows:
 When this union was organized in 1887 there were two daily, two weekly, and one monthly papers in Norwich
 
 Morning Bulletin, the Weekly Aurora, the. Weekly Courier and the Home Ga zette. The dailies were four page pa pers. with ten or eleven columns of reading matter and seventeen or eighteen columns of advertisements The wage scale was probably B cents a thousand ems. although I can find no record of it. This gave the ave- rage compositor about $2.S0 a day In those days the compositor had to work all night on the morning paper and threw in his case the next afternoon, making many more hours work than is necessary today with the modern linotype.
 A number of years after the union was organized. a boy, entered the business. At that time William D. room, and William H. Hovey was fore man of the composing room. William N. Andrew, John Tranl1la and Fred Manning were in the job room. In tiss, A. A. Sparks, Daniel Tracy, D. T. Roath. William H. Eagles, John row Ter, Charles Mccarthy. E.. B. Arm strong, San1mie Sampson. and Tonnie Robinson was the printers devil. John Trankla, Senior, was the pressman his job being the softest one in the business. He began about nine o'clock It night, ran the boiler and engine, be- sides running the regular edition. William D. Manning's reputation as a master printer reached beyond the borders of Connecticut. He had the other soft job, arriving at the office early and not leaving until all the rest had gone, when he started for home with enough proofs to keep him busy half or all night Indeed, these two men deserved pensions.
 | Mir. Oat also told of the early days of the trade when the tramp printer was permanent fixture of the news paper business. Today the tramp printer has disappeared.
 He spoke. of the efficiency of the
 modern days and that tue efficiency was explained in one word-competi- tion. MT. Dat gave several humorous incidents which have come under his motive in the newspaper business. In
 q few words he spoke of the hardest worked man in the newspaper office. the telegraph operator. who in actual strength used in one evenings work is sufficient to lift 21 tons.
 Foremost Organization of Crafts. John F. Murphy. secretary of the New England Typographical Union, said that no local union in New Eng land has cost the international organi- zation less money than No. 100. In looking back young men of today can not appreciate the diff1culties of olden days in the printing trade The I. T. U- is the foremost organization of crafts in this country. Today its unions are run on an efficiency plan. A card index system is in use, show ing the status of every printer In the
  printers in a town and then go up against the employers with their prom osition. Today they go first to the employers and by convincing them that unionism is to the mutual advan- tage of both sides, secure the cooper ation of the employers in organizing. MT. Murphy said the New England Typographical Union was the first la- bor organization in the country to es- tab1ish an employment bureau. It has abolished abuses in the application system. By their persistency the members of the union have improved fes. among other things doing away with the intermittent employment of women in Boston. The apprentice sys- tenn must be improved and a boy must
 have some natural adaptability for the craft.
 Since 1906 the life of the printer has been prolonged seven years by inn proving sanitary conditions The pen sion system and death benefits haze been of great advantage.
 Miss Viola Seymour and Henry Fon-
 taine entertained the diners with q
 very pleasing song and dance sketch,
 They were warmly applauded.
 From Devil to Editor. George A. Sturdy of New London, veteran newspaperman, who knows the trials and joys (sic) of the business from A to Izzard, responded to the toast Four Decades of Newspaper Building. lie tOlu Oi HIS experiences
 In various capacities from devil to editor. His amusing anecdotes and "reminiscences were heard with ap-
 pPecia ton.
 While MT. Sturdy found it good to be in such an atmosphere of joy. and good fellowship, yet to him there was
 a tinge of sadness connected with the occasion. Many old faces were miss
 tng and nilestones were changing too
 often into tombstones. He spoke of
 old times in the newspaper business.
 But times have changed" said he.
 To-day a newspaper Is as much of
 business proposition as drygoods
 store" Ths speaker declared that
 newspapers must keep themselves free
 from entangling alliances. MT. Sur dy's remarks drew forth tumultous ap-
 plause.
 William Hall and Elmer Johnson then appeared in a blackface act
 The International Pension.
 Tracy R. Burdick spoke on The In-