The daily Alaskan., 1918-08-27


 International TypographicslU nion' issued from Indianapolis, make a very remarkable showing and put that organization high on the honor roll of America for the great war Fortyoone hundred jouneymen mem bers Cf the union and 700 appren- tices are in the military and naval forces of the United states and can ada. Seyenty-fiye members have al ready paid with their lives for their devotion to their r;country. The un- ion has paid s22,OOO mOrtuary Dene fits to the widows, orphans and others of these men.
 ''The union, through it's executive council, has invested $90,OOO in the liberty loans, and subordinate local unions and individual mem bers have invested three million dollars in the libe:ty loans. These are wartime activities.
 During the same period the In ternational Typographical Union has continued all it's ordinary benefit works. It has paid over SS5O,0OO to fifteen hundred old-age pensioners, over S4O,OOO in mortuary benefits and S17O, 1000 to the union printers home at Colorado Springs. Every dollar has been paid by members Of the organization in the form or regular dues and assessments; the union neither solicits nor accepts contrioutions to it's benefit funds. During the same period the union has expended only S1,2OO for strike expenses. The union acts in thor ough-<oing, patriotic fashion on the conviction that there should De no strikes or lockouts during the war. Its officers regard themselves as volunteers in the army for the preservation of industrial peace, at least for the duration of the war, and hope for long after the war.
 "Su:h conduct offers a striking contrast to the action of certain corporations which during this war have refused to permit their employ es to or-anize. Labor has as much right as capital to organize. It is tyranny to forbid the exercse Of this right, just as 1t Is tyranny 10 misuse the power acquired by or ganization.
 The people of the United States do not believe in tyranny and do be- lieve in cooperation. T he Interna- tional Typographical Union has offered an admirable example of Americanism and patriotism, and it's gratitude is typical of the atti- tude os organized labor generally. Hats off to the International Typo graphical Union, and hats off to the workingmen and working womu of the United States"
 There is no better class of citi- zenshiD in. the United States Ot- day than the printers and pressmen employed on the newspapers Of the nation. The business in which they are engaged makes them far above the average in intelligence. They compose a high-class, well-patd type of skilled craftsmen, loyal to the government, loyal to the news paper proprietors and loyal to themselves.
 A few years ago, the question came up as to the best-informed class of men in the country. By the process of elimination the judg- es-men of nation-w wide celebrity got down to two classes-professors in the great colleges in the country and proOf-readers m the metropol- itan newspapers. The proof-read- CTS won the distinction and the decision was a just one Proof readers are printers. They are supposed to know about everything worth knowing. They have to cor rect the proofs of the editorial writers, who think they know some thing themselves; writers on science theatricals, sporting events, and everything else that appears in the columns of 8 metropolitan newspa- per. And they have to know or lose their jobs. They can employ no camouflage in this position.