The sun., 1919-09-28
PRINTERS TO VOTE
TO-DAY ON STRIKE
Conservatives and Radicals
Ready for Fight Over Book
! and Job Walkout.
ARBITRATION is FAVORED
Level Headed Element Wishes
to Discuss Union Demands
e With Employers.

Both conservative and radical men,
bers Of big Six" typographical union
were marshalllng their forces yesterday
for sthe battle to be waged at New Star
Casino In Harlem this afternoon when a
vote will be taken on the motion to call
q general strike October / In all book
and Job printing establishments OF this
city
The conservatives found much encour-
agcfnent yesterday in the stand taken by
Marsden G. Scott, president of the In
ternational Typographical Union. their
parent organization, who has urged all
members "who have not lost their mem
tai equilibrium TO vote against the
wallSout plan.
Arbitration Is Desired.
Men who have been active in the or
ganfzation for many years. and who
have steered II in the path of fair arbi-
tration In the past, appeared yesterday
to be with the international president
to a. man. They were at a loss to under
stand why they should quit their Jobs
without at least attempting to arbitrate
matters, when the employers have ex-
pressed themselves as perfectly willing
10 do this. To these men 1t looked like
a proposal TO fight for something that
can De optalheu ny perieCIiy peaSeaDie
Ineans.
The union is also in a position where
vote in favor Of the strike proposal
vili9fnean suspension from It's internal
tiofiA1 organization, which has branded
the@Etrike demands as most unreason-
able. The level headed element there
FORE has strong motive for opposing the
move
The crowd favoring the strike will in
clude all of the radicals who have
worined their way into the organization
These are expected to make a great deal
Of noise in an attempt to prevent proper
discussion of the questions involved. In
order to prevent this element from pack
ing The hall at an early hour as they did
last Sunday, when the organization met
at Saengerbund Hall. Brooklyn, the OPP
ponents of the measure have planned to
be On hand very early.
Radicals support Rouse.
Leon II. Rouse, president of big Six"
unp9nbtedly will have the full support
Of this element in his efforts to pull the
union away from the good graces of its
international organization, and he Is ex-
pected to comment at length upon the
action of International President scott
in going over his head In trying to pre-
vent the strike.
Aha tcttcr, inc BTeatet part OF winch
was fprinted in THE SUN of yesterday
morning, the members of the Printers
League, headed by Col. William Green.
informed customers here of the danger
of shutdown of their plants within the
next seventy-two hours.
In explaining the matter of wages and
hours. the printers wrote:
rOur scale contracts witt. all of the
unions and our arbitration agreements
with. the compostors pressmen and
Feeders expire October 1, 1919. This has
given these particular unions the op-
portunity to make demands for changes
in -heurs. wages and shop conditions to
any extent they desire without being
bound by contract or an agreement to
arbltrate In case of a deadlock. A re-
duction of hours to forty-tour per week
and an increase of all scales by $14 per
week Is demanded by these unions, to-
gether with refusal to arbitrate unless
the forty-four hour week is conceded for
October l, 1919, this in spite of the fact
that the introduction of the forty -four
hour week on May l, 1921, has been ap-
proved by a general referendum vote of
the..ssi typographical union throughout
the-eountry and indorsed by the execu-
tive officers of the international Printing
Pressmen and Assistants Union pending
their referendum in November"
i. w. w. Meeting Failure.
An attempt by the /. W. W. to rally
the members Of the printing trades uniont
around its standard met last night with
dismal failure. meeting of reds al
Labor Temple, Fourteenth street anC
Second avenue, which had been widely
advertised through notices distributed
among members of print shop unions
failed to attract any considerable mum
Der of workers.
The few that did attend seemed NOR,
inclined to regard proceedings will
amused curiosity than with any emo
uonal thrills Several speakers an
nounced that the /. W. w. was standint
firmly behind the strike agitators of tn,
several unions involved in the contro
versy with the employing printers. TIL,
audience, which at one time filled NOR,
than a quarter of the small auditorium
was Informed that all of the capitalist,
class combined couldn't produce a bed
bug" They were left to infer that tn,
]. w. w. was highly proficient in thi
RESPECT