Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-11-04

The struggle continued Tor TWO
years and resulted in an ignominious
defeat for the open shop hordes-the
tunkers OF the United TypOthetae
were either captured or scattered, the
Citizens Alliance was so thoroughly
diseredited that It gradually disinr
tegrated. and the National Assoeia-
Ition of Manufacturers, TO save Its
Iignoble cause" Is being transform
ed into the American Plan Associa-
ton.
The ruthless drive of the open shop
lpers was effectively halted and the
union army again began to advance.
After the United Typothetae had
been thoroughly whipped and dis.
membered, its adherents who remain
ed pretended TO experience a change
of heart, voluntarily" accepted the
4S.hour week, formulated a new pol
icy of keeping hands off the labor
question and dealing principally with
technical matters, cost system,
prices of material. etc, which led to
fusion with the Printers League.
| Franklin Clubs and other bodies Of
employers that had been established
and were on friendly relations with
the journeymen.
But the leopard cannot change its
spots. no more than Bourbon ran
absorb new economic idea, and thus
we find that the scenes of 1905-7 are
| being reenacted
! Despite the fact that solemn
covenant, properly negotiated and
underwritten. was entered into two
years ago with the official represen-
tetlves of three organizations OF en-
ployers in the printing industry that
provided for the inauguration OF the
44hour week on May l. 1921, the
treaty was regarded as mere scrap
Cf paper and the selfstyled masters"
Joined the reaetionists and industrial
autocrats who had begun a new as.
sau't upon organized labor immedi-
ately after the election returns were
compiled last November
Throughout the fall. winter and
spring the American Plan association
end various trade groups of open
, shoppers, again taking advantage OF
an industrial depression, have kept up
continuous warfare upon the unions
of practically every trade, slashed
| into wages, increased hours OF work,
demanded more speed, and reimposed
many other Objectionable conditions.
On substantially every sector labor
was being beaten back instead of
holding its positions or marching for
ward, as 1t had the right to do after
all the promises that we're made dur
ing the world war.
The enemy's assault was first d.
rected at the metal workers, then
spread into the textile and automobile
industries and In rapid succession into
the building trades, among the rail-
way branches, marines. wood and to-
bacco workers, and miscellaneous &C.
equations.
The lives of the army of organized
labor were bending in every direction
and the morale of the defenders of
industrial democracy was sinking to a
| low ebb under the severe pound
ing of the expounders OF industrial i'm
perialism. who once more heralded
their victories for low wages and long
hours from the Atlantic to the Pacific
and from Behring Sea to the Gulf of
Mexico
Again the crisis arrive dand again
the |. r. u. victorious veterans of
many hardfought battles swept for
ward in a solid phalanx In a great
thanking movement, administering
crushing blows in more than a hun.
dred cities and towns in the first
charge. and each day since the as.
sault began has added new triumphs
for the invincible army, until its cap.
tured territory has doubled and
trebled in area and now embraces $50
cities and towns, or three-fourths of
the way to its objective.
The printers were not content TO
shout, "They shall not pass" Their
battle cry was the good old American
slogan, go get 'em!" And they are
getting them as fast as their positions
can be consolidated. Their lines OF
communication are open; their en-.
thusiasm magnificent and infectious.
The whole American labor move
ment is being heartened by the bril-
liant fighting of the |. r. u. II has
again broken down the resistance
of the employers associations--the
treacherous Printers League and
closed shop branch of the United Ty
pothetae are demolished. the open
shop branch of the u. T. is badly dis
membered in many spots. Urge mum
Ders of their strike-breaking missions
ftit iut4i SUING amt
Tort has been blown up. and their bank
lng an dcredit allies in many places
are striking the masters" from the
rear by demanding their loans.
/ No power on earth can prevent the
International Typographical Unior
from achieving complete triumph
and also carrying its allied crafts
through the enemy's lines to the fina
goal
The truth is the |. 7. u. is fightinl
J The battle of all organized labor--tht
issue of reducing the hours of Labor
I from rs To A per week has become
secondary to the announced intention
| of the master" printers to enforc,
| the open shop-and an unQuestioned
| emphatic defeat of the union hater,
| under those circumstances will hav,
! splendid effect throughout the coun
: try in rallying the hosts of labor, en-
couTaging them to stand their grounG
| under fire, and prepare them to re
| sumo their forward march TO improv,
| the working and living conditions o
| the masses as whole.
The Typographical Union although