New-York tribune., 1921-03-17
Publishers Win
First Round in
Printers Fight
Newspapers and Two Other
Concerns at Binghamton
Declare Open Shop to
End Linotypers' Strike
Outside Workers Engaged
Press Will Get Out an Issue
To-day and Sun VIII
Follow Suit OH FRIDAY
Special Dispdtch TO The Tr;b,n.

BINGHAMTON, N. Y. March 1s
binghamton publishers TODAY won Tho
hrst round in contest with the In
ternational Typographical Union. when
Inc Binghamton Press this afternoon
began operating with force Of non.
union linotype operators and compost
'ors assembled from various parts Of
'he country, replacing the Blnghamton
printers who last Tuesday evening. bv
vote of 1875 to 3, declared Il strike
An increased wage scale averaging
500 week and a forty -four-hour week
Tor the publishing houses were the
issues involved, and so certain of vic
tory we're the members of the TWO
graphical Union that they refused to
consider temporary employment at the
present scale or arbitrate the question
of shorter hours.
me publis shers involved in the fight
are The Binghamton Press. founded
by Willis Sharpe Kilmer; The Morn
ing sun. owned by George f. johnson.
Ine millionaire shoe manufacturer: the
haiiou Publishing Company, corpo-
'aCioh OF three-quarters of million
capita and the johnson City Publish
ing company, owned and controlled
by Congressman William II. Hill
Four-Year Scale Signed in 1917
In 1917 the BInghamton Typograph-
zeal Union signed a four-year wage
scale with the tnghamton publishers
that provided for S23 week for dav
trpI operators and S25 for night operators.
inns contract expired on March a, 1921.
1t contained clause providing that
IN case an agreement had not been
reached between the publishers and
the union when the contract exnired it
should continue in force until such
new agreement was made. not to exceed
a period Of thirty days.
hen America entered the World
Var the publishers offered the men an
increase Of 81 a week. Later the mon
at various times asked further in
creases until, on March 4. the printers
were receiving S38 week for dav work
and Sal for night work
Late IN January the members of the
union appointed scale committee to
confer with the employers relative to
a new wage scale. The committee
formulated demand which was ap-
proved by the men that called for a
VI 'ofb Il WcCh lpI Gay men ana
$50 week for night men, with forty
four-hour week for the employees of
Vail Ballou and the johnson CITY Pub
fishing Company. This proposition the
publishers refused to consider. They
took the position that the cost of paper
and other printing material was so
high at the present time that to pay
the increase would result either in
financial embarrassment or an increase
IN the price of the papers and the ad-
vertising rates.
The forty-four-hou week they de-
clared was impracticable for the pub
fishing houses and as they were not
members of the national body OF pub
fishers that had previously agreed to
the fortyfourhou week did not re-
gard themselves as bound bv such
agreement.
Publishers Proposal Rejected
The union members met March S for
final determination of their action.
and at that meeting the publishers
submitted proposition that the men
remain at the existing wage scale of
$3S and Sil until May /. This the men
fatty refused to consider The strike
vote followed and the men refused to
take their places on The Morning Sur.
The Sun issued four-page paper
announcing suspension for a few days.
The Binghamton Press on "Wednesday.