Evening star., 1921-04-29
LABOR SECRETARY
HEARS BOTH SIDES
Seeking to Avert Strike on
Monday of Printers Demand
ina 44-Hour Week.

Conferences with Secretary of Labor
Davis today failed to change ma
ter.alIy the attitude of printing
trades unions on the proposed ma
tion-wide strike next week Tor the
fortv-four-hour week. but the stu
alton has not yet reached a ueadlocN'
according to President John McPar-
land of the International Typo
gra aphical Union.
The Secretary of Labor conferred
with representatives of pubilshihS
houses. job printing eStabll hHhth' ;
and general commercial prihtihS plah
uoprietors in an effort to bring ABOUT
a. national agreement on the lort!
four-hour week. Newspaper oli1|e9
are not. affected.
All the meetings yesterday ana To-
day were executive. and secretary
Davis. when questioned on ms way
TO the White House to attend the
cabinet meeting, declined 10 commeht
on the progress made in the negot'a-
tionS.
A delegation of employers: headed
by Roy +. Williams of Nashville,
Tenn: G.. II. Gardner of C!eveland'
including others who declined TO give
their names. conferred with the Labor
Secretary today. Labor officials, IN
GLIDING President MCFARLAND of the
International Typographical Union
and John Hays. secretary of the union
Walter y. Reddick. presto OF the
International brotherhood OF Book :
binders: James J. Freel, president OF
the international Stereotypers and
Electrotypers' Union. had previously
conferred with Secretary DAVIS =. -,
Strikfsif No Agreement. !.
/. Unless an agreement is reached by
tomorrow union printers throughu1e
the country will strike Monday in
commercial shops where the forty
four-hour week is not in force, ac-
cor,1ing to President Mcfarland.
The printers. Mr.. Mcfarland said.
already have s2.500,OO0 available to
start the campaign throughout the
country and through an assessment
Of 10 per cent on wages Of members
will have $4,000 a month in a fund
to finance it.
Mr.. Mcfarland expressed willing
hess to continue negotiations as long
as there could be presented tangi
BILE basis for them.
Two hundred and thirty plants in
the commercial printing line have al
ready signed the agreement. 1t was
stated. This means. according. to
President MCFARLAND. that more than
80 per cent of the employees of com
mercial printing offices VIII continue
work on Monday.
Blame for the situation is placed
not on the shoulders Of the printing
trades employers. but on the open
shop" employers outside the craft.
.Open Shop Advocates Blamed.
"W. do not blame the printing
trades employers" said Mr.. McPar-
land. but ascribe the present sltua-
ton to threats of boycott from OPEN
shop proponents. Had the open shop
.Ix-nn reG a l.
sion in our affairs. ii is undoubtedly
true that the f0rty-four-hOur week
would have gone into effect with 1T
tie or no trouble. The most rnalign
influence in American life today is
that Of the exponents Of open shop
Eypocrisy.'
Secretary Hays said that "employ-
ers are forcing the fight on us and
will set back the printing business
fifteen years..
President Mcfarland intends to
leave Washington tonight. Secretary
Hays will remain to represent him.
Says nion Stands by Agreement.
Mr. Mcfarland made it clear that
the fight was viewed from the unions
standpoint as only for the living up
TO an agreement entered into in April.
1919, with the closed shop branch of
the typothetae. Referring to this
agreement, he said that the stand of
the union was to have the contract
enforced on the date then set, May
!. 1921.
"Wage scales" he said, "are sub
iects for arbitration; the sacredness
Of contract is not
Relative to reports of withdrawal !
Of members of the organization which
closed the contract with the printers.
he said the union believed that the
obligation was not lifted by with
draWal from the body.