Evening star., 1921-04-03
HOLD OUT
FOR 44-H0UR WEEK
Employers at Conference Call
Plan Business Suicide
and Battle Threatens.

CHICAGO. April 2.-The interna-
tIonal conference council of printing
employees and employers tonight ad-
iourned, to meet in New York on June
-. without reaching an agreement
concerning immediate esta blishment
of the forty-four-hour week advocat-
1T by the employees. James ]. Freel,
president of the International Stereo-
.Sypers and Eiectrotypers' Union. said
tho forty-four-h week would go
into effect on May /, 1921. as previ-
,"sly agreed.
Declaration by employers that the
ty-four-hour week in the printing
Industry meant business suicide and
'slteration of union heads that failure
o accede to the shorter weeis would
'reclpitate the greatest fight in the
rade's history. marked today's con-
srences of the interra iional joint con-
erence council of printing employers
md employees
The controversy hinged about a ref
- 'ndum vote taken in 1919 by the
we Unions of the printing industry
IVorinS establishment of the forty
our-hour week on the present forty
Aght hour wage scale and later
greed to by the United Typothetae of
merica. Many employers however
contend they are not bound by the
.H2ot thetae's action. and representa-
,'Ves from various parts of the coun-
try appeared at an omen session today
Talks for Open Shops.
Speaking for the closed snor Gi-
vs:on o. the tvpothctae. Harris
i!atch of Philadelphia explained that
lie council had no power. but had rec
commended the fortv-four-hour week.
which was accepted in convention
.'ohn w. Hasty of Chicago another
member, declared that tie convention
'ras not representative a2d that no
ni1N nv :; .
;for:ty 10 represent the great l.cdy of
mpioyers over the countrv He cited
. typothetae meeting here yesterday.
7 which onl" six cities .;as:des New
-. 2H Chi5'" 90 t.-c~c = - -::rnte;l
The inorganic d group Of employ
er.i does not Ie5l bound h,- the rec
on,mendation OF the cpns,cii nor the
actor Cf The ,3:.o -. :.s. in III, o-,irtH
ION OF Edward y. B"c star OF joliet;
III He explained ,rat of the 33NlV
900 We're members of th.- @pb Aah
'ae and but 1.5oo of that ntn;t r~lka
closed shops - X}SN, "!
Vigorous talks in whcff aatk; ;prin--'
M m" aso't w"r1; .;agsN was,
upheld and declaration madC o. 1s6.-:
too printers and the 10000 roihsn of
against any opposition were IHA4e by
various Union officers. txsL -
.AHJuStEfent. FIA
G. L. Perry: president of the presSgs
mon. asserted the move was M.
name proposition. John W. Hays. ser.
retary of the typographical union;
''ciared the unions could fight Just.
us Eard as ever John Mcfarland,
president of, the Typographical Union,
added the prediction that the en-
sioyers would have the greatest fight
on their hands ever known in the
printing industry if the forty-four-
hour week was not instituted May l.
Hone that the joint council would
be able to iron out the difficulties
was voiced by several other speakers,
William Green Of New York. where
the movement originated, expressing
he. belief that the employers who
stihed the shorter week in 1919
'hould stick to their agreement. Ne
;otiations should then be worked
u.. he said. to cover the other en-
sloyers of the country