The Connecticut labor news., 1923-10-13

sent out this week leaves no dol reads:
 Star Shell Lights Battle Front For
 Publishers
 If the newspaper publishers of the country needed any further portent oF what may be the outcome Of the ef- forts of the printing trade unions to strangle the American press, they have 1t in the strike of union press men in New York City. This strike affords conclusive proof of the risk in depending on labor unions, of the futility of trying to get along with them, of the danger in having any thing to do with them. If such a strike had to come to pass, it is per haps fortunate that the outbreak oc- cured in a metropolis where 1t served as star shell to warn all publishers that if they expect to continue in business they will have to stand up and fight for their rights
 Will the Illuminating example 20 unheeded? Will newspapers be forced into still more abject enslavement to the printing trade unions?? Or will the publishers stand up and fight for their independence? We do not be- lieve the publishers have lost all their backbone We believe the majority have the courage to free themselves from labor-union oppression. Four years ago there were only two open shop daily newspapers in the coun- try. Now there are 35o and within another year there will be at least 500 independent daily newspapers
 "The publishers of New York City weathered the pressmen's strike in Vpa q selves as well as other publishers with the evidence of their fighting ability But, having made stand shoulder to shoulder, comparatively issuing combined single paper morning and evening, they should not for a mo- ment have considered any compro- mise leading to the continuance of relations with >any labor union.
 Though they win the fight they will lose the fruits of victory through having signed another labor-union contract. They have simply hopped out of the frying pan, into the fire.
 'In the sudden emergency an ap- peal for assistance was made to our organization If 1t had been accom- panied by decision of the publish CTS to renounce relations with the unions for all time, this association would have done its utmost to help keep the presses running. Lacking such assurance we could do nothing, for it would be a waste of resources to lend assistance to employers who expected to put their heads right back in the labor-union yoke as soon as the trouble was over
 After a few days the situation looked so downright black that plea for succor evidently was sent far west to the super-supreme maharajah of the labor union universe Now the maharajah detests publicity just as much as kitten hates sweet cream; in fact, he has grown fat on it and owes to 1t his entire reputation as super (mis) )leader of labor. The New York papers have helped to make him and they could just as eminent and impeccable poobah soon nunciation of the striking pressmen, and among other things his message contained this cryptic question:
 eff, when plighted faith of organ ized labor is given to an agreement with employers or while negotiations to reach an agreement are lmpend- lHS, the HleHlDeTS VIII eHleT OH strike, how can we expect any agree ment to be reached between organ ized labor and employers?'
 Well, we'll bite How can we? There surely is no reason why em- ployers should attach any value to such agreements. For many years, from coast to coast, it has been the custom of labor unions to violate such agreements and evade responsibility largely immune from legal liability for their acts. So how can we ex- pect employers to want to enter into
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