Evening star., 1926-12-02
STRIKE OR LOCKOUT
NEVER PROFITABLE
Berry of Pressmens Union
Says Prosperity of Greater
Concern to Workers.

Declaring he had never known a
strike or lockout to he profitable to an
employer or to employees of a business,
President George l.. Berry OF the In
ternational Printing Pressmen and
Assistants Union of North America.
representing $4,000 organized workers.
last night told local members that
prosperity of the business in which
they were engaged was Of more mo-
ment to the union and It's members
than to the employers themselves.
The reason is. he added. that where
only one owner or employer may be
affected by lack of prosperity. proba-
bly, 100 employees would feel such
adversity.
He was the guest of honor at tn:
anniversary dinner of the Washington
Newspaper Web Pressmen's Union.
No. s. at Harvey's Restaurant.
He opened his address by praising
the record of the local organization in
more than doubling its membership
since its foundation and in bringing
about improved conditions as to work
and wages.
Launching into vigorous attack
upon radical policies and supporting
ca pitalism and the capitalistic sys-
tenn. Mai. Berry declared that the
conditions of workers are dependent
industry in which they are engaged.
Prosperity Their Own.
We know that the prosperity Of
the newspaper business Is our own
prosperity" he said. I'VE know that
there is more TO our duty than the
mere punching OF clock and that We
can't take more out Of business than
we put into IL. We have come to
liza fI~of ia
the business to which it is attached
succeeds. And a realization of such
facts shows why our organization now
numbers $4,000 members, whereas it's
membership in 1907 was only 10000.
There Is not now a single pressman
in this country out on strike or lock-
out. For nearly FIVE years we have
escaped payment of money incident to
labor difficulties as benefits to mem
bers out Of employment.
II have never known Of strike or
Lockout which was profitable either to
", employer or to the employees en-
aed in a business. for with each
~ikA and lockout the industry was
sapped Of much of that vitality and
energy that should always be available
for the joint prosperity of the en-
ployer and the employe.
Tndorses Capitalism.
One Of the silliest conclusions that
has ever been advanced has been that
trades unions are against capitalism.
There was much fear. much dread of
capitalism in the early days Of organ
lied labor. But there Is nothing to be
safraid of in capitalism. Every man
or woman in America is a capitalist
who has a dollar over and above the
amount needed for living in dcs0ncr.
There are abuses in the capitalistic
system. but these abuses fade into in
significance, wl:en reviewed in tho
light Of the advantages of the capital
fctic system as We know 1t in
America"
Maj. Berry pointed to the growth of
the union. saying that the capitaliza-
tion has grown rapidly. the mortuary
benefit has gained from $50 to 500.
and the average daily wage for a mem
ber from sI.s5 a day in 1907 to $3.50
al the present.
Cornelius s. Ryan presided IS toast
master. Remarks were made by e..
j. Putnam. business manager of the
Washington Times.Herald; a. u.
Marks. business manager of the
Washington Post. and Mrs. Myrtle
McAhoy. president of the Allied
Printing Trades Council. program
of entertainment was offered by Miss
Blanche F.. Lehman, Earl Columbus.
Miss Ruth Mcclellan and Miss Mar
garet Little, dancers, and Frank
DauGherty, vocalist.