The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-09-06
HARTFORD FIRM IS UNION SHOP
  Bond Press Sends Letter to Local Registrars on Printing Contract

The Bond Press of Hartford, which was awarded the contract for print. ing the city voting lists, declares, in o letter today to Registrars of Voters John T. Derwin and Albert 0. Taller, that it Is a strictly union shop.
 The firm answers criticism made locally that 1t was non.union. It also offers a letter from the presi. dent of the Hartford Typographical union, upholding its union status. The letter follows:
 Hartford, Conn.,
 Sept. s, 1888. To the Registrars of VoteSs,
 Waterbury, Conn.,,
 Gentlemen:
 The attention of the undersigned has been called to new article which appeared recently in The Republican of your city, in which Q delegation representing the Gen. tral Labor Union and the Typo graphical Union made very strong protest against the award- ing of the contract for the print ing of the voting lists of your city to The Bond Press of Hart- ford, Conn, on the ground that the firm was suspected of being non union as well as "one-horse" concern located in "back-room", doing the work by some mysteri- ous "mimeograph or similar pro- cedure" method.
 The delay in making answer to this attack has been with pur- pose, namely, to let performance speak for itself. That now ap' pears on your posting boards and needs no comment. The creation of the 9B forms of this list was accomplished in less than six days, we having to start from scratch. not having done this work before. However, this proved an easy job as voting lists go in this firms experience.
 As stated before, no comment would be needed, but, in order that the laymen, who have no techni- cal knowledge of 0 matter of this kind, may be informed, 1t can be stated that 1t Is impossible to pro- duce lists of this sort--in time by any other method than: the one always employed, namely, by means of regular printers forms and by existing methods, owing to the many changes necessary, both in the preliminary and final edi- tions of the lists. These changes as well as the ability to make changes-as required by law, would render any photographic or plate method economically out of the question,
 The Bond Press. Inc, has been run as a Union concern ever since Its establishment in l905-34 years ago-and is known as the best equipped Union shop in the State, barring none. It employs all methods, depending upon which is the best suited to the work in hand-linotype, monotype, letter. press, or the new offset. This has enabled 1t to quote better prices as well as to produce work much quicker than competitors, and of a higher grade, as the men in the concern are all practical workmen, and are not absentee owners, who have no other inter- est than to get all they can out of every job they do, regardless oi how much they "soak" the pub- lie, whom they consider their meat and their legitimate prey.
 It would seem to even Q casual observer, in the least informed oi this matter, that any firm whe had the type set up for e list of this sort should be in an i'm. pregnable position when in compe' tition with a firm without such ar outstanding advantage. The infer- ence Is plain and need not be en' larged upon,
 It may be stated, however, that the advantage thus enjoyed In tht past has now departed and will never again be the same,
 It seems that the outstanding issue-the matter of economy ant the advantage to your city of th' great saving effected-has beer lost sight of.
 Enclosed herewith you will fint letter from the president of Hart ford Typographical Union. No. l27 which speaks for itself and estab fishes this concerns standing be yond question.
 Assuring you of the under signed's high regard and thankinl you for the splended cooperation Of the force In your highly eff cient ofiice, I beg to remain