Evening star., 1946-12-15
By John CIoaett Proctor

BY Jonn Ntd9ett PROCTOR
LDEST labor organization
in this city and one of the
oldest for continuous serv-
ice in the country is Colum-
bia Typographical Union, No. 101,
originally the Columbia Typograph-
ical Society. On December 10, 1914.
according to public notice prepared
by Jacob Gideon, jr., a preliminary
meeting was held at II. c. Lewis
Tavern, sign of the Press and
Eagle, Pennsylvania avenue, two
doors west of the Presidents
Square"
Mr.. Lewis had gone into this
business after having been the pub
Usher of a weekly literary paper
called the Hive, or Repository of
Literature, which discontinued soon
after it came out in April, 1911. The
site of meeting place is conjectural,
but one of the first official acts OF
the organization was to pass
resolution authorizing the treas
urer to pay H. c. Lewis the sum
of 81 monthly as a compensation
for room and accommodation for
the Columbia Typographical So
ciety."
At the preliminary meeting An
drew Tate was called to the chair,
and William Duncan was appointed
secretary. Messrs. Lewis, Coyle,
Gideon, Soutee and Suter were ap-a
pointed committee ia draft con-
stitution for the proposed society
and to report at an adjourned meet
ing December II.
At the adjourned meeting the
constitution of the society was
adopted, the preamble of which fol-
lows:
Whereas, experience having
proven that the association of in
dividuals and the formation of
societies, for the express purpose of
benevolence, have seldom, if ever,
failed to meet the sanction OF both
God and man, we, therefore, with
these ends in view, and by this
incontrovertible truth, strongly i'm
pressed with the hope that our en-
deavor will, in like manner, merit
the commendation of all good men
and draw down upon all our under
takings the benign influence OF our
Creator, do unite and form our
selves as one body for the mutual
benefit of each, binding ourselves
one to the other In the manner
following" ..-
The initiation fee was fixed at 81
and the monthly contribution at Is
cents. Alimony was authorized to-
"sickly or distressed members" their
widows and children, as the society
might determine, the amount not
to exceed SO per week, and funeral
benefit of SIS was provided. The
prices for work were $40 a week
during the sessions of Congress
and So during the recess. For piece
work BREWER type and larger sizes
were rated at % cents a thousand
ems; type smaller than BREWER,
such as minion and nonpareil, 27h
cents q thousand ems.
It also was required that every
member provide himself with a
badge, consisting Of silver rule,
the name of the member to be en-
graved on one side and a press on
the other. to be worn at all process
sions OF the society.
First Constitution Drafted
On Old Imposing Stone
In writing on this subject in
1899 P. J. Haltigan, a member OF
the local printers union, and in
more recent years reading clerk of
the United States House of Repre-
sentatives, had this to say:
During the following week the
committee had several meetings at
the Office of Messrs. (Andrew and
George Way, on the corner Of
Ninth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue., where on the old imposing
stone still in possession of Columbia
Typographical Union, was drafted
the first constitution of the society,
which was adopted at an adjourned
meeting held Saturday evening, De-
cember II, 1914, and signed by the
following: Alexander Graham, An
drew Tate, Francis Burke, Jacob
Gideon, jr.; F. Coyle, Peter c. Kon-
kle, H. G. Lewis, Henry Martin,
John H. Wade, David McKenna,
Christopher Byrne, William Right
er, John Allen, Robert Allen, w. T..
Nowlands, John Hine, James Petit
grew, John Erskine, John Morrison,
Alexander I. Lawrence, William
Dougherty, H. G. Foster, James B.
Carter, Robert Dodson, Augustin p
Soaring, D. Tuttle, P. Force, T.
Byrne and w. S. D. Grusko.
1.-THE next meeting Of the jour-
.neymen marks the birthday Of the
-