The day book. [volume], August 23, 1913, NOON EDITION, Image 3

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

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respectfully urge that you advise the president of this council, Mr. Simon
O'Donnell, Briggs House, Chicago, against such a course ia view of the
fact that the Examiner's pressroom is non-union and that the management
of the Examiner is responsible for the crimes and outrages forced upon our
union through the lockout that has reduced our members in Chicago to
poverty. Would also ask that you advise your local union in Chicago to re
guest the Building Trades Council to cancel its negotiations for such edi
tion. Kindly advise me of your action.
"George L. Berry." .
' In answer to the foregoing, two days, later I received the following
telegram:
"Chicago, 7, '13.
"Proposed labor edition as I understand it is to be issued and edited by
Building Trades Council officials of Chicago. The Building Trades of Chi
caog have been locked out and are now at work pending arbitration meas-.
ures, and Building Trades men manifest opinion that issuance of the pro
posed labor edition will not only further the ends of peace in the building
industry, but will also tend to be helpful to the cause of labor generally by
promoting peace where strife now prevails. John R. Alpine."
In answer to the foregoing I transmitted to you on the 7th, or imme
diately on receipt of your telegram as quoted above, the following:
"Am I to understand that you favor the Chicago Building Trades Coun
cil publishing a labor day edition upon presses operated by non-union men
and without the union label upon the edition. I am in perfect accord with
you in the advocacy of peace and arbitration, but how can you reconcile
your conclusions that such an edition will promote peace and arbitration
in view of the fact that the Hearst newspapers whom the Chicago Building
Trades Council have allied themselves with have not only refused arbitration
but have precipitated warfare upon the Printing Trades Unions and which
have been responsible for the murder and incarceration of union men. As
the president of a Building Trades Union and as the vice-president of the
American Federation of Labor I urge upon you, for the sake of the con
servation of trades union ethics, to demand a reconsideration of this most
destructive and outrageous usurpation upon the intelligence of the union
masses of Chicago. GeorgeL. Berry."
.1 am writing you today, the 18th, eleven days after the foregoing tele
gram was sent you ; I do so because it is evident that you do hot propose to
give answer or support to the protests that have been registered by the In
ternational Printing Pressmen and Assistants' Union.
In addition to the foregoing I am writing you because under date of
August 6th, one day after my first wire to you, you are quoted as saying,
and the quotation in an edition of the Chicago Examiner, the unfair and
non-union paper which Mr. Simon O'Donnell has selected to run a labor
edition, as follows:
"I am heartily in accord with the purposes of the Trades Union Edition
of the Examiner," said Vice-President Alpine. "I congratulate the Build
ing Trades, Council for its efforts to educate the rank and file to arbitrate
instead of striking; therefore I heartily indorse the Trades Union Edition of
the Chicago Examiner, and I will aid all in my power to make its peace
campaign a success."
It is further declared in this edition of Hearst's non-union newspaper
that you were to be one of the contributors of the Trades Union Edition.
It is almost inconceivable how you could so far forget your obligations
as to lend your support, position and influence to the advancement of the