The labor advocate. [volume], January 13, 1917, Page 5, Image 5

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""-J. .
THE LABOR ADVOCATE
Life and Very Existence of the
Labor Press and Trade Union
Publications Are Threatened
Post Office Department Determined to Increase Cost of
Dissemination of News, Interchange of Thought and
to Molest Opportunity for Knowledge and Culture.
y MATTHEW AVOIilj,
President International Allied Printing Trades Association, Vice
President International .Labor Press of America.
Ihe House Post Office Committee
lias favorably reported the annual ap
propriation bill with a rider which will
raise the rates on all second-class mat
ter from one to six cents a pound based
on a zone system. Never before have
the publishers of the country been con-,
fronted with more difficulties and un
certainties. The unprecedented rise in
the cost of white paper and all supplies
entering into printing, are sufficient rea
sons for grave concern and worriment.
To add such a provision contained in
the rider in question is the last straw.
The zone system, itself, will paralyze
every publication of national circula
tion; it will affect, first, the religious
"papers many of them exponents of
small and .scattered denominations.
Many of these arc already .struggling
for existence.- Second, the trade pa
pers, all of which are depending on a
national clientele their readers are
scattered from coast to coast. Third,
the great literary magazines, women's
papers, fashions, etc., publications de
voted to music, the arts, and all such
subjects of common interest to the
whole country. Fourth, the political
weeklies and reviews, and the widely
scattered weekly editions of daily news
papers. Fifth, the National farm papers
and particularly those devoted to special
interests as stock raising, bee culture,
the poultry, the nursery, and orchardry
papers which bind in a common interest
these great branches of agriculture.
Last, but not least, all the trade union
publications, and the entire labor press,
will be seriously menaced. The publica
tions of the American Federation of
Labor, the official journals of the inter
national trade unions, news letters of
central labor unions and the labor press
of this country arc highly educational
in their character, and essential in the
worker's economic and industrial strug
gle of today. To increase the item of
postage on these publications from 300
to GOO. per cent will force many of them
out of existence.
The great majority of these publica
tions are published east of the Mississ
ippi River, and the bulk east of the Ohio
River." Their average zone would be
1,000 miles, and their postage II cents
per pound. Calculate your postage and
see what it would be. Its vexations of
applications would be tremendous I
Fifty-six thousand pist offices in eight
different zones! How many publishers
can stand 3 cents per pound under ex
isting conditions?
This proposed legislation again brings
into controversy the everlasting at
tempts of the Post Office Department
to increase the postage of publications
and to molest the workers' opportunity
for knowledge and culture. Each and
every attempt thus far made in the past
to intcrcferc with the dissemination of
news by proposing to increase the rates
of second-class mail matter has been
vigorously opposed by the American
Federation of Labor. During the
month of July, 1!)lt, about fifty labor
editors met in Chicago to consider the
proposed increase of second-class post
age rates, which the Post Office De
partment then proposed. Having care
fully considered the effect any increase
in postage rates would have upon the
trade union publications, the labor edi
tors in attendance selected President
Gompers, Mr. W. J. Adams and myself
as a committee to vigorously protest
against any increase whatever in postage
VAIiUK OV UNIONISM SHOWN.
Seattle, Wash. Editor Ault of the
Union Record contributes this bon mot
to the unorganized :
"The Pugct Sound Traction, Light &
Power company has raised the wages of
its employes 1 cent per hour. The em
ployes of this company arc unorganized
and havc consistently refused to form
into a union. The raise in pay may be
said to be a reward for faithful service
but it is worthy of note that the em
ployes of the Seattle, Rcnton & Southern
Railway company, who are organized,
arc getting 1 cent an hour more than the
unorganized street car men and have
better working conditions all around."
DKMANI) IIUMAXI2 TltKATMKNT.
Allentown, Pa. Decent and humane
treatment is one of the reasons why em
ployes of the Lehigh Star Bedding com
pany arc now on strike. Other demands
include a wage increase of 20 per cent
for piece workers and 15 per cent for day
workers. The strikers say they arc
forced to work long hours under a
speeding up system. In answeer to the
"high wage" claim of the company it is
stated that one employe was paid $25
for a week of 70 hours. In a statement
issued to the public, the strikers say :
"We are prepared to prove that an
official of the company tried to incite
violence early in the strike in order to
discredit the workers."
rates. Subsequently this committee ap
peared before the Hughes Commission,
which was then authorized to investigate
the entire subject of second-class mat
ter. The declarations of the Chicago
Conference of Labor Editors were clear
and definite, and emphasized strong
ly that organized labor and the labor
press were unalterably opposed to any
increase in postage rates. The commit
tee herein referred to directed the
Hughes Commission's attention to the
fact that the effort then being made on
the part of the post-office officials to
increase the postage rates was the first
attempt on record of any civilized gov
ernment to increase postage rates, and
to make the .interchange of ideas
among intelligent people more diffi
cult and expensive. The committee al
so d'rectcd attention to the fact that by
an effective comparison with every other
department of the government the de
mand for an increase in postage rates
was illogical and inadvisalnWor the pub
lic good. After a most exhaustive in
vestigation the Hughes Commission of
1011 only proposed a two-cent per pound
for 'second-class postage. Postmaster
General Iiurleson, in his last message,
suggested only Vs cents per pound, and
the Postmaster General was so impress
ed with the present difficulties of the
publishers that he sent a letter to Judge
Moon, Chairman of the' House Post
office Committee, under date of Decem
ber 4th, suggestingi that on account of
the high cost of white paper no increase
be made at this time; and yet we find
now, that an increase is proposed higher
than that proposed by the Hughes Com
mission in 1011 higher than that pro
posed some time ago by Postmaster
General Burleson, and at a time when
conditions in the printing and publishing
industry arc worse than they have ever
been heretofore.
Every trade union and trade unionist,
every publisher of a trade union publi
cation, and the editor of every labor
paper should be alive to their own dan
ger of extinction, and should do their
part to defeat such discriminatory and
threatening legislation.
We want no molestation in the dis
semination of news in the interchange
of thought in the opportunity for
knowledge and culture.
Whatever affects the industry as a
whole affects all its parts labor of all
kinds, compositors, pressmen, clectro
typers, stcrcotypcrs, photo-engravers,
bookbinders, paper-makers, machinists,
and hundreds of others vitally interested
in a proposition to curtail the output and
influence of a most potent force which
is binding the country together. In the
printing industry alone there arc approx
imately one-third of a million of men
and women affected by this proposed
legislation.
AgainI urge that you will not only
communicate with all members of Con
gress, but that you will also urge upon
your members and readers the fact that
Congress is adding still another burden
in that they are thus levying another
tax upon the intelligence and culture of
the country.
Kvery trade union, every trades
unionist, their friends, associates
and sympathizers, every reader and
member of organized labor should
immediately protest, against tills
contemplated legislation. Act now!!
Don't delay until it is too late. This
is urgent! ! !
UNIONISM XKHDKD 1IKKK.
Fort Worth, Tex. In his monthly re
port President Cunningham of the state
federation of labor makes the following
reference to lumber conditions in the
eastern part of this state :
"While in Orange I learned of a con
dition existing in the lumber camps that
is deplorable, to say the least. The un
skilled laborers in that industry have
not had an advance in wages nor a
change in hours of labor or conditions
of employment in 25 years, and yet we
arc told the lumber interests are mak
ing no profits or dividends. The public
knows how the price of lumber has in
creased during this period. Surely it
was not the high price of labor that in
creased the price of this commodity."
UNIONISM IC.VDIOI) SUNDAY
WORK.
St. Joseph. Mo. "It was the Journey
men Barbers' union that emancipated the
men from Sunday slavery and exceed
ingly long hours," said Organizer Sha
ncssy at an open meeting of Barbers'
union.
"The day of individualism is passed
and the time for unified effort is here,"
he said. "No one man can bring about
shorter hours of employment, higher
wages or improved sanitary conditions
in the barber shops. It must be done
by the concerted efforts of those most
interested."
The New Year's Opportunity
Samuel Gompers In a Strong Editorial In the American
t ederatiomst, Shows the Great Opportunity Offered
To Labor In 1917.
The dawn of a year is inseparable
from a feeling of hope it means op
portunity. Opportunity is all that the
outside world can give us; the ability
and wisdom to take advantage of op
portunity must come from within. Op
portunity is the key that opens the way.
Tile vpnr 1017 flnu-tie tit-ir,,-, .. ...r..-1,l
. -- - .- . .... ...i.s i. jvju n I, UIIU
engaged in a titanic conflict, with mil
lions 01 men drawn in oattlc array upon
fields that for mnnv mnntlic linvn l.n....
drenched in blood. The wastage, the
suncring anu tne pity ot it all can not
but cast a shadow over the whole world.
But even in this fprrililn tlnniim. fl,,,-..
is a gleam of hope. There may yet be
opportunity to oring out ol it all a bet
ter organization for freedom ami for In,.
man welfare.
The fightnig alone can not bring about
that for which W llnni" tllnf nn n.i.n
only by consecrating the unutterable
suin-ung hi me men aim women anu
children of Europe to a tremendous,
purposeful, unselfish effort to put aside
everything else but the best interests
of humanity in the future.
Tile llone for fipnrp ttlrnc nnirnrl,. fr
the dawn of 1917 in fearful anticipation
icst any apportumty lie unavailing. In
our own country we find unrest and con-
umuiis mac may icau to grave conse
quences, even to a reversal of the
wheels of progress, but there is an
element of hope in it all, for there is
DKKKNDS ADAMSON LAW,
Indianapolis. Editor Dobson, of the
Bricklayer, Mason and Plasterer, pre
sents this defense and explanation of the
Adamson law :
"First of all, it is not a 'wage-increase
law. Its operation gives the railroad
worker the opportunity to complete his
day's labor in eight hours because he
can make his hundred-mile or less run
within the prescribed number of hours by
reason of the fact that the railroad com
panies will cut down abnormally long
freight trains to such size that a dozen
instead of one-half that number of miles
are made an hour. This is all the rail
road worker asks. He does not want
long hours and delays en route; neither
does he want overtime pay, except only
as a penalty to nut a ston to the nrac-
tice of piling on all the cars an engine
can draw under favorable conditions.
"When the Adamson law becomes op
erative the railroad train service work
er will enjoy his home and home life
like a man, while the shipper, the mer
chant and the general public will be
benefited materially in that much time
npw lost will be gained in transporta
tion."
"KKKUSKl) TO AIUSTTKATH."
Cleveland. The Locomotive Engin
eers' Journal is making merry with those
people who denounce train service men
for refusing to arbitrate an eight-hour
demand.
Recently Ashtabula, Ohio, doctors
called a meeting of their organization
and raised prices.
Ihe railroad mens paper says:
"Of course it is not a question for
arbitration, it is a public pill the people
may take or suiter the consequences.
"If it were a labor organization, the
next state legislature would doubtless
be confronted with petitions to make
them submit to compulsory arbitration,
but the doctors have the best of it
their organization obtained a law driv
ing all the scab medicine-mongers out
of the state.
"What a difference there is in whose
ox is gored 1"
TltADH UNIONISTS ASSAULTED.
LaSallc, 111. A. F. of L. Organizers
Chubbuck and Whcnncn were assaulted
by thugs, presumably in the employ of a
cement company, whose workers have
been on strike since last May. Whcn
ncn was shot in the thigh.
The cement workers formed a union
to end the 11 and 13-hour workday. The
company discharged the union's officials
and a strike resulted. The strikers de
clare that working in a cement mill is a
tough job under any circumstances, even
when an eight-hour day prevails, but
when men are forced to endure 111 hours
of heart-breaking, lung destroying labor
in the dust cloud of a cement plant, it
is inhuman.
UXIOX SHOP KECOCJXIZKI).
Dallas, Tex. The Builders' associa
tion, representing all the large contract
ing firms in this city, has signed a two
years' union shop agreement with the
Building Trades Council. Only mem
bers of organized labor will hereafter be
employed by these concerns.
Temerarious The Tenor.
Roy Jones, he of the tenor voice, took
chances and visited in Duraugo this
week. The Silvcrton (Col.) Standard.
opportunity, and the eyes of the masses
of the common people are looking for
ward; they have not lost the larger vis
ion; they arc not willing to sell the
birthright of freedom for a mess of pot
tage. The hope and the spirit of the
people is enough to swing the whole na
tion past impending dangers and carry
us ever onward toward wider freedom
and higher ideals.
Though there are problems and dang
ers on every hand, the organized labor
movement of America faces the dawn of
another year with greater numbers,
more united ranks, and with a spirit of
unity that is greater than in any pre
ceding year.
There is a spirit of militancy, an ag
gressive insistence upon rights and
justice, that indicates that the opportu
nities of 1017 will be used for the better
ment of all humanity.
Immeasurable opportunities lie in the
coming year. It will depend upon the
men and women of labor how the op
portunities will be used. Men of labor
renew your consecration to the cause
and let your determination be firm that
not one backward step will be taken;
that the whole mass of humanity shall
press forward to a better life; gird your
selves for renewed efforts; be on tiptoe
for the work of the coming year and the
years to come.
A happy and successful New Year to
all.
V. S. PAl'EK MILL FAVOItKI).
Washington. The establishment of a
government paper mill is recommended
by a sub-committee of the joint commit
tee on printing of congress". It is. stated
that the government uses 30,000,000
pounds of paper annually and that the
difficulties encountered in securing -paper
promptly at reasonable prices should
cause immediate consideration to the es
tablishment of a government-owned
plant.
"Such a mill," the committee continues,
"will afford facilities for the commer
cial demonstration of the value of
wastes of all kinds for rtaper making,
on which materials the government has
spent considerable sums annually, and
wan winch demonstration on a commer
cial scale is possible. Again, a govern-ment'plant-will
furnish unlimited oppor
tunities lor studies in tne commercial
utilization and disposal of paper mill
wastes. These wastes embrace at least
half of the raw materials used in mak
ing paper, and are a menace to the pub
lic' health as well as a detriment to in
dustrial development." '
WILL TEST TWO-PLATOOX PLAN.
New. York A committee of the board
of aldermen has recommended that a
six-months' test be given the two-platoon
system in one of the divisions of the
municipal fire department.
MIXES YIELD )j!3,000, OOO.OOO.
Washington. The claim that immigra
tion restriction will affect production in
America is refuted by the report of the
geological survey for the year 191C,
which shows that all records have been
broken during this period despite the
lessening of emigration because of the
European war. Production, it is esti
mated, has run at least 25 per cent ahead
of 1915. Iron contends with copper for
first place among the metals produced
and the production of coal w-as the
greatest ever known. The mines sold
5!)7,OOO,000 tons, compared with 570,000,
000, the record established in 1913, or
prior to the European war. The coke
output, also, broke all records, increas
ing 27 per cent over the previous year.
Arizona led all states in copper, with
Michigan next. The profits in this met
al were the greatest ever known.
AVIIY LU.MHER WOItKEHS
STItlKE.
Bcllingham, Wash. The Clear Lake
Lumher company, in Skagit county, has
issued a circular to its competitors stat
ing that it lias raised the hoard of all
workers to $7 a week and -10 cents per
meal for any time less than one week.
Other lumher companies are urged to
do likewise. "If you don't," it is stated,
"it is siinnlv an indirect wav of boosting
wages, and we think all agree that the
wages are high enough at tne prcseiu
time, in fact, higher than the lumber in
dustry can stand. We believe they are
so high that it is lowering the efficiency
of labor instead of improving it."
The rates for common labor in the
lumber camps arc $1.75 and $3 a day.
SEWING MACHINES
New and Slightly Used Machines.
We Sell, Rent and Repair All Makes.
Hemstitching Done While You Wait.
Canal 861
We ire the onljr Custom Tailors in tbis
citjr who make clothes with the
Union Label in them.
Levy clP
Friedman
809 Vine. opp. Empreae Theatre
428 Vine, opp. Arcade
PI nWFRQ I ai a token of love, sym
I 1 U II tllO i pathy and of appreciation
Phone Wett 2095
JOSEPH BERAN
FLORIST
Funeral Work a Specialty
838 Clark Street CINCINNATI. D
a-. --......-. ......4
Reiter's Home for Quality
For UNION-MADE Work Shirts,
Overalls, Suspenders
1437 MAIN STREET, Neit Door lo Main Theatre
HENRY REITER, Prop.
WILLIAM F. KRUSE
DEALER IK
FINE. SHOES
Union Made Shoe
No. 1635 Rate St., Cor. Green St. Gnrinnali, 0. j
-O
Hata
Furnishing
Robert J. Thuman
Corner Vine and Green Streets
CINCINNATI, O.
Telephone Canal 1178-L
Phone W. 952. Newljr Furnished Throughout.
Under New Management
BRIGHTON HOTEL
Restaurant and Cafe
Special Inducements to Street Car Boys
FRED. ABAECHERLI, Prop.
Ceotrtl Ave., opp. Freeman Ave.; Cincinniti. 0.
ESTABLISHED 1871
GEO. F. WENDEL
STAPLE and FANCY
GROCERIES.!
142 and 144 East McMicken Avenue
Phone, Canal 472 CINCINNATI, O.
Edward McClure
CONTRACTOR
and; BUILDER
PHONES:
Madisonville S40 Madisonville 602-L
Office: 6203 Roe Street
Union Made Shoes
Repairing Done
H. H. Tiettmeyer
THE FOOTWEAR MERCHANT
PHONE WEST 804-X
1033 Freeman Ave. Cincinnati, O.
Phone North 721
JOHN NOPPENBERGER
STAPLE and FANCY GROCERY and
DAILY MEAT MARKET
Corner Hackberry and Dexter Ave.
Fresh Frails and Vegetables v Fish and Game' in Season
PATRONIZE YOUR; FRIENDS
HEADQUARTERS or THE Phone Aion 3966
Rough Riders Fishing and Outing Club
Hollister Benevolent Association
Starlight Base Ball and Outing Club
JACOB GREINER. Proprietor
Corner Cafe
2401 Vine Street
CNCINNATI, O.
A. CASTELLUCCI0
WHOLESALE
Imported and Domestic Groceries
SPAGHETTI A SPECIALTY
Telephone Canal 1743-X 1114 BROADWAY
CINCINNATI, O.
PHONE WEST 1340-Y
CABLE BROS.
Hat Manufacturers
Also Experts in Remodeling
1301 Freeman Ave. Cincinnati, O.
Work Guaranteed.
J. N. HOOK & CO. 13 W. Seventh St.