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The Home Christmas Fund.

Approximately $1,500 has been received at International headquarters in response to the request of President Lynch-authorized by the board of trustees-for a Christmas donation to the Union Printers Home, to be used for the purpose of constructing an addition to the building. Of this sum $100 was given by Charles H. Taylor, jr., of the Boston Globe, at one time president of the American Newspaper Publishers' Association, who has on previous occasions demonstrated his sincere friendship for the International Union.

One of the recent visitors to the Home was Editor Van Galder, of the Modern Woodman, on which he comments as follows in his paper:

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The Printers Home at Colorado Springs is doing a great charitable work in caring for indigent members of the printers' unions, but its best work is in treating its members for tuberculosis. The Home is handicapped for lack of funds, although each member of the union contributes 15 cents monthly. Just now there is urgent need for an addition to the Home, and President James M. Lynch has sent out an appeal to each local chapel, asking the members to make contributions. tal of $12,000 is needed. The editor of Modern Woodman recently visited the Home. He saw the great work that is being done there, and he hopes that every Woodman printer will make a contribution to this cause which is so worthy. The Printers Home is not far from the Modern Woodman sanatorium, and the good these two institutions are endeavoring to do should meet with most cordial support and hearty endorsement from every one. It is simply the well and the strong giving of their earnings to help the sick and the weak who have fallen by the wayside. would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."

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"As ye

THE Chicago Tribune chapel sent a check for $53 as its contribution to the fund that is being raised to erect a suitable library building for the Union Printers Home.

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THE Christmas donation fund for the benefit of the Union Printers Home was enriched to the extent of $335 by St. Paul Typographical Union No. 39.

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SOME of the chapels which made donations to the Home Christmas fund were: American Lumberman, Day, and Ryan &

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"Big Six" Protests.

"Big Six" has taken up with the board of education of New York city the question of a publication, known as Current Events, which, it is alleged, is being used by the teachers in the public schools of that city, some of whom act as agents for the paper. A circular has been distributed freely throughout Greater New York in which it is asserted that "the method is to ask the pupils questions which can be answered only by a study of Current Events, and allowing

a certain number of marks for correct an

swers." The circular requests parents to ask their children if such method prevails in their classes, and if so to notify the officials of Typographical Union No. 6.

It is charged that the publication is sold to the pupils at the rate of 40 cents a year, and the teachers, or a pupil designated by the teachers to act as agent, receive from the publishers of Current Events a commission on all sales of the paper. Typographical Union No. 6 insists that this is a form of intimidation. While there may be no actual compulsion in the purchase of the paper, it is declared that the intimidation consists of a series of questions being asked of the pupils which can be correctly answered only from Current Events. The contention of No. 6 is that, as the board of education is supposed to furnish free all textbooks necessary, the forcing of a private publication on the pupils is wrong in principle, and assumes an appearance of petty graft which has become so widespread that the consequences are now serious.

"Underpaid" Explains It.

An assertion that one-fourth of the money wasted annually by the city of New York would suffice to check tuberculosis in that vicinity, was made in an address by Dr. Woods Hutchinson at the tuberculosis exhibit held during the past six weeks in the metropolis. "What is killing the people of New York," he declared, "may be stated as overwork, underfeeding and overcrowding, and two of these may be included under the word 'underpaid.' The admonition, the message of the church and of medicine today to the community is not 'give to the poor,' but 'don't take so much away from them.'" Stress was laid on the preventive side of the tuberculosis crusade by another speaker in the following remarks:

I do not want to minimize that charity which sends the sufferer from tuberculosis to a sanatorium where he may be cured, and which makes it easier for him, if his case be hopeless, to die. But I want to emphasize that charity which prevents the disease and stops it before the man's trip is necessary.

The essential points of the statements made by the two speakers quoted are constantly being driven home to the employer

by the International Typographical Union with all the force at its command. The protest against an "underpaid" policy on the part of the employer and the insistence upon sanitary workrooms for the employe are two demands which the organization has long held out for.

The Union Printers Home display at the New York exhibit received much favorable newspaper mention. Instance the following by a correspondent of a newspaper of the middle west:

I took an extra look at the model tent shown by the Union Printers Home for tuberculosis at Colorado Springs, for I like to feel that printers have things easy when they need them. This tent, you will be glad to know, was one of the most attractive shown. It was octagonal, with hardwood floor, the sides of stout canvas lift up, and there is a tin chimney at the apex of the roof. It had a tiny steam radiator and electric lights. There was a wardrobe and dresser, a white iron bed, rocking chair, pretty rug-a regular dollhouse of a tent, with everything complete. I could picture the mountains and the glorious scenery about the real tents, and the picture was a pleasing one.

A Cincinnati Printer-Author. The historic, economic and religious relationship of the scriptures and industrial pursuits is shown in an entertaining and readable manner in a book by Edwin L. Hitchens, for many years actively engaged in the printing trade and who is a member of Cincinnati Typographical Union No. 3. The book is entitled "The Bible and Labor," from the preface of which we cull this paragraph:

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The Bible is the workingman's book. born of a labor dispute; it was written by labor advocates; and its crowning purpose is to lay bare to the world the life of a workingman, preacher to workingmen, who died as a workingman, on the cross of a workingman. And if by His death men are to find spiritual salvation, by what reasoning shall that death not stand for the social and economic salvation of the world?

The author cites the tactics of the early rulers of Rome to show that it has ever been the custom of the capitalist-employer "to have at hand legions of slaves, convicts, or unorganized wage-earners, wherewith to combat and hamper the aspirations and progress of organized crafts." The three main theses of the book are aristocracy, democracy and humanity, and a perusal of the work indicates that much study has

been given them by the author. A papercovered edition can be had for 25 cents by addressing the author, 2120 Cleneay avenue, Norwood, Ohio.

Dayton's New Label Scheme.

The League of Progressive Printers of Dayton, Ohio, is the outcome of a new scheme for conducting a label campaign, and the members of No. 57 are confident that much more effective work can be accomplished than by the ordinary label committee. One of the large advertisers of the country-Fels & Co., of Philadelphia, Pa.write the league that they maintain their own printing plant, which is union throughout, and that they pay better than the union scale. They are now considering the proposition of using the label on all their printed matter. As their products, particularly Fels-Naphtha, is sold everywhere, it would not be out of place to patronize this concern in preference to using Ivory soap, the makers of which persist in patronizing the unfair printing house of Reynolds & Reynolds, of Dayton, Ohio. The Dayton pure spice mills, manufacturers of "Old Reliable" coffee (formerly called "Dutch Java") are, it is asserted, the sole support of the non-union Geile & Phlaum plant, of Dayton. There is no particular reason why trade unionists and their friends should not discriminate ir. favor of other brands of coffee, inasmuch as the Dayton concern refuses to use the product of union print

ers.

Western Federation May Affiliate.

The possibilities of the Western. Federation of Miners becoming affiliated with the American Federation of Labor is being discussed in some quarters, and it has been asserted that the subject will be broached at the next session of the western miners. The official magazine of the Western Federation recently had the following to say on the subject:

While the officers of the Western Federation of Miners and the great majority of the membership are not in harmony with the policy or the tactics of the American Federation of Labor, yet the of ficers and the members of both organizations realize but too forcibly that the labor movement of this continent can not be too strongly intrenched

to resist the oppression of the combinations that are waging a relentless warfare upon organized labor. If in the future the Western Federation of Miners shall become a part of the American Federation of Labor, such amalgamation can only come about through the referendum vote of the membership. The officers of the Western Federa tion of Miners are merely the servants of the organization, and until the membership shall seek affiliation with the American Federation of Labor, it is idle to make the claim.

There is no doubt that a spirit of conservatism has manifested itself in the Western Federation in the past few years, as is evidenced by the closer relations existing between that organization and the United Mine Workers, and it is not unlikely that this may be followed by a pact with the American Federation of Labor in the near future.

Eight-Hour Reflections.

There are constantly echoes in our ears of the eight-hour strike. Some who knew the shorter workday was impossible are now protesting that they were always in favor of eight hours-it was the non-union shop and other trifling matters that they were contending for. Unfortunately for them, the record is still intact. Other echoes are telling what the struggle cost the enemy. The junior partner of a firm that was in the limelight and got perhaps more than its share of glory, has said the strike cost his concern $50,000 and a great portion of its business. The plant is not thought to be worth more than $100,000. Of course the firm will recover, for it is now in the fold. If this comes anywhere near being proportionate to what the strike cost others, how about the folly? Workingmen are continually being lectured on their foolhardiness in making sacrifices through strikes, but was there ever a sacrifice more foolhardy than this? It can be said for the trade unionist that when he makes an effort it is for the purpose of uplifting humanity-of ultimately making life more tolerable and brighter for the great mass of mankind. If he fails he has the consolation of knowing that he advanced the cause to the extent of his ability and that his efforts were not wholly lost-victory is with the next assault. Those who opposed the eight-hour

workday must have known they were doomed to ultimate defeat, and victory for them would mean joy for a few rather than many. Then, from a business standpoint, they succeeded in demoralizing the trade, whereas, with the exercise of reason and common sense, they could have made of the movement a basis on which to work for the removal of many evils that pester them.

The Home Views Displayed.

The Los Angeles branch of the Society for the Prevention and Cure of Tuberculosis held a mass meeting on the evening of December 4, and a large audience, composed mainly of business and professional men, was in attendance. Many physicians of note addressed the gathering, and about one hundred slides of sanataria in this country and Europe, together with views of tents and tenthouses, were shown. The International Typographical Union was in evidence. Organizer McLernon writes:

I obtained permission of the society to exhibit views of the Home, its grounds, tent colony, dairy herd, and the model tent recently on exhibition at Washington. Our slides were colored, showing the foliage and flowers to best advantage, together with the descriptive line underneath each, as in the postals, while the other views of the society were merely photographs. The half-suppressed exclamations of admiration for our views from the audience were enough to warm the heart of any union printer and cause him to swell up with just pride. They were the best of the evening and excelled by far their nearest competitor. I prepared descriptive matter covering each picture and went as far as I thought they would allow me in this respect. I was surprised when the lecturer not only used all of my copy, but threw in considerable praise and commendation for the organization which did this noble work, on his own account. In the audience were many members of the merchants' and manufacturers' association, who have fought the printer in the past, and the advertising we received from this exhibit undoubtedly will be of great benefit in dispelling the impression, gained through reading the Times, that we are a gang of pirates and cutthroats.

It might be well for our local unions, in jurisdictions where tuberculosis exhibits are in contemplation, to take a leaf out of the Los Angeles book. The International president has placed this suggestion before the local unions, and it should receive careful consideration.

The Insurance Problem.

Now that the old age pension system is in practical working order, a great deal of discussion and thought is being indulged in by the membership of the International Union looking to the establishment of an insurance scheme. The question has already been touched on to some extent by JOURNAL correspondents, and it is the intention of this magazine to encourage the widest discussion of the subject. In connection with an insurance plan, President Lynch said in his report to the Hot Springs convention:

The present burial fund feature has demonstrated that an organization such as we have can supply insurance at a very much less cost than insurance can now be had by our membership in purely insurance ventures. If we can succeed in ultimately establishing this insurance feature, coupled with the pension and out-of-work funds, we will have made membership in the International Typographical Union so valuable that in case of industrial disturbance the member who otherwise might be weak will hesitate, for purely selfish reasons, foreign entirely to any idea of obligation to his fellow men, before he will violate his union obligation. This suggestion as to an insurance feature is entirely feasible, and not only is it possible, but it is believed that the time is near at hand when it will be imperatively nec

essary.

And at the Boston convention the International president declared that body “could, with value to the membership, give consideration to the insurance idea, and might direct the compilation of data relative thereto, for publication in THE TYPOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL, thus stimulating interest in the idea, and securing opinions and contributions from the best writers in the organization." Readers of THE JOURNAL have had several plans placed before them of late, and at the Boston convention two propositions were introduced-by Delegate Lynch (Ottawa, Kan.) and Delegate Piner (Chicago), at the request of T. F. Pilcher, of Typographical Union No. 16. The proposition of Delegate Lynch provided for the appointment of a commission of ten to devise a plan for optional insurance, but the other proposition was more comprehensive in its character. Mr. Pilcher's plan involved the organization of "The International Typographical Union Protective Society," the officers of the society to be the executive officers of the International Union. An assessment of $1

per member was to be levied as an initiation fee, and an assessment not to exceed 3 cents was to be made on each member of the organization in case of a death, and to a member in good standing for a period of ten years or more, $1,000 to be paid; if death occurred between the first and fifth year, $350 to be paid; between the fifth and tenth year, $750 to be paid. There were other features covered in the plan, but the foregoing were the most important ones. After thoroughly considering the subject, the committee on laws recommended that the propositions be referred to the executive council, and the convention so ordered.

Secretary-Treasurer Bramwood, in his report to the Boston convention, also touched on the subject. He said, in part:

Your secretary has had considerable correspondence with members of the International Union who are interested in the question of insurance by the parent organization. That the International Union can successfully put into effect and operate life insurance, or a burial benefit that would practically be insurance, is not doubted. The question is, Are we ready for it, and is the membership willing to pay for this additional benefit?

The cost of insurance by the International Union depends entirely upon the manner in which it is conducted and the amount paid on the death of a member. We are now collecting 71⁄2 cents per member monthly-90 cents per year-for the burial fund, and are paying a burial benefit of $75 on the death of a member in good standing. The $75 benefit was in force during the last five months of the fiscal year. A total of 538 benefits were paid in the year. Had all benefits been paid at the $75 rate, the revenue of the fund would have been a little less than its receipts. With an increasing membership the revenue for the next year should exceed the expenditures from the fund.

Basing my opinion upon our experience with the burial fund, I believe the International Union can pay $1,000 on the death of a member in good standing, who has been such for one year or more, by collecting $12 per member per year for an insurance or burial fund, and operating the fund as is the present burial fund. Our present laws do not require a physical examination or membership for any certain time to render a member eligible to the burial benefit. It is promptly paid on the death of a member in good standing (his last working card being evidence of his standing), provided his union is also in good standing with the International Union. At present the burial benefit is paid to the local union for the burial expenses of the deceased. If desired the law could be changed, in event of the adoption of an increased benefit or insurance, so as to permit of the payment of the benefit to the legal heirs of the deceased member.

Should insurance be inaugurated on a plan involving keeping a record of each member or an ac

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