A. Hoffman, of Smith-Brooks; W. H. Hedley, of the Merchants; M. Curtis Jones, sub., representing the job end. For president, John E. Collett, fourth term, Times proofroom, and John Sterling, operator at Reed's. All these are hustling. For vice-president, it is understood that T. F. (Biddy) Dolan is about to get in the way of the place; nobody is after Secretary-Treasurer Birdsall's place, and the same can be said of Recording Secretary Tanner. For the remainder of the positions there are no avowed candidates. Up to date the campaign has progressed finely, plenty of back-room sessions and the usual stories.

I am authorized to deny officially that J. Vander Perel, running for delegate, was ever a delegate to an International Typographical Union convention, as it has been said he was.

J. S. Temple, of the Western Newspaper Union, and George W. Brooks, of Smith-Brooks Printing Company, were at the Kansas City meeting of the employing printers, representing the masters of this city. This is the first time Denver has been represented in anything of this kind for years. Both are of the fairest employers, and there is no grave apprehension here regarding their connection with the new movement. There is a welldefined rumor that the Denver employers will ask for an opening of the present agreement with the allied printing trades council, embracing all printing trades in Denver and applying to book and job offices, in July. It is positively known that several employers ardently desire a return to the ninehour day, but several firms are just as much opposed. The agreement is perpetual unless abrogated. It is understood that changes will be asked in several points, and an increased wage for all might be offered if the hours could be lengthened. It is safe to predict that the hours are plenty long enough for the workmen, and they are satisfied with present conditions, and would resist to the end any change.

Claude R. Miller, former recording secretary of No. 49, afterward employer, and for two years manager of the Employing Printers' Board of Trade, the organization of the master printers, is a good friend of the union, as he was a consistent worker in the old days. He is very suc cessful in his position.

Mark Woodruff, register of the state land board, has been reappointed at a salary of $2,500. He is a member in good standing of Pueblo union. Cad Hager, a former oldtime member of No. 49, succeeded himself as secretary of the state board of charities and corrections.

M. Grant Hamilton, organizer for the American Federation of Labor, formerly of No. 49, who has been all over the west the past year and a half for that organization, has been in town for a few weeks, but has gone to Texas mineral springs for his health, which is bad.

George T. McNamara, formerly of Chicago, and well known to many throughout the country, who has been here for the past few years, expects to leave shortly by team for the state of Washington with his wife, with a view, of remaining.

Among the charter list of the new union at Goldfield, Nev., are the names of C. H. Peterson,

delegate to Milwaukee, Delevan W. Gee, James F. O'Brien and John App, all oldtime members of No. 49.

Talk about taking them in-we are doing that same thing. At the last meeting eleven were given the obligation, eight of whom were apprentices, the officers of the union having gone on a little union slumming tour after the last meeting. We have about everything in sight hereabouts.

The last JOURNAL contained many good things in the way of suggestions. That of "U. L. C.” “To Pittsburg Jobmen," was especially applicable, and should be printed in pamphlet form and sent to every town in the country where the eight-hour day does not obtain. It is a sermonette. Chairman White's (of the Salt Lake Tribune chapel) "Internal Strife Will Disrupt Any Union," should find a place in the daily prayer-book of every member of the International Typographical Union and be religiously followed. But "Secretary," of Pueblo, with his explanation of the button presentation to every initiate, is just about the real goods, and gives birth to an innovation that should be taken up by every union in the jurisdiction. By the way, here is a chance for some ambitious delegate to the Toronto convention to make a name and fame for himself-introduce a law making it compulsory upon all unions to furnish each candidate initiated with a button without cost to the candidate.

At its last meeting No. 49 adopted a resolution anent the Philadelphia situation that will be found elsewhere; did not endorse No. 101's plan for Philadelphia; sent Martin to the home; adopted a resolution to be sent to other unions of the. state protesting against ignoring of the printing commissioner law, and transacted considerable routine business.

Samuel Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor, will be in Denver the latter part of this month, and will make several addresses throughout the state. He will have a mass meeting and reception here under charge of the trades assembly, and President Shields has appointed a committee to arrange for the occasion.

H. E. GARMAN.

CHARLESTON, W. Va.

No. 146 is still in a most healthy and fairly prosperous condition, with many of her membership working full time and nearly all the rest at least half-time.

Several of our members have been on the sick list lately, among them being W. P. Campbell, our vice-president.

Our oldest member, "Flintlock" Perry, has announced his candidacy for election as delegate to the International Typographical Union.

Truly "truth is stranger than fiction," and it is exemplified by an Occurrence at the Donnally Publishing Company some time since. A gas jet, inadvertently left burning over night, caught a batch of proofs left hanging on the bracket, and they in turn set fire to the floor above, burning a small hole through it. the occurrence began.

Then the strange part of
The burning floor heated

a large pot of glue, which was directly over it, causing it to boil over, and the glue and water put out the burning wood without any human aid, but in doing so the glue ran through the hole in the floor and glued a case of nonpareil into almost a solid mass, and it is partly stuck together to this day. The first known of the occurrence was the next morning when the men came to work. The hole and the "stuck-up" type are still in evidence to prove the truth of the narrative.

How is the Correspondents' Association getting along? Long may it flourish!

D. C. LOVETT, Jr.

TACOMA, WASH.

As predicted, the special meeting at which was considered the phalanx in a job office, proved decidedly warm. For adopting in chapel meeting a motion to "sustain the foreman in any action he saw fit to take," and which caused the foreman to refuse to obey a decision of the executive board, the chapel's members were first vigorously criticized, but finally exonerated, after their profuse apologies to the board. The special union meeting sustained the board's decision in the matter. This was on Sunday. On Monday morning one of the proprietors of the office asked for a chapel meeting before the men began work, notifying the chapel he would act as foreman. Then he told the reinstated man to go to work, which he did. During all that day the proprietor-foreman subjected the reinstated man to every personal indignity he could think of, from vile names to burning red pepper, pouring water under him and keeping all the nearest windows open to subject the man to cold winds, besides throwing on the floor some substance which created a vile stench and sickened every one at work in the place. At the close of the day's work the proprietor-foreman declared his intention of persecuting the workman until he forced the man to either quit or fight, in which latter case he would be discharged. Well, the man put on a sub next day and the following day resigned. The chairman and foreman are on trial for violation of section 100, general laws. What may develop in the case of the proprietor-foreman time will tell.

Our citizens' alliance has received a new impetus owing to a strike of longshoremen against the stevedoring firm of McCabe and Hamilton, which has branches on this coast as well as in oriental ports. With each succeeding strike the announcement is made that the alliance will now proceed to disrupt all unions, but the employers concerned, so far as I can see, all fight it out as best they can. Employers are frequently great blowhards.

Some of the arguments in THE JOURNAL for and against piece or time scales give me a pain in the gizzard. We all want the best of it. Are we fast operators? Then we want a piece scale at a high rate per thousand, so we can tear our hearts out trying to make more than some one else. Are we slow? Then we want a time scale, with a very low deadline and no bonus, so we can draw our money easily, make as much as the abler and more in

dustrious workman, and pride ourselves on being paid as well as the best, even if our work is as poor as the worst. Jealousy and selfishness characterize nine-tenths of the arguments advanced by printers on scale questions, but of all the picayunish, dog-in-the-manger knockers, commend me to the man who opposes a raise of a fellow workman's wage solely because the knocker is not inIcluded in the increased salary. It will never be possible, in my opinion, to make a scale which will suit both fast and slow men, but a medium might be found, with limitations in both directions, if the question is approached in the proper spirit, with a proper regard for the various interests to be considered, and a disposition to recognize different degrees of speed and skill. But unless jealousy can be wiped out, the knocker will, as heretofore, prove the most persistent and pestiferous offender against fraternal spirit among the membership when scale questions are under discussion.

I dislike very much to read in craft papers, particularly in THE JOURNAL, of the wrangle which is going on over what is called the Philadelphia situation. It will do our organization no good, particularly at this time, for labor editors to fill their columns with scurrilous attacks on International Typographical Union officers, whether well founded or not. As stated by a writer in the April JOURNAL, it's pie for Parry. The time and the place to attack International Typographical Union officers is before the convention. I think it poor taste, d-n poor taste, to be spreading broadcast, just in advance of our stand for an eight-hour day, all the disagreeable, dissension-breeding details of the differences which are being discussed. For the good of the organization, let's cut it out. No good can come of it, but only harm. If we didn't want our International Typographical Union officers to do the work for us, why did we elect them, and by such majorities? If our wishes and aspirations were defeated in that election, why haven't we decency enough to take our defeat philosophically and refrain from mudslinging. No more effective means could be adopted for destroying our united front on next New Year's day, and without a united front we might as well quit right now.

James Monroe Kreiter wants to know why, when I send Tacoma news, I sometimes sign "Secretary" instead of what he thinks is my name. Well, Jeems, it's just like this: I only weighed six pounds at birth, and I have been losing flesh ever since because of the name that was given me, but I'll sign it this time, though I do not entirely like your Monroe doctrine, and really think you are a most particular Kreiter. Besides, I have some regard for THE JOURNAL Compositor's supply of small caps, but evidently you have not. Now, see here, Jimmy, don't you do it again, or Editor Bramwood may disqualify me altogether. I really hate to do it, but if James must have my name signed to this letter, I am not to be blamed. Now take a long breath (or drink). Here it is:

CHARLES AUGUSTUS THEODORE FRANKLIN
HENRY FELIX WALDORF PERRY COMSTOCK
ALLEN GAULDIN PORTER WASHINGTON
COLUMBUS TAYLOR.

OMAHA, NEB.

P. J. Boyle has accepted the position of organizer for this district, and his many friends are pleased with the foresight of President Lynch in making the appointment.

For the benefit or those who are interested the writer wishes to emphatically state he did not make application for the position of organizer for this district, the willful misrepresentation by a certain paper in this locality to the contrary notwithstanding. The same can be said of Secretary Kinney. As a matter of fact, both of us recommended Mr. Boyle's appointment to fill the vacancy.

Will M. Maupin has this to say regarding the late Nebraska state legislature: "The legislature of 1905 has made a record for the enactment of labor legislation, and that record will go thundering down the ages and be preserved in the archives of labor as long as time shall last. The Nebraska legislature of 1905 enacted into law an eight-hour day for monkeys! Hereafter it will be unlawful for a monkey to work more than eight hours a day in Nebraska! Men, women and children may be forced to toil from sun to sun, but the monkey is given the eight-hour day from now on. Glorious news! Nebraska's legislature thinks more of monkeys than it does of human beings! The monkeys were well represented in the legislature, which explains their success. Blood is thicker than water.' Mr. Maupin is euitor and proprietor of the Wageworker, published at Lincoln, Neb., and is also associate editor of Mr. Bryan's Commoner.

The allied printing trades council gave another of its "smokers" recently. It was largely attended and was addressed by men well known throughout the United States. William Jennings Bryan, exCongressman G. M. Hitchcock and Hon. Edward Rosewater were the principal speakers, and all spoke on and in favor of eight hours. Mr. Bryan opened his address by saying that he was not a member of any union, but thought he was eligible to membership in the stereotypers' organization, because he could prove by every republican newspaper and orator in the country that he made stereotyped speeches. Mr. Hitchcock, who is proprietor of the World-Herald, said in part: "It makes no difference if job printers work eight or nine hours per day if the printers in other towns would do the same. * The United States has solved the problem of production of wealth; the coming issue will be the proper distribution of wealth. The problem now is the division of the product of labor and capital. The eight-hour question is one of the problems, and it is not coming, but is here." Edward Rosewater made one of his usual logical talks, remarking that he "always endeavored to keep the peace even if he had to fight for it." The only opposition to the eight-hour question came from Samuel Rees, one of the organizers of the typothetæ and proprietor of one of the big print shops of Omaha. He has a reputation for being a fighter, and is respected as such. Mr. Rees said he was against any reduction of hours, and said it would require a fight to establish the shorter workday. "You put up your $500,000 and we will put up our $100,000 and fight

+

it out," was the concluding remark of Mr. Rees, amid great applause. However, Mr. Rees can make himself at home most any old place, and after making his talk he settled back in an easy chair, lighted a cigar and proceeded to hold sessions with his "enemies," apparently passing a very pleasant evening, as did the other two hundred or more who were in attendance.

At the request of resident Sancha, of the allied printing trades council, I would say that the allied trades includes among its membership the pressfeeders and bookbinders, as well as the pressmen, stereotypers, printers, etc. In giving an account of the recent successful smoker the local papers did not give the press feeders and bookbinders the credit due them, and it is the desire of President Sancha that the public should know that the success of the series of smokers given by the council is due as much to the hard work of the press feeders and bookbinders as any other union affiliated with the council.

At the time this letter is sent in the candidates who have announced themselves for the two delegateships are W. S. Ripley, Roy Hinman and John Bonner, with several others waiting for a little encouragement. President Fisher, Secretary Kinney, Recorder Sellenthin and Sergeant-at-Arms Monte Collins will be candidates for re-election. I. J. COPENHARVE.

WASHINGTON, PA.

It is with pleasure that I note that Victor E Metcalf is to be retained in President Roosevelt's cabinet as secretary of commerce and labor. Have met the gentleman on his native heath, and he's a jolly good fellow and an advocate of the square deal, I think.

A reporter sent out to cover a peace conference between a church having a northern and southern faction returned to the chief with "nothin' doin', nothing to write about-it broke up in a row!"

The death of John Parham, at Charleston, S. C., December 27, is to be regretted by all who knew him. He was well liked on the Baltimore News at the time Charles Skinner was foreman, as a whole-souled, good-natured printer.

The new machine scale in this town, recently adopted on piece work, was an increase of 1 cent. Morning newspapers now 12 cents; afternoon or weekly papers 11 cents; other composition, 10point or over, to be at the rate of 15 cents per 1,000 ems, 221⁄2 cents overtime. At present all is time work.

One two-thirds member and one reinstated one were brought in at our last meeting, which was an enthusiastic one, and all those present certainly admired the fine new quarters obtained by No. 456 -in the new $750,000 courthouse. The entire membership, except five, was present.

L. V. Peary, of the Reporter adrooms, had a couple of his creations reset in Printer's Ink recently, under the head of "Ready-Made Advertisements." They were appropriate to a "T.”

The Observer (morning) and Reporter (evening), both dailies, are contemplating moving from their present quarters, rear of the First National

Bank, to 112-114-116 South Main street, an admirable spot for a newspaper plant.

A movement is already on foot here for the formation of two printers' baseball teams, the Single and Double Leaders.

As a prospective delegate to Toronto, agree with J. B. Nesbit, of Des Moines, Iowa, to double the tax and have THE JOURNAL twice a month"just for the good and welfare."

Congratulations, James ("Shorty") Egan, upon your election as business agent of Toledo No. 63. If I was in your city I would surely (?) present you with a nice red apple-now that you are wearing the leather apron on the Legal News. Joe Randall, an oldtime foreman on the Cincinnati Tribune, once when I offered to present him with a be-au-ti-ful apple, replied that it would take a barrel of 'em. WILLIAM CLARK BLACK.

AUSTIN, TEXAS.

Work has been good all winter in this city. Nothing has occurred for a long time to mar the harmony that exists between the employers and employes or between the printers themselves. This is the town with 100 per cent membership in the union. There are no cliques or clans, and all efforts to create strife and jealousy between employes of different offices or between chapels are frowned upon.

The Gammel-Statesman Company has lately put in another linotype, making seven. Two shifts are run, and an order was issued April 1 for the third shift to be put on. This firm is state contractor, and with this and its publications, among which are the Morning Statesman, Evening Tribune-News and several weeklies, monthlies, etc., has been crowded to the utmost.

Thomas Holbrook, foreman of the GammelStatesman for some time, resigned March 29. Ed H. Smith is acting in this capacity temporarily.

For the benefit of A. F. Bloomer I will state that William Moorehead, immortalized in Opie Read's "Emmet Bonlore," is working in this city and has been for several months.

The entire membership of No. 138 sympathizes with Ed F. Members in the recent loss of his father. Mr. Members learned his trade and joined the union here.

Bell Stephenson, a former linotype operator at the Von Boeckmann-Jones Company, is getting out the city directory. He says it is a big job and will cost him a few thousand dollars. He is devoting his entire time to it.

W. R. Manning, well known in Texas, is operating a machine at the Von Boeckmann-Jones Company.

Members of No. 138 have formed a society called the George W. Childs Benevolent Association.

The woman's auxiliary is in a flourishing condi tion. It has a dance billed for the 5th of April, and has inaugurated a series of social meetings.

A feat was recently performed on a linotype machine in this city, which I think deserves especial mention: Charles Bergsten, a native of Sweden, who learned his trade in that country,

and learned the machines here, set a galley of twenty-six-em nonpareil tables with several columns of figures, and not a mark on the proof. And "Billie" Wilkinson read the proof.

A label league has been formed here, with fiftyone charter members and fourteen initiations at second meeting. To Mrs. Maginnis, wife of Joe Maginnis, a member of No. 138, is due the credit for the organization of this league. C. L. LEACHE.

THE JOURNAL is like a news letter from home. I enjoy the personal mention feature of the correspondence, as it goes a long way toward nourishing a social feeling and keeping fresh the memories we retain of the boys we have worked with in various places. This spirit of brotherhood can not be too warmly encouraged, and especially for the remainder of this year, so that every printer will more keenly realize that the eight-hour fight we are preparing for is not simply a local demand, but an international one. Those of us who are in eight-hour towns may be slow to favor any active demonstration in regard to getting something for some one else that we are already enjoying. But, say, boys, don't forget the family is large, and we want everybody to fare alike.

Quite a number of operators are in town in response to a request from the Statesman office for additional help. Three shifts are to be put on, and the piece system inaugurated throughout all of them. Mr. Bishop, of Dallas, has been put in charge as foreman.

John Marron, an oldtime New Yorker, is reading proof on the Statesman. John owns a fine saddle horse that can beat any Texas broncho on bucking. He says the animal stands on one leg and waves the other three in the air. Marron locks his own feet together under the pony and lets him go.

Bob Miles, another New Yorker, is chairman of the Fort Worth Record office.

The ladies' label league is a live organization, and is doing some effective work in Austin.

An Austin dry goods firm advertises "Pongee parasols for misses with ruffles." The operator got smart and put in a comma, and had it marked out. The firm says points don't go.

"Billy" Barlow is in town again.

MRS. H. BURGESS.

TOPEKA, KAN.

At the regular meeting of No. 121, April 2, a bunch of discussion was untied. The meeting of the non-union union or employers' association at Kansas City, April 10, was the cause.

The employing printers must continue to be employers in order to make money. They need the labor and, in fact, must have it. Their plants, large or small, would be worse than useless to them without labor and its power to create dividends. In a batch of resolutions the employers set forth that "Labor at first was satisfied with recognition, later with regulation, and now seeks to control absolutely the printing industry." Too bad, is it not? With the swift presses, folders, stitchers, and other labor-saving devices, made by

some sort of labor, the printer produces much more than formerly, but "labor saving" is not for him, the worker, but for the employer. What matters it if a typesetting machine takes the place of five hand men-or one man and a machine produces as much as five good men-it is a saving to the employer to have done with four men and the necessity of paying those four fair wages. And if the one remaining man of the five ask that his wages be increased and his hours reduced, he straightway becomes an enemy and should be "shot, hung and drowned" for his wickedness. Did it ever occur to these same men to get together and "resolute" against the owners of ink and paper mills when the prices of same are advanced? Do they raise a howl when any press builder notifies them that such and such a press will be sold at 10, 20, or even 50 per cent advance after a given date? Not a bit of it. Why, then, in the name of Ben Franklin, do they put up such a howl against the "man behind the mallet?" It looks like a tall bluff to yours truly. There may be a big scrap in 1906, but I doubt it. They have a much worse time keeping their men in line than do we, with our organization extending from Sitka to St. Augustine and from Maine to Manila.

Reports from the various chapels show there are no idle men in town.

The Hall Lithograph Company has ordered two new presses, which will be put in immediately.

The Daily Capital has purchased a three-deck, twenty-four-page press. Another evidence of the growth of the Capital.

L. M. Cristy was appointed to fill a vacancy on the eight-hour committee, caused by the resignation of J. F. Kirkpatrick. Mr. Kirkpatrick is now in Colorado.

Candidates are numerous and all of them confident of success. W. B. Conrey is reading Robert's Rules of Order and practicing with the print-shop mallet. Wants to be chairboss of No. 121. T. B. Brown and J. W. Mitchell have eyes turned toward Toronto. There is much good-natured jollying among the several candidates, but for the first time in years the backcapper is entirely absent. ED B. MURPHY.

DECATUR, ILL.

No. 215 is beginning to sit up and take notice. The eight-hour day is being discussed in all its phases by our members. This local is placed in a very peculiar position. Three years ago a new scale was under discussion between our scale committee and the representatives of the different newspaper and job shops of the city. A compromise was finally agreed to by both parties, the union agreeing to work under said scale for a period of five years. The proprietors refused to sign the agreement, however, although they have, without exception, been paying the wage agreed upon. The old scale does not expire until August, 1907, and some of our members claim that the agreement, not being signed by the proprietors, should not be binding upon No. 215, while others hold that the union is morally obligated to make

no change in the scale until August, 1907. How ever, some of our optimistic brethren believe the matter will be amicably adjusted by our eight-hour committee, the relations between our local and the proprietors having always been most cordial.

No. 215 elected officers at the April meeting, the financial secretaryship being the only contest. L. L. Underwood defeated Bert Beals for that of fice by a vote of 23 to 16. This is Mr. Underwood's sixth successive election to that office, a fitting tribute to a tried official.

Some of the boys are noticed, during these spring-like days, gazing across the green fields and rubbing the bottoms of their feet on machine bases and "sich." But then, we all know the feeling.

Each of the two large offices now has a doubledeck "battleship," the Herald being the last to invest. Both give satisfaction.

Work has been good during the past winter, but is now slacking up. However, nearly every man in town is employed.

So far we have heard of but one candidate for delegate to the Toronto convention-Colonel J. M. Shultz.

Decatur now has a regular convention fund, the secretary-treasurer being authorized by the union to place aside $1 per week, said sum being used to defray the expenses of our delegate. This does away with the annual howl of "how much shall we allow." T. B. LINDSAY.

CUMMINGS MEMORIAL.

The Cummings memorial committee is getting along in fine shape with its work, and the list of subscriptions appearing in THE JOURNAL each month shows how the finances are coming in. Over $10,000 is now in the fund, and letters and cards on file with the secretary pledge fully $3,000 more, with a number of large unions about to take favorable action on the project. It was hoped that we would have sufficient funds pledged to warrant us arranging for the laying of the cornerstone of the annex upon the anniversary of Brother Cummings' birth, but it is deemed advisable to wait until later.

By the way, the date of his birth is May 15, and it is believed that a number of unions that have not yet acted upon the matter are waing until the May meeting to do so, so as to make the donation more appropriate, if possible. Is your union in that class?

I am in receipt of many letters from those outside of the movement, inquiring as to the project, such interest having been undoubtedly awakened by the many kindly notices appearing in the vari ous daily papers of the country. How any union, situated in a city in which a paper has so greatly helped us, has not as yet acted, is beyond me. However, the committee has every reason to be encouraged over the progress made, and I can assure all that we are thankful for the aid extended so far, and also assure all that have not yet reported that we will be right with you until you do. If it were possible we would hang up a little premium for each union contributing, like the "small ad" fad now on in so many papers, but I