them as well, and his conclusive statement after having read "Otistown of the Open Shop" in Hampton's, is given as follows:

"I do not believe it possible that dynamite or giant powder could have caused the explosion, for it is the rule in coal mines or parts of a coal mine evolving inflammable gases to prohibit the use of all explosives except dynamite or giant powder, or other explosives, the basis of which is nitroglycerin, for the reason that the explosives named will not ignite gases; the action of these explosives being instantaneous and practically without flame. I have known of dynamite or giant powder being exploded in a section of a mine where gas was on fire, for the purpose of extin guishing the same; other efforts having previously failed."

Representative Wilson was chosen for his expert knowledge on practical mine work to handle the hearings before the congressional committees that reported favorably on the establishment of the United States Bureau of Mines. He read Hampton's article on the Los Angeles Times explosion and gave the following opinion:

a

"In my twenty-seven years' experience as miner, handling high explosives and noting their action, I have never known of a case where a great body of flame followed an explosion, such as is asserted to be the case in the Los Angeles Times catastrophe."

One of the many inflamed statements in Palmer's article was placed before Director J. A. Holmes, in his office in the bureau of mines, for especial consideration. It reads as follows:

"With hellish foreknowledge and precision the bomb was placed in the alley between the stereotyping room and the pressroom, where tons of ink were stored. It was set for that busy moment at I o'clock, when the morning edition is going to press. Swift as light following the roar and chaos from the explosion, the ink sent its of spray flames through the building. Those who were near the doors and windows escaped; the others sank down with the red blast in their lungs."

Before answering the question as to whether or no dynamite could have ignited printers' ink, Director Holmes turned to a list of what is termed "permissible explosives," namely, those that have passed the test of the bureau and will not ignite gas or dust in mines. Here he pointed to the California brands turned out by the Giant Powder Company-the source from which it is charged the dynamiters procured their supply-and then made the following statement:

"These permissible explosives, in my opinion, would not have set fire to inks or oils. No, nor gas, either. A test which would place an explosive in the permissible list for mine gas would stand as well for the ordinary house gas."

Then Director Holmes was asked the direct question upon which the whole terrible charge against labor hangs, the question of whether flames followed the use of these explosives. Here is his frank answer:

"I have never known of a mine explosion that

was followed by a body of flame such as is described. Yes, a gas explosion would have ignited that ink."

When the real trial of this great conspiracy of the Los Angeles millionaires to make a model openshop city finally takes place, the testimony of such experts as Director Holmes and Congressmen Wilson and Nicholls will go hard with plotters.

And Hampton's-Hampton's has certainly sunk itself deep in this attempt to get a public verdict before the evidence was in.

We think the above effectually "kills" the magazine writer's nitroglycerin theory, so we will see in what light he regards the Otis reign in Los Angeles and its results. Palmer expatiates thusly:

In all that concerns the relations of capital and labor Los Angeles may well be called Otistown, yet Los Angeles has very generally disagreed with him in politics of late years. It disagrees with his view that capital can do no wrong and that a labor union can never be right; it disagrees with the principle of his dragooning methods in all public affairs; with his ruthless personal diatribes in his editorial columns. His weaknesses and his vir tues have none of the human magnetism which win popularity.

And those who were against him felt the wrath of the Times in everything from his "blacklist"— which allows no mention of an individual or a concern to appear in a newspaper's columns-to cleverly devised secret irritation and open and sav age personal attack.

Included in the article is an interview with Manager Chandler, of the Times, in which the latter gives an account of an alleged incident which occurred at the time the Los Angeles Examiner was established. The former foreman of the Times pressroom, who was one of the leading characters in the supposed episode, is now dead, consequently can neither affirm nor deny the statement. The absurdity of the story concocted by Chandler is obvious to all fairminded people.

Further along in the Palmer article we find these choice bits:

"You stand by us," says the merchants and manufacturers' association in Los Angeles to the banks; and the banks do. They extend credit to the manufacturers in whose shop there is a strike, and they continue extending it so long as the strike lasts. As a sinews of a labor war it is difficult to overestimate the importance of credit. Bankers, wholesalers, big retailers, manufacturers, foundries, all stand together under the flag of the open shop.

Correspondents throughout the United States and Europe know that the Times' columns are open at good rates for every detestable crime that

men.

rumor or allegation brings against union Any twist against organized labor "goes" in the reporters' room.

In militant perpendicularity he [Otis] is for Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, a stand-pat tariff and the interests generally-being one of the interests himself, without trying to deny it. His political influence is passing. But such as he has he does not allow to run to waste. He knows exactly what he wants on all occasions. The memory of the day when he was to the local republican party what he is to the "M. and M." does not sweeten the flavor of his irreconcilable reactionaryism.

Of late the people seem to make a point of vot ing against the candidates and platforms he favors. The state goes insurgent; the city goes insurgent. The movement for municipal and national reform which sweeps over the country finds the old walrus at the old stand on his floe. Beside him Cannon is a conciliator of radicalism. Though beaten, the general trumpets as if he were a victor.

His power is the club of the Times and the merchants' and manufacturers' association, which he uses remorselessly to beat down whomsoever crosses his path.

Old Age Pension Payments.

The financial statement in this issue of THE JOURNAL comprises the receipts and expenditures from November 21 to December 20, inclusive. By reference thereto it will be found that many members on the old age pension roll are charged with $32 each. This is accounted for because the old age pension is paid once in every four weeks, and during the month ending December 20 pension reports for the four weeks ending November 19 and December 17 were received from a large number of unions. Whether or not a member received two checks during the financial month depends entirely upon the promptness with which the pension report of his union was made.

Renewal of Traveling Cards. Section 85 of the general laws of the International Union for 1911 reads as follows: Members working outside the jurisdiction of local unions shall transact all business and renew traveling cards through International officers.

This section became effective January 1, and it is not within the province of a local union to renew the traveling card of a member working in an unorganized town. All such members must forward their cards to headquarters for renewal. When sending a

card to the secretary-treasurer of the International Union for renewal the interested member should submit therewith an itemized statement of his earnings and forward a sufficient sum to pay the pension assessment due thereon at the rate of one-half of I per cent in addition to per capita tax, which amounts to 45 cents per member per month.

Notice to Local Secretaries.

The attention of local secretaries is directed to section 79 of the general laws for 1911, reading as follows:

All traveling cards deposited with a local union shall be endorsed with the date of deposit and the name and number of the local union and forwarded to the secretary-treasurer of the International Typographical Union.

This section prevents the reissuance of any traveling card deposited by a member. When a card is received a new one must be issued in lieu thereof, and the member drawing the card required to pay per capita tax up to and including the month in which it is issued and the pension assessment to the date of the issuance of his card. The proper stamps should be affixed to each card, and it should be so endorsed as to show clearly to what date the holder thereof has discharged his obligations.

All cards received must be endorsed with the date of deposit and the name and number of the issuing union and forwarded to headquarters with the report showing their receipt. A careful compliance with this law will assist in the keeping of a correct record of each member at headquarters.

Section 25 of the general laws for 1911 reads, in part, as follows:

All applications for membership shall be filed in duplicate on forms provided by the secretarytreasurer of the International Typographical Union. Secretaries of subordinate unions are required to furnish the secretary-treasurer one copy of each application.

The object of this law is to provide the International Union with sufficient data to enable thecompletion of the record of each new member up to the date of his initiation. Local secretarios are requested to be sure that their unions are using the new application blaules designed to meet the requirements of this law and to insist upon each

applicant filling out all portions of his petition. The names of applicants must be reported for publication in THE JOURNAL as heretofore. If desired a copy of each application can be filed when it is received, and data for the publication in THE JOURNAL will be taken therefrom. In event it better suits the purposes of the local union, an applicant's name can be reported for publication in a letter and the copy of his application filed with the monthly report giving the date of the applicant's initiation. Both the foregoing laws are important.

A New Typothetae Scheme.

It has long been the custom for a certain class of employers, who are determined to prevent the seed of unionism taking root, to show their workmen the "advantages" of buying shares and becoming "partners" in the business. This is one way of mastering finances and at the same time locking the yoke on the neck of the man who works. Other systems intended to ensnare their employes are the so-called "welfare" plans and methods for insuring them against sickness and accident. This latter scheme has lately been adopted by the United Typothetæ, the executive committee of that organization having sent circulars to all members, stating that arrangements have been made with a certain accident insurance company to indemnify their employes against sickness and accident, under the following plan:

Those of our employes who care to avail themselves of this opportunity will authorize you to deduct from their pay $1 a month for those 55 years of age and under, and $1.50 a month for those over 55. In return for which, without a doctor's examination, they will receive free medical attention in case of illness or accident, and in case of accident an indemnity of $40 a month for a period of two years; in case of illness $40 a month for a period of one year, with partial indemnity for the second year. In case of death by accident $400 will be paid the beneficiary named in the deceased's policy.

Apprentices, bindery girls, etc., may receive half these benefits at 50 cents a month, i. e., $20 a month for accidents and illness and $200 paid for accidental deaths. Employers and office help will receive for $1 a month $60 accident and sick benefits and $600 paid to beneficiary for deaths by accident.

In addition to the foregoing, and without extra charge to the policy holders, the United Typothetæ

of America will voluntarily give to the family or other beneficiary the sum of $100 as a burial benefit in case of death by disease. This does not come from the insurance company, and is not provided for in the policy. The burial benefit is purely a voluntary contribution on the part of the United Typothetæ of America.

It will be noticed that the benevolent and conscientious members of the typothetæ were so intent on discharging their duty to their employes that they saw fit to favor their "office help" by an increased benefit at practically the same price paid by the other workers. Why the life of an office employe should be worth $200 more than a workman's is beyond our reasoning. The "office help" also receives $20 more per month than the other employes in case of sickness or accident.

This is merely a move on the part of the typothetæ to further strengthen the employer in the good graces of the non-unionists. It will be interesting to observe the working out of the project and see what influence this “voluntary" relief will exercise in warding off damage suits. It will indeed be "cheap insurance" for the employer when he can absolve himself from all chance of being made to pay damages for accident by establishing a benefit schemeat the expense of the employe.

In its attempt to inaugurate this insurance plan, the typothetæ is simply following the lead of the steel and harvester trusts, the lake carriers' and lithographers' associations, and other combinations opposed to trade unionism-with their "welfare," profit-sharing and insurance snaresall designed to throttle organization among their employes. It is not likely that many of the typotheta's non-unionists will be deceived by the plan. The continued steady growth of the International Typographical Union is sufficient evidence that the intelligent and competent printer knows wherein his best interests lie. The union holds out to him more benefits at less cost than would accrue to him by the acceptance of any such crafty device offered by his employer.

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED students taking the I. T. U. Course in Printing is not a bad record for an institution that has been in operation less than three years.