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12-31-1921 The Open Shop, Volume II Number 6 Business Men's Association of Omaha
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Recommended Citation Business Men's Association of Omaha, "The Open Shop, Volume II Number 6" (1921). Digitized Books. 12. http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/ascdigitizedbooks/12
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VoL. II DECEMBER 31, 1921. NUMBER 6 Eliminate Lawlessness The people of Nebraska at the next are receiving or distributing milk" and general election, in November 1922, are from "spying on the operations of the going to decide whether or not there is to plaintiffs or any of their customers or be violence and lawlessness in future employees." It goes much farther than this industrial strikes in this state. The last by including all the prohibitions found in legislature passed a law defining unlawful the Nebraska Law. picketing and prohibiting such interference On November 14th the union te<1msters with the right to work and engage in in Chicago went on a strike. Here is what lawful business. the Chicago Tribune reports about the The leaders of organized labor with the situations in its issue of November 15th: assistance of the Non-partisan League have No bulky freight of any consequence been able to hold up the enforcement of was moved in Chicago yesterday and the law by having it referred to the people. what few attempts were made to move it When it was before the legislature, they resulted in violence. Non-union drivers and union drivers who attempted to take insisted that they believed only in "peace loads from freight yards were mobbed by ful picketing" and did not countenance strikers, beaten and in some cases, were violence. bombarded with coal and stones. Several Those who favored the bill maintained were removed to hospitals. * * * that there is no such thing as "peaceful The first victim of violence was Frank Jones * * * who was knocked from picketing" ; that violence and lawlessness his truck and beaten at 14th & South almost invariably followed picketing and Peoria Streets. in every case there was intimidation. That John Oitre was r cued from a mob of they were right is shown in the record of 11early 100 strikers at 14th Street and South Western Avenue by the police. He the past few weeks. had been knocked from his truck and Over at Ottumwa, Iowa, the workers in beaten. the John Morrell Packing Company plant Herbert Trow * * * was stabbed, have been on a strike for about a month. beaten and otherwise injured when he was knocked off a wagon at 16th Street Pickets have been on duty and several and Union Avenue. outbreaks have occurred. Recently so How much that sounds like the last much violence took place that the Gover teamster's strike that Omaha experienced. nor found it necessary to send four com panies of National Guards there to protect Newspaper reports of the packing house the workmen from the strikers. strike that is now in progress, are giving us New York is experiencing a strike of many accounts of violence originating from drivers and other employees in the milk the picket lines. industry. It has been marked with violence Experience shows that where ever picket from the first. Machinery has been altered ing is permitted it is followed by lawlessness. and damaged, milk has been destroyed and We have come to know that the right or employees threatened and assaulted. Final wrong of issues involved in a strike are ly Supreme Court Justice Kelby issued an never settled by violence. Then why invite injunction restraining the strikers from it by permitting the picket? If the people "picketing in any way the depots, places of Nebraska are acquainted with the pro of business or routes of any of the plaintiffs visions of the law they will not defeat it at or any point where they or their employees the polls next November. 2
A Brutal Strike such union leadership as brought about this senseless and brutal strike. To what limit will closed shop unionism What is fair pay for milk wagon go in its attack upon the public 7 The milk drivers as for any workers is a question strike that is now in progress in New York which can be negotiated and com is one of the most despicable that has yet promised. But the only terms of settle been attempted. The feeling of people ment which robust manhood and sou nd morals can consider with men who toward such a strike is well described in fomented and projected such a strike are the following editorial from the New York not merely their unconditional surrender Herald: but their absolute elimination from the situation. The milk strike is on its last legs. It was such a stupid and brutal business that it never had a chance of success. The public recoiled in horror at the in Open Shop Increases Wages humanity and brutality of men who without an atom of feeling would im In a recent letter to the Associated Em peril the lives of babies and children and ployers of Indianapolis, a foundry company invalids that t hey might enforce their in that city related how production and greedy demands for bigger wages. The strike was so brutal that dema remuneration for employees had increased gogues who thought they could play when it changed from a closed to an open cheap politics with it dropped it like a shop system. The letter states: hot poker when they found how aroused In August, 1920, we had a total of 29 and outraged the people of New York molders and five apprentices on our pay were against a strike which the Com roll, the average daily production of missioner of Public Welfare- and whom was 467 pounds o.f good castings. NATHAN ~TRAUS denounced as no We now have on our payroll a total of 14 better than murder. men doing molding, over half of whom It was so brutal that New York are handy men or apprentices. The women from all positions and callings average daily production of these men, volunteered to drive trucks and wagons in good castings, was 926 pounds for the for the delivery of milk to those whose month of August, 1921. This Jacks 8 existence depended on getting it. And pounds of being double the daily pro these devoted women made the early duction for August of last year, with breakdown of the strike inevitable. 20 less men. The strikers were still getting war peak pay. They were averaging $40 to In August, 1920, the daily production $45 a week when ther.e arc in this city in pounds of the five highest men was as hundreds of thousands of unemployed follows: 1085, 968, 947, 717 and 597. men, steady, wil li ng and competent, In August of this year the daily produc unable to find work at any wage. Think tion of the five highest men was as ing they had a strangle hold on the follows: 1570, 1505, 1469, 1243 and 1212. public the milk drivers were demanding During l920 approximately 20 of the another increase of $5 a week, when labor men on the payroll were drawing 90 skilled and unskilled has been accepting, cents per hour and refused piece work. some of it even volunterring, wage In August of this year about hta lf of the adjustments downward in the impera men doing molding were receiving 75 tively necessary task of lowering the cents per hour but gladly accepting cost of living for the whole public. piece work and earning more per day The arrogance of these stri kers with than the 90 cents per hour men earned the new burden of tens of millions of last year. In August 1920, the total cost dollars which they proposed to put upon of direct and indirect labor of molding the New York public, would have made was $76.78 a ton and in August, 1921, their strike insufferable if there had $45.88 a ton; a reduction of 40 per cent. been no threatened sacrifice of the sick Could anything be more eloquent than and helpless to make it unspeakable. the above figures, in indicating the And now that it becomes an estab difference between operating a foundry lished fact that the attempted holdup of on the closed shop and open shop basis? the New York public has failed, it is the duty of the distributors to make sure '*' '*' ¢ that this vital business of milk delivery ''Men are not at liberty to sell themselves t0 the l.0, 000,000 human beings in New York city and its surrounding territory into slavery, even to a labor union.··-THE shall not again fall into the clutches of LIVING CHURCH. 3
Packer Union Calls Strike men are now staying away who desire to We are in the midst of a strike of packing work but are afraid of violence. house workmen. The paid officers of the Indications are that this strike has been butcher workmen's union claim that it was called because union leaders will not called in protest against the wage cut countenance any form of collective bar recently put into effect. That this is not gaining except that which is carried on sufficient reason for bringing about such a with the officers of the union. hardship on the workmen is understood when one remembers that the Secretary of Open Shop in Canal Zone Labor, the Railroad Labor Board and the A commission recently appointed by President's Unemployment Conference all Secretary of War Weeks to investigate agreed that wages must come down. conditions in the Panama Canal Zone has Furthermore, the representatives of the submitted a report recommending thorough workmen themselves agreed to the reorganization of the administrative ma reduction. chinery in the Zone, with radical changes There is a deeper reason, which a recital in existing policies affecting employment of the events leading up to the strike will of labor, physical operation of the canal and disclose. railroad, pay of employees and other im During the war the packers were forced portant subjects. to permit all matters of wages, working Its chief recommendation is that the conditions and hours to be fixed by an Governor of the Canal Zone be directed arbitrator in the person of Federal Judge "not to make agreements or understand Alschuler, in order to keep the union ings with the canal employees or any class from calling a strike when the government thereof, for any period of time, but that the needed the product most. This arbitration wages be periodically adjusted in accord agreement was kept in effect until recently. ance with the law, which bases the canal Before it expired four of the five large wages on the pay of similar employees in packers put into effect an employee repre the Government service in the United sentation plan in their respective plants. States," and that the Government shall The workmen in each plant elected by "not deal with labor organizations as secret ballot, representatives to an as organizations, but shall deal with com sembly. The management appointed an mittees of employees.'' equal number of representatives. All "It is further recommended," the report matters affecting the employment relation says, "that the open shop principle be were to be placed before these assemblies. actually put into effect on the isthmus and The matter of wage reduction was placed that in all departments a substantial pro before each of these assemblies and was portion of non-union men be employed." accepted in every case. In another section, the document asserts When the plan of employee representa that "the open shop policy," in theory, is tion was announced the officers of the followed on the canal but in some depart butcher workmen's union immediately ments it is only a theory, and the employees opposed it and ordered that every union are completely unionized. man elected to the plant assembly must "The commission fully believes," the resign from the assembly or be discharged report adds, "in collective dealing between from the union. In spite of this some of the the operatives and the executives of the union men elected stayed in the assembly. canal, and believes that thereby misunder So well was the new plan working that standings will be obviated and cordial the union officers saw that something must relations attained, but it is absolutely be done if they were to maintain their opposed to having the policy of the canal positions. A strike was called, pickets dictated by labor organizations of the stationed, and the usual tactics concident United States or elsewhere, and it is with picketing were indulged in, Many equally opposed to outside agencies coming 4 into the canal zone and fomenting dis- plans is the requirement that the satisfaction. apprentice shall come in at a certain age. It may not be the time in life Another recommendation is that "all when the average young fellow is agreements limiting the use of tropical thinking of bettering himself. Five Iiabor be abrogated" and that "the canal years later, .when his expenses and administration shall hereinafter retain com responsibllitics have increased, he may be anxious to better himself." plete freedom of action as to its policy in But the union says to him: "Too late. the employment of union, non-union or You are over twenty. You must work at tropical labor." unskilled labor all your life." It is not among the youths of 18 and 20 that trades should be recruited, but Need More Mechanics among the more intelligent men working at common labor. Under the above head the monthly Every contractor has had experience bulletin of the Building Construction Em with unskilled laborers who were quick ployers' Association of Chicago discusses to learn and who, with an open door, an evil practiced by union labor that needs would have become skilled tradesmen in record time. Often he has wanted to more publicity. For that reason we repro promote such men to places of greater duce it here. responsi bility, but the union says "no"!. When the building construction in such a ma11 can neither learn by oasua dustry gets back to normalcy and con practice nor be permitted to qualify as d itions become stabilized, one of the a ~gular apprentice. most important and serious problems Tue right of any man to learn a trade which will confront the employers and should not be r estricted and many the building public will be that of the skilled mechanics have graduated not scarcity of competent and skilled me from apprentices regularly indentured, chanics in most all branches of the but through experience years after they industry. were too old to enter in any trade as an With the prospects of an exceedingly apprentice. large building program for the early How best to increase the number of spring the demand for mechanics will be mechanics for the building industry great and unless some effort is Immedi should and undoubtedly will be the ately put forth to increase the number o f subject of a conference at an early date. ayailablc men the industry is going to suffer con iderably and whatever rate .. '*' * of wages may be stipulated in trade Printing Trades Situation agreements will, on account of the de Under the date of October !st, 1921, the mand for men, be in jeopardy thrm1gh National Forty-Eight Hour League of Em the machinations of greedy outside ploying Printers submitted the following operators and contractors. Too little attention is, unfortunately, as printing shop conditions in 102 cities as paid to the question of making more of September 15th, I 921 : mechanlcs, and too many contractors Union Shops prior to May I, who, by the terms of their trade agree 1921...... 2424 ments a re permitted co take apprentices, Employed in all departments 28892 refuse to avall themselves of the oppor Open and non-union shops tunity to help increase the number of prior to May 1, 1921...... 1468 mechanics necessarily needed in the con struction industry in Chicago. Employed in all departments 1944 3 Many unio.ns stiU have the "old stone wall" arow,d their membership, and it TOTALS ...... 3892 48335 is hard for anyone to break in unless Shop conditions in the same 102 Cities the_y are known to be "right." Shown on Tabulated Sheet as of September Employers· As ociations should at 15, 1921: once take a determined and decided Union shops remaining ..... 1184 stand upon this questfon a nd demand the unrestricted right of any competent Union shop employees in all mechanic to work at his trade. departments ...... 7404 The Cleveland Building Trades Em Open and non-union shops .. 2695 ployers' Bulletin, referring to the ques Employed in all departments 35406 tion of the apprentices, says: "The great flaw In all apprentice TOTALS ...... 3879 42810 5
'' Peaceful Picketing'' in Omaha Immediately upon calling the strike at ference by tooler-headed men saved him the packing houses large numbers of pickets from possible violence. were placed at every avenue of approach to Joe Pitmen, 5718 South 32nd Street, was arrested at 7 :30 this morning each plant. The following excerpts from charged with disorderly conduct. He the daily press will show some of the re was jeering at workers entering the ported results of this form of "peaceful Swift plant , officers aUeged. picketing." Charged with throwing bri.ck-bats at OMAHA BEE, Dec. 6, 1921 : workmen leaving the Ar.mour plant, J oe The first injury attributed by police to Sawichz 5514 South 32nd Street, was the walkout of packing house workers a rrested' last night and fined $10.00 wa.~ suswined by Andrew Reilly, laborer today. at the Cudahy plant, late yesterday WoRLD-1-! ERALD, Dec. 9, 1921: afternoon at 33rd and Q Streets. Reilly Steven Nickels, 15 months old, was was struck on the spinal column just shot through the right ha nd and Mary below the base of the neck with a brick. Nickels, the child's mother, narrowly He was knocked unconscious. escaped injury when un-identified per Patrolman P. W. Riley, one of the sons poured a volley of revolver shots picked North Side officers sent to the through the window of the bedroom South Side, attempted to seize the man where t he mother was putting the baby who hurled the brick, but a crowd to bed attheir home 3628 Y Street, late interfered, according to the police last night. T he baby was ordered taken report * * * to St. Josephs hospital by police sur Two women, one a striker, came to geons where the wound was said to be blows late in the afternoon near 33rd and serious. Q Streets, according to Captain Briggs. The woman striker is a widow with two The s hooting occurred at 10:30 while children. She attacked the other woman Mrs. Nickels was alone with the baby who had gone to work in a packing and six other children, the oldest, a girl of 13. George N ickels, her husband, who plant yesterday. * * * * has refused to leave his work at Armour OMAHA BEE, Dec. 7, 1921: packing plant when the strike order was Numerous cases of hurling of bricks, issued this week, was at work. fighting and jeering marked the progress When Patrolman Lunde attempted to of the strike of packing house workers quell. a slight disturbance at 36th and today, and last night while botb strikers Q Streets about 8 o'clock last night, he and packers claim gains * * • * was fired upon, by FrankCumk, 2405 R ~,1artha Ald!a and her hu band, Opra, Street, according to police. 3 53 5 Monroe Street, were arrested last night lo front of the Armour plant after, WORLD-HERALD, Dec. 10, 1921: it is alleged, Mrs. Aldi a hurled a brick Sam Mitchell, 2425 Madison Street, which struck Anna Scrbin, 3537 M onroe was arrested charged with vagrancy and Street, as she was coming from the plant being a prowler when found .near the after work. Mrs. Aldia was fined $25.00 Dold plant. H e was carrying a la rge by Judge Wappich in poli ce court this iron nut, police say. morning. Mrs. Serbin testified that Mat Pulner, 2534 Washington Ave., there were 200 women and more than was arrested charged with carrying con that number of men in front of the plant cealed weapons late last night. He had when they emerged. a large caliber revolver when arrested, J ohn Ki re.his, 5'32 1 SoutJ1 33rd Street, police say. ,..i•.ot and James H annigan, 1641 V Street, A crowd of fifteen men terrorized Mrs. were fined $L0 .00 each in police court on E. Hagan, 5606 South 42nd Street, when a charge of fighting at 33rd and Q they threatened to burn the house be Streets, last night. cause her husband, a foreman at the W.illiam Curran, a member of the Swift plant, refused to strike. She was plant conference board at Armours, alone at the time the gang appeased. attended the mass meeting of strikers at union headquarters last night and in a speech, with the consent of a majorit,y of OMAHA BEE, Dec. 14, 1921: those present, made some statements Bricks were hurled at a street car con which failed to please his hearers. At the taining strikebreakers at 26th and Q end of the meeting he was shoved Streets about six last night but with the roughly from the platform, but inter- exception of one unidentified m3!1 who was slightly cut by flying glass, no one far from three times' what the total had was hurt. been before the war. "The locomotive fuel had cost for the OMAHA DAILY NEWS, Dec. 15, 1921 : three year average before mentioned about Sam Sesto, Italian, 608 North 17th $230,000,000; in 1920 it was $672,000,000. Street, said to be a strikebreaker, was Here again the coal bill increase of $440,- rendered unconscious when attacked by 000,000 was not very for from twicie what five men early this morning at 34th and the whole coat bill had been before the war. U StreetS. His face and head were badly The coal bill total was not far from three lacerated. times what the total had been before the war. And the cost of coal is largely labor. OMAMA BEE, Dec. 16, 1921: "Similarly the bill for material and A group of stdkers, mistaking Ed supplies had run up from $425,000,000 for Petricka, 4207 South 12th Street, for a that three year average to $1,063 ,000,000 strikebreaker, assaulted him last night in 1920. In this instance the increase of at 13th and Missouri Avenue. He was $638,000,000 was not twice the origin al badly beaten. He said he does not work total; it was about one and a half times as in a packing house. much. The total bill was not three times the former bill-it was about two arid a half times what it had been before the war. "Big Tim" Murphy Convicted "Taxes also had done their share of the A jury in the court of Federal Judge bankrupting work. Prom ah average fo r Landis has found "Big Tim .. Murphy and that three year period of $115,000,000 a year they had gone up in 1920 to $278,- some of his associates guilty of conspiracy 000,000. The increase of $ t 65 ,OU0,000 to rob the mails, and guilty of receiving was nearly one and a hair times as much stolen property. Murphy is the president as the old total tax bill. The total tax bill of the Chicago gas workers· union. was nearly two and a half times what it had been before the war. "-AMERICAN At the first meeting of this union after INDUSTRIES. he was released from jail where he had been held for some time in connection with the murder of "Mossy" Enright he is Closed Shop Produces Unemployment alleged to have said: "This union has been The effect of the closed shop policy is run on a Sunday School basis, where they clearly demonstrated in the following para give out stogies and punch the bag, and graph taken from the Digest of Organiza don't accomplish anything. When I started tion Activities published by the National out to organize the gas workers I got all the Industrial Council. Dugans, O'Briens and Flannerys I could In an interesting and authentic study find because I knew they could fight. of the relation of unemployment to the Open and Closed Shop condition of em I asked a man if he had been in jail. If he ployment, using the building trades as said 'yes' I wanted him. A man that can't a barometer, Noel Sargent, manager of fight and hasn't been in jail don't amount the Open Shop Department of the to much. They don't use boxing gloves in National Association of Manufacturers, clea rl y demonstrates that unemployment the labor world. They use Smith & is greater in those cities where the Closed Wessons." Shop _prevails than in Open Shop cities. Mr. Sargent has prepared a report on on this ubject, copies of which may be Railroad Costs had on application. Briefly stated, Mr. "In view of the efforts of certain labor Sargent finds that In cities where build groups to bring about a national railroad ing is on a Closed Shop basis unemploy strike, it might be pertinent to emphasize ment is
unemployed; where building is Closed labor in the re-starting of closed factories Shop 72 are seeking work. In other words 94.6 per cent more persons per also affected the figures. New York City 1000 are now unemployed where the factories, however, showed a decrease of Closed Shop prevails-almost twice as only three cents in the average, most of the many. In twenty cities where building decline being in up-State factories. The is Open Shop, having a total pQpulation average weekly wage in the metals and (1920 Census) of 5,222,529, total of 195,052 persons are unemployed or 3.7 machinery industry for September was per cent of the population. In twenty found to be $26.24. cities where building is Closed Shop, having a total population of 16,048,136 a total of 1,161 ,290 persons are un Responsibility for Depression employed, or 7.2 per cent of the PoPU lation. Commenting on the statement given out by the Department of Labor showing that four billion dollars a year is lost by wage Favor Open Shop in Building earners through strikes, lockouts and The Labor Relations Committee of the deliberate absenteeism resulting therefrom, Cleveland Chamber of Commerce recently and charging that the loss is due to the made a survey of the attitude of the refusal of employers and employees to take building public on the open shop policy in advantage of the mediation and arbitra the building trades. A questionaire was tion machinery of the Labor Department, addressed to the members who held build the NEW YoRK HERALD has the following ing permits issued during the previous year to say: and to a list of Cleveland companies. The It is an unfortunate fact, and nothing questions asked were as follows: is to be gained by concealing its truth, Do you favor the re-establishment of the that arbitration in the faulty way it has been practiced must bear its hare of open shop in Cleveland's building industry? responsibility for the very economic If the open shop is re-established by disturbances and industrial paralysis representative Cleveland contractors, will now afflicting the country. you support this policy by inserting an There have been two strikingly trans open shop clause in contracts for your parent t roubles with heedless mediation and a rbitrntion chemes and they have future building construction? borne bitter frurts in the situation now The result was an overwhelming indorse confronting the country. One is that ment of the open shop policy. Out of a almost invariably the arbitratOr has total of 6309 questionaires mailed, 4169 scaled up wages, whether an industry could stand the burden or not, for the were returned, of which 3749 were for, and express rea on that the a rbitra tors · 224 were against the re-establishment of purpose and commission a re to prevent the open shop, and 3403 would support stri kes and they have found this the such a policy by inserting an open shop easiest way to p revent them. Following this line of least resistance in the m ain clause in future building contracts. The they have disregarded the fundamental combined capitalization of firms voting for question or the welfare of tbe industry the open shop was $708,989, 100.00 and or business upon which absolutely those against $45,000.00. depend the job of the employee a nd the function of the employer. The second fault with such arbitra According to the report of the State tion has been that a decision sought D epartment of Labor, the downward trend primaril y if not solely to meet a.n emer of wages in the factories of New York gency such as artificia!J y hoisted living costs, acute shortage of labor or wa r State continued in September for which exactions has been construed aJterward month the average weekly wage in all as a final determination of a specific industries was $25 .07, a drop of 36 cents question decided, as if it were an inter from the average for August. The most pretation by the Supreme Court of a legislatl e statute or of a clause of the important factor in the decrease was the Constitution of the United States. Not reduction of wages which occurred in all merely have labor unions been prone so industries. Re-employment of lower grade to construe the arbitrator's award, but 7
unemployed; where building is Closed labor in the re-starting of closed factories Shop 72 are seeking work. In other also affected the figures. New York City words 94.6 per cent more persons per 1000 are now unemployed where the factories, however, showed a decrease of Closed Shop prevails-almost twiae es only three cents in the average, most of the many. In twenty cities where build ing decline being in up-State factories. The is Open Shop, having a total population average weekly wage in the metals and (1 920 ensus) o[ 5,222,529, tot,al of 195,052 persons are unemployed or 3.7 machinery industry for September was per cent of the population. In twenty found to be $26.24. cities where building is Closed Shop, having a total population of 16,048,136 a total of 1,161,290 persons are un Responsibility for Depression employed, or 7.2 per cent of the popu lation. Commenting on the statement given out by the Department of Labor showing that four billion dollars a year is Jost by wage Favor Open Shop in Building earners through strikes, lockouts and The Labor Relations Committee of the deliberate absenteeism resulting therefrom, Cleveland Chamber of Commerce recently and charging that the loss is due to the made a survey of the attitude of the refusal of employers and employees to take building public on the open shop policy in advantage of the mediation and arbitra the building trades. A questionaire was tion machinery of the Labor Department, addressed to the members who held build the NEW YoRK HERALD has the following ing permits issued during the previous year to say: and to a list of Cleveland companies. The It is an unfortunate fact, and nothing questions asked were as follows: is to be gained by concealing its truth, Do you favor the re-establishment of the that arbitration in the faulty way it has been practiced must bear its sha re of open shop in Cleveland's building industry? responsibiUty for the very economic If the open shop is re-established by disturbances and industrial paralysis representative Cleveland contractors, will now afflicting the country. you support this policy by inserting an There have been two strikingly t rans open shop clause in contracts for your parent t roubles with heedless mediation and arbitration schemes and they have future building construction? borne bitter (ruits in the s ituation now The result was an overwhelming indorse confronting the country. One is that ment of the open shop policy. Out of a almost invariably the arbitrator has total of 6309 questionaires mailed, 4169 scaled up wages, whether an industry could stand the burden or not, for the were returned, of which 3749 were for, and express reason that he arbitrators' 224 were against the re-establishment of purpose and commission are to prevent the open shop, and 3403 would support strikes and they have found thi the such a policy by inserting an open shop easiest way to prevent them. Following this line of least resistance In the main clause in future building contracts. The they have disregarded the fundamental combined capitalization of firms voting for question of the weirare of th e industry the open shop was $708,989,100.00 and or business upon which absolutely those against $45,000.00. depend the job of the employee and the function of the employer. The second fault with such arbitra According to the report of the State t ion has been that a decision sought Department of Labor, the downward trend prima rUy if not olely to meet an emer of wages in the factories of New York gency such as artificially hoisted living costs, acute shortage of labor or war State continued in September for which exaction has been construed afterwa rd month the average weekly wage in all as a final determination of a specific industries was $25.07, a drop of 36 cents qu tian decided, as lf it were an inter from the average for August. The most pretation by the Supreme Court of a iegi' lative statute or of a clause of the important factor in the decrease was the Constitution of the United States. Not reduction of wages which occurred in all merely have labor unions been prone so industries. Re-employment of lower grade to construe the arbitrator's award, but s
later arbitrators have shown a tendency for the rising generation or the new-comer to build upon such an award, es courts to earn an honest li velihood. A hundred might upon judicial opinions and rules for the artificial restriction of industry decisions. Notable instances or this a re were invented, whic h employer and em found in the coal industry, the building ployee were expected to regard as sacred. trades and the railroad business. 1 he result has been a strong re-action In putting wages up the arbitrator is of fee ling which permea tes every section a swift performer; in puttiag wages of the community. -TORONTO SATURDAY down he is a weak and shuffling thing. NIGHT. In this way it has come about that many of the labor disputes, strikes and " vacations' of the present are due to the The Milk Drivers' Union have made processes of the kind of a rbitration which good their threat to call a strike unless are so quick to put up labor costs to a they were granted their demands of an basis which could not possibly be main increase of $5,.00 a week. The result has tained under adverse conditions or in normal times, yet has shown itselr with been that New York is almost entirely out the power or the wUl to put them without milk. Efforts are being made by down when ·they must come down if the health authorities to deliver milk to business is to operate and employment hospitals and to homes with invalids and continue. It is not too much to say, under these babies. The milk distributing corporations circumstances, that the usual forms and have posted notices of their determination methods of past arbitration have cost to put the open shop policy into effect and and are costing the public more, and have advertised for men to take strikers' vastly more, than strikes and lockouts are now costing anybody. This is not an places. argument against the principle of the intelligent and competent economic What Others Think agency which sound and fear! · s a rbi tration could be. It is an argument "If labor were the basis of all worth, then either for the complete reformation of China would be the richest nation in the the kind of arbitrati.on the country world, for she has more labor, and they generally has had or for the abandon would be doing better than they ever did. ment or the whole sy tern. But it is only when labor and capital are linked together that a country is rich ... _ GOVERNOR ALLEN. Why Unionism is in Bad Members of labor unions often wonder Judge Charles M . Foell yesterday in nowadays why unionism has lost so much Chicago, in di charging 75 member of of prestige with the publ!c. A few years ago t:he Carpenters' Union on a contempt of 99 per cent of the community looked with court charge, declared there was no such a favorable eye on unionism . It was recog thing as peaceful picketing under the law nized that by increasing the p rosperity of as defined by the Supreme Court. "Al the workingman, the general prosperity of though this strike has been orderly," the the community at large had been ra ised. court declared, "I must admonish the Among the employing classes a remark strikers and their leaders, you can never able change of feeling had manifested picket a place of business and still be itself. The sons of manufacturers, who had within the terms of the law as defined taken an uncompromising attitude toward by the Supreme Court." the demands of labor in a bygone genera tion, showed themselves tolerant and Duluth, Minnesota, is just passing willing to co-operate in all measures to through its first year of open shop in the insure good conditions for the workii,g building t rades and very satisfactory man and his family. Then unionism lost progress is reported. "Probably 65 to 75 its head; the more arrogant and short per cent of all building t his year has been sighted elements in the ranks of labor got done on the open shop plan" says the control; the idea that every man who Citizens Alliance Bulletin of Duluth. worked for wages was a ··slave" was inculcated; but worse than that, unionism tried the wild and wasteful policy of inter "Meanwhile wise words won't feed and fering with the law of supply and demand; shelter the workers who are out of jobs of regulating production, so as to create because they listened to the 'advice' of ··more jobs" for the adult generation; labor leaders and killed the goose which while making it more and more..:,difficult laid the golden dollars."