The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 13, 1904, Page 7

1M IILL /. Fi RENCH / new a recognized axiom that 1l successful effort comes as the result of organiszation. While re- form movements have one or more individuals responmsible for their ex- istence, it the concentration of pur- pose added to numbers that wins. The dern trade union has been criticized, y and unjustly, but its underlying s are founded on the doctrine 12 greatest good to the greatest ver, and the lawdable desire to redy conditions at times int vs capabie of improvem novement sometimes needs to be saved from its friends. R tion of membership, high ini fees, the false idea that men have not an equal right to live and work, with e and there an organisation refu them admittance, and other ab: that might be named, are recognized by the student of the questions of the day as wr We might as well be can- =, even though it may not be popular. But recognizing mings—and what individuel or is without them?—the ef- the structure of of helping to Is for a dispas- the results attained shor rganizat is the mortal enemy and the tenement ot merely to improve ditions and enable the icipate in the disposal but goes beyond sical condition of placing equal rk has long been the slogan of iose trades and callings shared be- xes. The injustice of tak e of the weak simply be- t of strength is ap- persons. The men e ve had unreasonable hours tn ed by w isive reduced, ages increased anc tary nditi instituted F T acts and legislation designed t ge war on abuses of greed and neglect have had an earnmest advocate in the labor movement. Oftentimes the latter has fathered and championed laws to help se unable by force of circumstances 0 themselves, The trede union is ever vigilant in opposition to child labor. This appall- ing eystem of making money at the sapping the life blood of mbers of the coming generation is a ource of regret and wonder—not only our own citizens, but alsp to in- vestigators from foreign lands. Lack ication is @ menace to any coun- Stunting of physique degrades a ople. Children of tender years are ployed in mines, factories and shops. sionally the exigency of circum- stances impels parents to add to the fam income, but the duty of the state is imperativee Laws remedying this condition of affairs are lobbied sgainst by interests not exactly im- personal or patriotic, and their defeat is sometimes encompassed by illegiti- mate means. The glass workers' or- ganization of Minetola, in Southern New Jersey, has taken seventy-five children from the unhealthy work of the glass factories and sent them to school, at the Bame time paying the small salaries they were accustomed to. In one of the Southern States a typo- graphical union is paying for the edu- cation of future citizens of this republic who were a few months ago empioyed in 2 mine—shut out from the sunlight, from the pleasures of childhood and from the opportunities that have an vpward trend Of the disinterested- ness of those associated with the labor movement in preserving the children of both sexes other instances might be named did space permit. Suffice it to say that the trade unionist stands with those forces that have for their object the elevation and not the degradation of childhood. Tke trade union has made of the sailor 2 man. A few years ago he could not understand the meaning of the word “freeman.” nment stared him in the face should he leave the ship in port. The authorities saw to it that ke sailed once the promise was given. His wages were garnisheed on the slightest pretext. He was the prey of the crimps and shipping mas- be- Trade - CInio - Civilizing == Fackor—- o@ro - ters who infest seaports. Now he is protected by his union and the Fed- eral Government. The latter secured for him fair hours and wages, and the laws guarding his interests are the product of the same source. The trade union stands for one day's rest in seven. Before L >ming a civ- ilized faktor many. occupations re- cuired a full week's work from the employes. The retail clerks have util- ized combination to frown on the Sun- day open shop and late hours through five days of the week. The majority empioyers co-operatg with them in these particglars. The shopkeeper who “runs his own business’ has a strong tendency to run other people’s as well —employers an employes. Modern conditions are too complex to allow that this method of argument is rea- sonable. The trade upion is in a meas- ure responsible for the fruition of the cld mw— days shalt thou labor.” The facilities afforded the thousands benefited by the early to participate in ‘the d life and the pleasures be overestimate efforts along is conserved by g of hours and the safeguards around the drug business. To n to prepare riptions dly potions hout rea- axation is to invite danger ers living quarters able surroun testify £ his organization in respeet. Certainly healthy condi- s tend to elevate. At one time the | knew that protest would be . By combining With his has secured what is right- 1l trades the union, as an institu- tion, has had a beneficial effect. Hours have been shortened and wages in- Prison labor in open competi- h free labor has n opposed. interests of all possible upa- fiuence of t i Many laws f this character have been initiated he crganized bodies of workers and results have proved beneficial to mankind. The union stands for well ventilated factories and san i tions. Chid labor is di Sweatshops are opposed machinery is objected to unl effurts are made to protect life. y now recover damages for occasioned the criminal mpuls: edu- is favored. Many civic move- are supperted by the trade unions because the latter and good citi- zenghip are synonymoys ter: The non-unionist enjoys most of the results attained by organization with- out participation in the force that made possible the improvement. The mer- chant and sterekeeper are benefited by the larger circulation of money secured tbrough the medium of the trade union and the public generally is the gainer. There is a phase of trade unionism rarely referred to in the maze of words published on the subject. It is becom- ing common for unions to lend a help- ing hand to their members in time of sickness and distress. Death benefits ed part of the machinery day organization. Many 2 man’s family has been relieved of financial embarrassment at the time the final debt of nat is paid. Again, some unions provide out-of-work funds for thelr unfortunate members. This is in marked contrast to the method of discharging men for the crime of appearing on this mundane sphere thirty-five or forty years ago. The home for aged and invalid trade union- ists may be considered a civilizing fac- tor. ‘While this endeavor to fulfill the bumanitarian obligation of the labor movement ‘I8 in its infancy, yet it would be pertinent here to refer to the splendid institution maintained at Col- orado Springs by the International Typographical Union of North Amer- ica. At a cost of over $100,000 a build- ing complete as a home for deserving printers has been erected. Its appoint- ments are perfect. A haspital apnex is devoted to the sick and the medical and nursing departments are equal to the best. This Union Printers’ Home is supported by printers contributing a small sum of mfoney each month. It is in no sense a charitable jinstitution, for its inmates have done their share toward paying the cost. At the dedic: tion of the home on May 12, 1892, the officialg of the organization were ass| 1 by Senator Jacob H. Gallinger, Gov- ernor Routt of Colorado ai George 'W. Childs of Philadelphia. The latter end A. J. Drexel contributed $10,000 to show their interest In the printing -«craft and the principles underlying the trade union movement. - The concentration of men in organi- zations needs the counterbalance of congervatism. - That this has not al- waysy, been the case with the labor movement is admitted, but the ten- dency born of experience and the spirit neglect of employ: cation < e i iz (077784 - SReE N B & > of justice is toward a higher plane. The man who slugs is less an enemy of the republic than the man who places iron in a life preserver, for his enmity to the true conception of union- ism is both crude and repulsive. One of the highest non-union authorities in the country states that all the crimes alleged to have been committed in Colorado pale into insignificance beside the record of the shipbuilding trust. The majority of men are honest. A larger conception of the varied Inter- ests making up the whole of the ever- present industrial cantroversy is need- ed. We will have to return to first principles. Certainly no policy of ex- termination under the guise of Ameri- canism will have a lasting effect. The unions may be weakened, but they will certainly gain strength afterward, for history repeats itself. The worker knows no power other than his or- ganization to secure and hold the ad- vantages of his present position. In- stances of increased hours and lowered wages are chronicled in the columns of the press where the emasculation of the union is either partial or. complete. And who is the gainer? The trade union has an educative in- fluence. The London dock workers were elevated in every way by the revelation of their miserable conditian before organizing. The opportunities for public lptl-llnf are many. A man must be ‘more or less of a student to keep apace with the times. Technical schools are supported in some of the trades, especially in European coun- tries, and every influence exerted on behalf of those willing to improve themselves. Need it be wondered that the work- ers show strong opposition to any threatened return of former conditions? Seven days' labor in one week, low 75 wages, long hours and unsanitary con- ditions possess no attraction for the normal man. The “open shop” advo- cates are not altogether influenced by love of mankind in their contentions. If consistent, wouldn't these gentlemen favor the abolition of the trade re- straint everywhere visible? The mer- ger, combination, trust, card rate, cut- ting off of supplies, and general denial of business opportunity are evidences acknowledged on all hands of the “‘closed shop”.in its worst aspect. To use that term to the trade union alive to the labor movement is erroneous. In the latter case it shouid be “‘union shop,” for men are welcomed to its ranks. There are two sides to the “open shop” controversy. One is the danger of trade unionism losing its civilizing power as detailed in this article—securing in return not even the shadow for the substance—and the in- consistency of men claiming “open shop” as “a good thing—for the other fellow,” as Mark Twain puts it. In New York City there {s an asso- ciation connected with the labor move- ment that gives evidence of a live spirit in dealing with the problem. Refer- ence is made to the Church Association for the Advancement of the Interests of Labor. It Is part of the machinery of the Episcopal Church. One of the strongest supporters is Bishop H. C. Potter. The movement has spread to other cities, and the Bishoos of all the States are among its officers. Atten- tion was first called to the necessity of this society by the earnest efforts of men and women to o the gar- ment workers and those connected with the textile mdg ll? order :xt-h':eo nue? the monotony of thel and en- deavor to combat the thralldom of the sweatshop and the tenement house. ‘Women of the fashiomable world were addressed in their homes by members of the C. A. I. L, and the condition of those who made their highpriced garments explained at length. The re- sult was that energetic steps were taken by the society leaders to ald their less fortumate sisters by requir- ing the presence of the union label on all goods manufactured for them. The idea took hold. A lady organizer is kept in the field by the Episcopal Church. Every attempt is made to smcoth over labor difficulties and ad- vise for the general good. The trade union has proved a valuable ally for the protection of the women who work. It is antagonistic to the influences that mar human life in our large cities. And the society women are not paying more for their garments. If some other panacea will do for these work- ers what the union label has, let us hear of it. A subject of controversy is the or- ganizigg of unskilled occupations. Many men admit that skilled labor has always had the union in some form and are not adverse to the idea, but objec- tion is raised to those without trades combining. When pressed for reasons the replies verge on the vague. Grant- ing that the sudden imjection of this class of labor into industrial disputes is not unattended by problems, owing to lack of experience and new-found power, yet the teamster has exactly the same right to organize as the master arayman. In this city we find his hours, wages and general conditions greatly improved. The same could be sald of other lines of business. The employer has his union. The employe has his. One of the most important agencies in making the trade unmion a civilizing factor is the union label. It is becom- g the custom to hire purchasabie men to combat .its influence, to ecirculate printed matter describing it as a “badge of servitude,” and to generally predict desolation should its power in- crease. The superiority of non-union over union ethics is not anparent to thase who have worked under both sys- tem: wage earners. The union label firt stood for American labor in America, as opposed to Asiatic. It still does. It shows that the producer par- ticipated in the work of preparing the finished article under conditions that were sanitary and fair and that he was paid a living wage for his labor. ‘What reasonable objection can there be to the use of a label standing for such of citizenship? Surely any “‘arbit: * action on the part of some organization should not be considered good ground for destroying the potency of an emblem that has the subport of reform agencies. We are criticized be- PRESIDENT © ALLIED PRINTING TRADES COUNCIL. cause some of the work bearing the emblem is not, perhaps, as fine as other. Even if the objection were true, our friends of the oppesition would just as vigorously assail us were the men or women responsible refused ad- mittance to the organization repre- sented by the label. Either way we are wrong! The trade ynion and the label are one and the same _thing. Both stand for the same principles. Granting that unionism is in error as an institution, that the shortened hours, Increased wages and their con- comitant advantages are a delusion, we will admit that the union label has deceived us. But the reverse is the case. The lzbel is the silent fac- tor in settling industrial froubles. It helps its friends to purchase goods manufactured under known condi- tions in preference to those produced under circumstances unknown. The selish man argues that so long as the article is satisfactory no ef- fort should be made to penetrate into its make. But that is not his Sun- day argument. We may hear him tell on"that day of the “brotherhood of man,” and the necessity of “bearing one another’s burdens,” and “doing unto others as we would be done by —all good doctrines and true, but equally as applicable to Monday’s pur- chase as it is to Sunday’'s prayer. The union label is like all other human- devised methods—not perfect—but it needs to be superseded by a better plan before the thinking citizen would care to see it abandoned. The trade union enables the fair em- ployer—who, iike the fair unionist, pre- dominates—to estimate his labor on a living basis. This system is a good d@eal preferable to figuring on what his unfair competitor can procure his cheapest help for. Not only that, but it is a protection for the merchant. It enables the trade unionist to live as becomes an American citizen, and has a powerful influence in procuring fair compensation for the individual whose conscience will not permit him to. join any combination in this free (?) ‘tcom- petitive age. Again, the union head- quarters act as a cleéaring-house for the employer. It is convenient to send there for additional help. The trade union is not flawless by any means. It is a »ood deal easier to tear down than to bulld up, but the latter ‘course applied with intelligence to the labor movement will overcome many of its deficiencies. The gains“are greater than the losses. While the dominant trait of human nature is selfishness, just so long will we find both sides endeavoring to get the best of the industrial situation. The trade union has come to stay. It is a natural outgrowth of present-day conditions. <l et Lt NN S YRV ISV I, >popr / o ok S Y /7 2777 \ o I S ot RPN