The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-06-12
To the Public.

It is now generally known that all of the glass
workers in the city have been discharged, with
no prospect of employment in the fall, when ii
is presumed the factory will be again started
Many of us have families and some of us prop
erty here and all DESTROYS of retaining the
good opinion OF the citizens Of Ottawa.
In order, therefore, that this wholesale dis
charge may not unjustly reflect upon us, we
make this statement and pledge our honor tina,
we can substantiate all we say.
One charge against us is, that we are members
OF the "Glass Makers Union" and that as such
members we attempt to bulldoze the manufac-
~turers.
A perfect answer to this Is, that the interests
Of capital and labor are the same and must work
in harmony in order that either or both may sue
coed.
We have made no such attempt as has been
charged, nor had we any intention of doing So
1t must be plain to every man that such action
on our part could only result in our own injury.
On the contrary we have honestly and faithfully
performed our duties and have done all in our
power to turn out good work and as much Of it
as was possible under the circumstances.
If the fact that we belong to an association or
not to the injury of those who employ us) Is any
argument against us, it may with equal force
apply to manufacturers, for they have an organi-
cation got up for almost the same purpose; but
it is so wretchedly managed as to raise the price
Of glass so unnecessarily high to make it
cheaper to import it than to buy it at home.
We arc aware that it is said we have not turned
out as much work as We might have done, but
the answer is that we have not been furnished
with proper materials, such as are furnished by
well managed glass houses.
At Rock Island, for instance, they have av-
eraged 4S boxes per pot; We IS boxes per pot.
We know and the wOrkmen at Rock Island will
admit the fact that the men here are in all re-
spects the equals of those at the former place
Hence the cause OF this difference in production
! must be looked for at other doors than our own
We know what it is, but having no desire to be
personal, make only this indirect reference to it,
Possibly it might in part at least explain why
the Ottapa Glass Factory has paid no dividends.
An excellent ship may have a frstclass cap
tain and a competent cook, hut If the captain
spends all his time in the cabin and the cook
throws all the grub overheard, it may happen
that the ship shall run on the rocks and the men
90 hungry.
As regards the leaving of number of the men
from the east house some time ago, we have only
10 say that it was not at all our fault, but was
because the material furnished and the methods
employed by those over the men were such that
it was utterly Impossible for them to make fair
average wages and getting no compensation
we're compelled TO leave in their own defense.
It has been said that ''the world is governed
too much''-it is quite possible that the same re-
mark or one quite similar might we'll apply to
Ottawa Glass Factory.
We are willing and even anxious to work and
to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow but
we want fair show and only such facilities
and treatment as other men in our business re-
ceye. OTTAWA GLASS MAKERS.