Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-08-28


The laboring classes, who are the
ones who affected most by the strikes,
should remember that trades unions
and similar organizations are calcu-
lated to destroy competition and all
incentive to efficiency. The unions
not only fix the schedule OF prices 10
be paid for days labor, but also what
constitutes days work. In the coal
mines for instance, "A certain number
of bushels of coal constitutes a days
work, and in brick laying, plastering
and other trades, certain number of
brick laid, or yards of plastering, con-
stitute days work, and the standard
is usually fixed so low that the most
ordinary workman can come up TO IT.,
and there is no incentive for any to
excel the limit, as he receives no
greater pay that that fixed by the
union. Good men receive no more
pay than those of an inferior grade.
Those outside of the trades-unions
who are ambitious to get on in the
world BY applying Themselves assidu-
ously to their trade and becoming pro-
ficient, are enabled to command better
wages than the laggarl who has no
ambition to excel. Under the rules
of the union the good and the bad are
paid the same wages, and the proli-
cient workman is held down by the
inferiority OF his fellow workman, and
in nine cases out of ten, it is the latter
class combined with the irresponsible
itinerant who bring about strike,
when the best workmen are again
the greatest sufferers. 1t is in the trades
as well as in the professions, excellence
and merit should he the standard by
which labor should be rewarded. In
recent case in New York the brick
layers union resolved that non-union
men should not be permitted TO work,
and the union presented them with
the alternative of Joining the organiza-
tion or leave the work. The contrac-
tors having stipulated to perform their
contract by certain time We're COM
PEELED to discharge the n0n-union men
or the union men would quit. The
non-union men were thus forced to
unite with an organization with which
they were not in sympathy, or be left
out of employment. The non-naion
men were receiving better pay
than the union men by
reason of their greater proficiency
and after joining the union they only
received the same pay as union men
a committee OF the union visited all
the large buildings in the city. and en-
forced the same rule, which reduced
the pay Of Il large number Of tirstElass
workmen to the same standard as thai
of the inferior class. Men who joir
the union abandon their individuality
and lay aside their manhood, subject
ing themselves and their interests tt
the dictation of Il majority OF the or
ganization with which they connec
| themselves. Without such an organi
! cation each man would stand upo,
| his own merits, and receive such com
pensation for his labor MS nj
proficiency and excellence entitle
him. There would be NOR
ambition and greater incentive /
each man to attain degree OF exec
lence by means of which he would re
ceive higher reward for his labor
and the sooner place himself above tn
| necessity of daily toll for the maintain
ance of himself and family and tt
education of his children. Under I'll
despotic and arbitrary rule OF tt
union the good suffer greater incol
veniences than the inferior worlSmel
and they should emancipate then
selves from its bondage.