Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-12-08
CAPITALS COMBINATION.
Rumors of an Organization of Employ
ers to Combat Labor Unions.


According to the predictions of me1
who have made the subject life study
there is now impending a struggle be
tween Labor and capital greater thar
any the world has ever witnessed be
fore.
Capital, it is claimed, is secretly but
surely organizing on both sides of the
Atlantic to crush out labor unions, ant
in short time the whole industrial
world will be battlefield on which the
tremendous struggle for existence, fore
told many years ago by early writer's or
political economy, will take place. 1t il
held that the time is rapidly coming
when the relations of labor and capital
owing to the changes brought by higf
civilization, will become intolerable, an6
that education and the march of progress
are only fastening the great social revo
luton.
The anti-labor crusade by the shir
owners of England in order to wipe out
organized labor is believed by the labor
leaders here to be only prelude tC
what will follow in this country Many
of them say that they see signs of the
coming storm now and that it will be
upon them sooner than many people
expect.
For some time back manufacturers in
this city have been forming aggressive
or protective alliances. OF late years
several manufacturers associations were
formed on the east side. and one of the
later alleged anti-labor combinations is
the Brick Manufacturers association.
Rumors Of bigger things than all these
are afoot, however, and it is said that
some of the big corporations have form,
ed. or are about to form. an alliance
against strikers.
It is stated that. according to the
terms of the alleged compact. when
there is a strike to enforce demands the
employers deem unreasonable. whether
the strike be against one or all OF the
associated firms. the firms will shut
down and all work is to cease.
Among the corporations mentioned are
the Westinghouse system. the Pullman
interest. the Colt Arms company and
the Yale G. Towne Lock company
Thomas F. Heating, manager for New
York of the Yale e Towne Manufacture
ing company, was seen in the company's
Office. No. 81 Chambers street. by the
writer. He said:
81 am not sure that our firm will 90
into it, but as far as can under
stand the idea it is this: The firms
i will say our firIn-if it enters into a
combination of this kind will not object
to the workmen joining unions, but will
not be dictated to as to whom it will
employ or discharge
Now" he continued, lin our firm we
do not care whether or not our men join
unions when their working hours are
over. They have perfect right to do
So. We claim that they have no right
to tell us, however. that we must employ
only union men and pay certain rates"
Mr.. Heating said he understood the
combination idea was to simply shut
down in case of unjustifiable strikes. He
thought that was the best way. He was
not sure that his firm would join the
combination. but it could only be on this
basis and on the understanding that
there was to be no blacklisting
1--WE do not believe in coercion" he
said. IF our people strike, however I'M
justiiable, we do not believe in doing
anything to prevent their getting en-
ployment elsewhere. New York Jour
nal