The morning call., 1892-08-17
SAN FRANCISCO EMPLOYERS.
They Hold Their Annual Meeting
and Elect Officers.
President Henry I. Davis in His Address Re-
Views the Situation in the City at the
Present Time.


OF the Board of Trade Yesterday morning.
More than 200 members were present.
Henry l.. Davis presided and al Rollins
was the secretary, assisted by George C.
Williams. President Davis, after making
Few preliminary remarks. read his annual
report, which is as follows:
My message to you to-day is one of congratu.
lalon aud OF incentive. / congratulate you
upon What thls o oiganZaIon has done IN the
future.
We are just one year Old Within the brief
period OF our existence the attitude Of the COM
munlty Toward the trades unions has been
almost, II not entirely, reversed One year ago
lho boycott was more dreaded than the most
OBSTRUCTIVE eOmpe tilion from Without and nearly
every Industry virtually doing business by
EffmlsslOn OF the Council of Federated Trades.
To-Day IL IS pei haps not too much 10 say that
NOT business nan In san Francisco has the
east Iear OF the boycott, and that capt. al 81 enc
Time In panic from the power of the unions has
now wholly lost lis learS Siuce employers have
leIned 10 combine the unions have lost the
panlng-lnlil strike, tie great iron strike the
shoe strlke the boxmakerS' boycott. the brew
efs struggle, the iOugShotemen's strike, tie
Aoend Post, the Peter Lynch ana The Curtin and
maze Doycotts, the Sailors Union has been
GUIDED from many vessels and the Coopers'
Union Is now engaged 10 a strike which IL IS
practically certain 10 los. This unbroken record
OF disaster has tanned the arrogance OF the Fed
Grated Trades, and business has the present
hon-nt 10 some extent al least a eertaln feeling
OF security and of pe2ce.
TUE signs OF the times, however, point 10 the
near approach OF period Of great industrial
disturbances The Wild spread growth among
the unions or the until recently uneXpTessed be-
iet that union men working IN an Industry Dos
seSs a vested interest iD The plant is an element
oil danger TO which we cannot afford 10 shut our
eyes. Directly contrary as this doctrine is 10
TIE Cobsthu uilOn OF the United States and OF
every State therein, well as to all the laws
us widespread and suddenly open PRONUNCIATION
Is Haoie 10 produce crisis that may require the
utmost hilnnesS aud The utmost wisdom TO meet.
Let us begin tie Work now of placing ourselves
future.
One OF the most necessary means TO that end
Is the arousai OF feeling OF common Interest
among employers. For that purpose l recon-.
mend that IN the future We have more frequent
meeiings Nothing So promotes Il community Of
interest as rubbing of elbows aud "a frequent IN
te' changing OF views. In the past there mas been
dlsnclinatiOu on the part of some of cur meIn-
beis to let their connection with this association
De known; but now that the boycott has LOST It's
teIrofs We can all afford 10 give each other the
strength OF an open support.
QUESTION OF DUES.
1 recommend tnat TIL dues of this association
De placed at 50 per quarter. Ia reducing the
dues from 81 90 TO So per quarter the directors
sought 10 discover on how small Il revenue this
association could be run. Experience has shown
mat 50 FeT quarter Is not enough. II leaves too
danger OuSly small margin over the ordinary
running expenses. Fixed al SIS per quarter tile
dues would stl De light.
This organization should be extended to the
widest possible limit. We already have as mem
bers ali out very few or the firms in the CITY
employers OF laooT, ana under The new eonstitu-
tional amendment 10 be submitted 10 You 10.
day we may expect 10 bring in practically all OF
tie Duildihg trades, but the OTcaniZatiOu should
be extended fUtther yet. Every employer
every business man and every taxpayer
should, II possible, be brought within lis
folds This cannot be done EXCEPT bv The active
cooperation OF all the members. 4 list OF
the membership has been provided. Ii any OF
you nave trlend Ia business whose name IS not
on the list seek at once 10 induce that friend 10
loin. Under the provisions OF this same cOnsti-
tutonal amendment II IS hoped 10 extend the
organization 10 all parts OF tie State. But il
should not stop even az that. There is no reason
why an organization Of employers should not ex-
tend over the whole OF the Unite0 States so tUat
II In the fuiute organized Labor fOTgets Itself,
forgels reason and fOrgets tile law, il may be
met by lower Tor order as great as its power
ioI disruption, aud the peace and prosperity OF
the nation be eifec uay preserved.
lie newest dinculty with which this associa-
tlOn nas 10 deal IS the cOOperS strike. The
Manufacturing CoopeTS' Association. which is
snb-organzatiOn OF this one, adopted a new
wage scale aud new set OF shop rules. The
CoOpefS Union thereupon ordered the men out
Oh Stiike. The difference between the scale
adopted by The employers and that heretofore re-
ceiyed from the uuou Is very slight The con-
test Is not in reality over this difference II Is
simply another phase OF the old question as 10
whether tue employer or The union shah run The
business. The cOOpers' fight is not a difficult
one To win. Ii appears that san Francisco is
about the Only place in the United States where
cOOpeTGge Is still made by hand Instead OF by
machinery. When the places or the strikers
shali have been supplied by machines, the
unions viii have had another Obiect-lesson as TO
the folly of strikes.
/ again call your attention 10 the boveo,ts
upon the Ao@nd Post, the bakery OF Westetf-Id
aud The horse-shOlng shop of Peter Lynch. |
strongly urge you to throw ali the business II is
possible 10 throw To the way of these concerns
We should stiil continue to demonstrate. be-
yond all doubt. that boy colt brings more bust
ness Than u takes away. and that as long as the
boycott remains tie Increase Of business VIII
main. THIS weapon of the unions must uufai-
lhgIy Tecoll upon themselves.
LAROR INVFSTIG ATOMS
The recent labor investigation, lasting throurh
some 10 sessions, imposed great deal OF iabor
upon Tie board OF directors aud considerable ex-
pruse upon this association. Although your
directors were OF the opinion that Il could not
result ~ any tangible beneh, they yet felt that
since tie investigation was 10 be held. II would
be only proper that they should take an active
part IN II, and they entered upon the task IN good
iallb' hopiog mat perhaps certain important
iacts might, at least, be put upon record Many
OF these expected facts were so recorded but the
chief Tact OF all, to-wii, that the methods OF the
unions habitualiy oyerstepped The law was soon
MADE piain TO the country by the Homestead and
Idaho troubles; and when one OF the most prom
lnehl LABOR leaders. IN answer 10 a hypothetical
question, justified tile action of tile union men in
tuese TWO a1aifs upon the grounds set forth by
Senator Palmer in AIS speech delivered at about
that time upOD this question, your directors felt
that any further Efforts toward showing a disre-
gard iOf law on the part OF the unions would be
merely Work OF supererogation. 1t was re-
quested that the Investigation be dropped and
tLe request was complied with.
Inc laoot problem caGnot be solved by inYesti-
EdtioIs. II solution OF III - ever be Obtained
10 must be obtained through the collective
wisdom OF such organiz atoms as this What tbat
solution VIII be l cannot presume To say. There
mas been some hope OF an era of arbitration
but industrial arbitration has been shown to be
an Industrial farce. The very first difficulty In
Its Application In the past has been the inability
OF me unions 10 understand what arbitration
ieaiy means. Their conception OF arbitration
apiears 10 be the sending of a cOmmiIe ee 10 ask
compliance with Their demands. But whether
Ihe unions come TO understand the meaning OF
the word or not, II can never become the wished
for panacea.
In the yery first place no uni has ever been
known 10 ask for genuine arbitration unul IL has
discovered that IL cannot win It's fight. Ii is al
toeether TOO much TO suppose That they VIII
c1anse I'D thlS regard. board of arbitration
which caun0t act until both sides have requested
u 10 act IS simply magnificent niece of useless
ness; t; al and when that board has no power to
IOfce us degrees u Is not only useless but alb
surd But this Is not the kind OF board of arbltra-
tioh iDe advocates of the system seek 10 have
Established. They desire a board with power TO
act upon Tie application of single party 10 A
Controversy and with absolute power TO euiorce
DANGER
l cannot too strongly impress upon YOU the
danger from such proposition. IL would sim
ply result IN lime In denial OF the right prop
cry. oucn board, created OF politicians would |
truck le TO the side CONT iolIlng the most votes
Where could we lodge the power to comnel
ooeu'snce 10 the deerees OF such board? Sup |
pose. such board should decide that plumber |
OF men on strike must go back 10 work against |
their Wills, would not the enforcement of sucn |
ueclee oe clattei slavery, pure and simple? On |
The Other GAnd, should II he deereed aud en-.
forced That an employer should hire a certain |
particular set ot men and none olhef would not |
tbat De absolute State socialism?
dicatorial board OF arbitration can never be !
Tolerated In tins country; and board without |
power Is simply of no use at all. Perhaps, If |
puohc opinion were strong enough and stead |
fast enough TO compel both sides 10 abide by the
DEGREES cf aibitrators without the enac, ment OF
laws. Arbitration might be a success; but public |
opinion L. very tickle thing, and oitenIimes
easily manufactured. Ii is Idle 10 suppose 1t
can ever have foree enough to fold the tents of
two hereditary hostile camps.
What Is 20 be the outcome OF the present In
dustral unrest l 90 not Know. but this | do
know, our proper course Is organization. The