Fergus County argus., 1892-10-13

"Did you notice" said q member of
the Carpenters union "that Sundays
Tribune says that T. E. Collins is only
an honorary director in the Great
Falls & Canada road, and therefore
not in any way responsible for the
wholesale employment of alien labor
in violation of the law, on that road,
of which he is vice-president and
American representative? That is
pretty slim way to dodge the response
bility attachint to him. Perhaps he
will say that he is honorary president
of the First National bank and there
fore not responsible for the attempt
made about eight months ago to de-
fraud union workmen by introducing
a lot of "scab" carpenters from Min
neapolis to take the place of union
labor in the finishing work on the
First National bank building. Tim
may or may not be an honorary vice
There is little doubt in the minds of
the members of the Carpenters union
about his being an 'ornery' president
OF q bank SO far as his treatment of
organized labor goes. Let megive you
the history of that affair and you will
see that union men have no cause to
love him."
"The First National bank building
was built by the Townsite company,
and the First National bank, of which
Il. E. Collins, the Democratic candi-
date for governor and the proprietor
of the Tribune is president, being
home enterprise built by parties equal
ly intererted in the prosperity OF the
town, it was expected and promised
that it would be constructed of home
material as far as possible, and by
home labor, and this policy was in
fact carried out for a time. But when
the finishing work came to be dome in
the early part of this year new de-
parture was taken, and while up to
this date only home labor had been
employed at living Montana wages,
this contract was let to a Minneapolis
man by the name OF Alexander, who
imported a lot of non-union "scabs"
from Minneapolis to do the work, this
depriving Great Falls workmen of the
job. The carpenters union here took
the matter up and at q meeting OF the
union appointed a committee to wait
on Mr.. Collins and the owners of the
building and request that only union
men should be employed and union
wages should be paid on the building.
They were met with the statement
fro,,, Mr. Callinc ho tho ~ ftor
beyond his control, as the contract
was let. However, the union had a
very effective method of bringing the
few of the leading business men and
labor sympathizers had Withdrawn
their deposits from Tins bank he con-
cluded that it would not pay to mon
key with the labor buzz-saw, and
found way to arrange matters so
that union labor was thereafter en-
ployed. The boycott which had been
declared against the bank was then
withdrawn. 1t is fair to say that dur
ing these negotiations Mr.. Collins
proved himself the uncompromising
enemy q organized labor, while Some
of the other officers of the bank did
what they could to secure satisfact-
ory solution of the trouble.
at is also true that before Mr.. Col
Inns concluded that it was possible to
employ organized labor on the finish
ing work at the First National bank
building, he went personally and tried
to induce some, at least, of the other
banks in the city to combine with him
in crusade against the union and de-
feat it's purpose by refusing to take
deposits withdrawn from the First
National ON account OF the boycott
and failed in his efforts.
"When the whole story of T. E. Col
lins' record in connection with the la
Dor unions is known it will make a
very interesting contribution to the
political infamy literature which is
now running in the Tribune"