St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-17
DEPARTMENT. STORES.
Further Attempts to Interest Or
ganized Labor in BOycottin@

Further Attempts to Interest Or
ganized Labor in BOycOttin@
Them.
Some few months ago a movement
was started in this city by a number
of small merchants to interest the
; labor organizations in boycotting
the department stores. The scheme
was wholly selfish and Impractical
| bic one, and met with no encourage
ment from the laboring people. 1t
is interesting to note that a similar
agitation is on in Toronto, where it
has so far advanced as to. get into
the city council. One of the alder
men introduced the following mo-
ton:
That a special committee be ap-
pointed to take into their consider
! alton the ACCESSIBILITY of levying a
graded business tax or license, with
a view of protecting the retail mer-
chants, druggists and others against
the ruinous practices of monopolists
in the center Of the city.
The matter was also before the
trades and labor council for consid-
Grafton. The special committee to
which the proposition was referred
reported as follows. which makes
mighty interesting reading, anaIyz-
ing, as it does, the industrial reYo-
luton that is now going on:
For almost a century the march of
Capitalization has been going on. Its
advent may be dated from the inven-
ton of the spinning jennie.
The Introduction of labor-saving
machinery was the cause of great dis
tress among handicraftsmen of every
kind. This, together with division of
labor, has simply revolutionized in
duStry.
Our forefathers, nay, even our ia
therS, after serving a few years as
apprentices became journeymen. and
could look forward hopefully to be-
coming. employers themselves but to-
day, as Henry George says, you may
as Well nope to become Pope of Rome
or queen OF England, as to become the
proprietor of one of the gigantic fac
tories.
Side by side with the revolution
gong on IN methods of production is
that which is taking place in our sys-
TEN CT distribution. The ocean grey
hound is clearing the high seas of the
sailing vessel; the carriers wagon and
the stage coach are now things OF the
past; the small railroads are being
swallowed up by the large ones, and,
finally, the small retailer has to make
room for his colossal antagonist the
department store.
w men IabOr-SaVlng machinery was
nrSt introduced the handicra ftsmen
who were thrown out of employment in
consequence reSOrted to almost every
10 f7rI
to prevent this powerful competitor
from taking their places. But all in
VAIN. Machinery was here to stay. It
leSSened the cost of production. and of
Itself is great benefit to the working
classes, who Will appreciate it's benefits
better when they learn to organize and
shorten their hours of labor
W nat is true of labOr-SaYing ma
ch1nery is true of the department
store. It is a great convenience to the
housewife to come down town and
make all her purchases in one store
by grouping many businesses to-
gether under one roof rent can be re-
duced, the fuel bill can be Iessened
and by purchasing in large quantities
they can buy to better advantage than
their smaller competitors.
In short, they lessen the cost of
distribution
AID. Davies idea of taxing or lfcens-
ing is decidedly a step in the wrong
direction. II tax be imposed, the
consumer will pay it. and not the
owner of the department store.
II we are to tax these large stores
Tor the benefit of the small ones. WHY
not tax the telephones for the benefit
OF the errand boys, the lasting, peg
g1ng and finishing machines for the
dement, OF the shoemakers, the type
setting machines for the benefit of the
printers, and so on to the end of the
chapter?
The effect of this march towards
Capitalization has been so far to make
the producers of the world more de-
pendent, and the remedy lies in the
abolition of class legislation, shorter
hours OF labor, free access to land and
finally cooperation.
AS to the effect of the departmental
store on real estate. if it should re-
suit IN compelling gentlemen who have
been accustomed to a life of ease and
luxury to degrade themselves by work,
these gentlemen will have our deepest
sympathy"
A similar agitation is going on in
Chicago. where last week $50 retail
merchants met and resolved against
the department stores, claiming that
they were monopolizing the trade, ruin
ing small dealers and depreciating
the value of real estate.
Speaking of the effort of the ST
Paul small dealers to secure the aid of
organized labor in antagenizing the
encroachment of the department
stores a member of the trades and
labor assembly, says. 81 have no
sympathy with these fellows. Speak
to nine out of ten of them about
unionism, and they will insin-
uate that you are an anarchist or
something of that sort, generally
ending with the chestnut that
they don't believe in this organized
labor business, and see no necessity for
it. Now, when business men with
longer heads than they come along
with the department stores, and by
concentration of effort underseH and
draw away their trade. they have the
cheek to come to the labor 'organiZa-
tons and want to know if they won
or can't do something to save their
sure failure. Why, the department
store is a godsend to the Iaboring peo-
pie. 1t gives them back their prod
uctS at the least possible increase in
cost from handling. It looks as
though the small dealer would have to
go TO work Too had. isn't if 2''