The San Francisco call., 1897-09-07
A QUESTION OF LABELS.


SAN FRANCISCO. CAL. Sept. g.
To the Editor of the San Francisco CaA-DEAR
SIR: Iu your issue of the 4th inst. there ap-
pears under the head ing, "sang Song OF La
bels, a report Of the proceedings of the San
Fran cisco La Dor Council with reference TO the
request of the Ironmolders Union that the
various branches there represented gether
statistics showing the extent to which they
are affected by the importation and sale of
prison products in our midst. and while said
report is in the main correct 1 am afraid q
ia Sc impression is likely to be created In the
public mind regarding the true sentiment
prevailing in the Manufacturers and Pro-
ducers' Association of California towa ard Or
ganized labor, and believing it TO be for the
general good that the true relation between
labor and pital represented in said assoca-
ton be known 10 the pub lc generally have
determined to write you short letter, with
the request that in spirit of fairness you
give II place i'll the columns OF your great
newspaper.
Being member of the executive commi ttee
am ia a position to know just what it is do
ing and what are its aims. | cannot state its
objects more briefly than by quoting the fol-
lowing from a circular issued by its consent
short time ago: "The Manufacturers and
Producers Association of California is an or
gantZation formed Tor the purpose OF encour-
aging and assisting the manufacture and con-
sumption OF home products. All good citizens
are interested In the prosperity OF the COM
munity in which they live This association
appeals to you to assist IN the pod work IN
Which 1t is engaged by buying and using IT,
cles OF home production whenever you can
without q sacrifice OF price or quality. By SO
doing you will he lp place Idle men at work in
nearly every factory OF this STATE. their earn
ings will go I'M the various channels OF trade
and we will indeed see the dawn OF prosperity
| for all our people.
I'VE know that there are many articles-food
| products, wearing apparel and OF household
| and general use-made in this State that are
| OF equal or be tier quality and that Will cost
no more than the imported article.
1--WE ask you to give this matter your careful
and earnest attention, and, when buying. give
California products preference, everything be-
! ing equal, and by so doing you will help not
| only The community, but yourself as WELL"
/ The objects of the associa tfon are such that
| all good citizens can and will join in the work
they have on hand. Said association has no
| connection whatever with the late Engineers
| and lron-founders' Association, which has
| long since ceased to exist The latter seemed
to have for its object the destruction of the
| various labor unions and ! must admit
| that the fight was long and bitter,
as Mr. Furuseth said on Friday evening, and
! the niolders were in it, but the unions still
exist while that association is dead; 1t IS true
that some of its members are now In the
! Manufacturers and Producers Association,
! but they are wiser and more liberal men for
| the experience :ney have had. eff wise men
! did not make mistakes, 1t would go very hard
! with the fool in this world and would like
| TO declare to every trades union man, Wher'
| ever ne may De lOca teQ, tlat now, 50 ldT dS L
can learn from conversation with the member
OF the executive committee OF the Manufac-
turers' and Producers Association, there
is not the slightest enmity existing toward
| organized labor; on the contrary, the feeHng
| from date OF organization to the present time
| mas been mos friendly,
Ny predecessor in the executive committee
was Mr.. MeGlynn of the Typographical Union,
| and when he resigned was elected IN his
place. They all know that have been tdenti-
! hed with the Iron nmolders' Union for twenty
| years, yet they have made me member OF
their committee without any suggestion from
my union or myself. The molders heartily
/ appreciated this as token OF good Will to all
| organized labor and hope it marks the dawn
of new era in which labor and capital en-
| gagged in manufacturing here shall be friends
instead OF enemies
For many years the Molders' Union has
peeh ngntlng against prison products coming
IN competition with those OF free labor, ana In
conjunction with other societies we have sue
ceeded In having the evil almost obiiterated
In inns state, but unfortunately these products
are Deing dumped into California from nearly
every other State in the Union, to be SOLD at
any price they will bring, thus seriously Grip
! ping our home industries, because no manu-
facturer can sell the products OF free labor at
profit in competition with prison m ade
wares; ne must stand aside until all the vile
lrash Is disposed of and then supply the def
cheney In the market at whatever price ne can
get, ana out of his N eager profits pay taxes to
| support the institutions that are running his
business.
! Heretofore organized labor has been con-
tending alone against this evil, but now manu-
1acturers are wiling to JOIN in the fight With
mat end In view the Manufacturers and Pro-
| ducers Association have proposed that
statistics be gathered from every line of in
o9stry showing the extent 10 which we are
efilcted by this competition, with the hope OF
having laws enacted TO give the necessary re.
iei. The molders gladly adopted the sugges-
tlon OF the Manufacturers and Producers
ASSOCIATION and requested the San Francisco
Lapor council, OF which we are part, to join
In the good work, and. TO our surprise, that
| body OF re representative men refused to grant
| our request or do anything In the
| matter until the manu- uiacturers would
consent to put union labels on sl their