The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-28
THIS BOYCOTT a FARCE
CENTRAL LABOR UNIONS ATTACK ON
HOME BREWING COMPANY.
Secretary of Brewers Union Says n
Few DoodIeFs Are Back OF 1t
The NoIders' Demand.

\ boycott was declared against the Home
Brewing Company's products yesterday by
the Central Labor Union upon the alleged
grievance of the Iron Molders' Union No.
50. The trouble with the molders grew out
of the purchase by the brewery Of some
machinery from Chandler q Taylor. a firm
which has for several years been in conflict
with organized labor. The iron molders
claim that some parts of a boiler recently
put in by the brewery were not made by
union labor, and it is therefore demanded
that the boiler be taken out. The company
refuses 10 take the boiler out and hence the
trouble.
Andrew Hagen. secretary and treasurer
of the Home Brewing Company. was asked
concerning the boycott yesterday after
noon. He said: We'll, / will tell you all
about the trouble. Last fall we made a
contract with Chandler & Taylor to build a
new boiler for US. We knew that Chandler
& Taylor had been having some difficulty
with labor organizations and it was speci-
fed that the boiler was TO be made by union
labor. In due time the boiler was COM
pleted. We had union brickmasons build
the foundations and walls for the boiler and
it was placed in position. Shortly after
ward a committee from the Boiler Makers
Union came here and told us that the front
of the boiler had been Node by nonunion
workmen. They demanded satisfaction.
We did not know how to satisfy them and
the matter was dropped. About two weeks
ago we heard from the molderS again. They
mand that we take out the nonuni3n
work, and recently a from the
Central Labor Union. headed by *. II;
Croft, president of the organization, called
and demanded that we not only take out
the nonuniOn work, but that we take out
the entire boiler and every piece of work
on the foundation wall and elsewhere.
We canno shut down this boiler at this
time of year, and il Is impossible for us TO
comply with the request of the labor unions
If we saw fit to. But their demand IS un-
reasonable. There is probably eight or ten
dollars worth of %nonunion work. on the
boiler, and for this it is demanded that
hundreds of dollars worth Of work be de-
s~troyed.work which was done by union Ia
Dor. Where is the justice in this demand!
We have offered TO pay them more than the
will not accept it,"
Mr.. Hagen said he was satisfied that the
fight against his company was being urged
by a competing brewing company. lie said
the competitors had shown a disposition
to fight it unfairly for a number OF years.
Speaking of the attitude of the Home Brew
ing Company TO organized labor, Mr..
Hagen said: I'VE have always been more
than friendly TO union labor. When the
careful 10 see hat they were erected by
union labor. In fact. we began business
with the idea in view of catering to the
laboring classes. The building cost thou
sands of dollars more because We insisted
that bidders on the work should figure on
using none but union labor. AT present and
ever since our business began we have none
but union men in our employ, except Ia
borers who cannot ally themselves with
any organization. All the men who are ELI
gible TO belong to the Brewers Union are
members and before the Beer Drivers
Union disbanded all our drivers belonged.
W. GOT fhln, 20 haInnn an6 anOOI1pg Uo
the organization. The Home Brewing Com
pany pays the best wages, the full union
scale is paid in every instance and our
union men are paid more than ewher
Mr.. Hagen had a copy of an Anderson
paper dated March II which contained an
interview with Robert f. Croft. president
of the Central Labor Union of this city.
The article stated that the boycott against
the Home Brewing Company was then liz
published which was intended to extend the
boycott 10 Anderson. Mr.. Hagen said this
address and an article of similar nature
had been published in many papers
throughout the State long before there had
been any formal action on the matter by
the Central Labor Union. He considers the
whole matter OF the alleged boycott as a
conspiracy TO injure the business or the
Home Brewing Company. He declares that
his company is the leader in friendliness
toward employees and that ii is very care
full to recognize all the rights of labor and
to do all IL can to extend these rights and
to respect them. He declares this whole
thlng 10 De a Scntme oh the pdtl VI SOh-
p~etitors who have more reason to be boy
cotted by labor than the Home Brewing
Company.
An inquiry among the union men en-
ployed' by the Home Brewing Company
showed that the men were unanimous in
denunciation of the action of the Cen
trail Labor Union. Julius ZOrn, secretary
and treasurer of the Brewers Union and
q delegate to the Central Labor Union, said
he thought the action was an outrage. 1T
was taken without a full understanding or
the situation" he said. "A few boodlers
carried the matter through. using organized
labor of the city as an organization to
further a scheme OF their own Tor PERSONAL
nroit" other employees spoke as bitterly
Of the thing. They claim that money has
been used and that the men who are TAX
ing the lead in the movement against the
Home Company are doing so for financial
profit TO themselves.