The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-25


non-un1on people engaged in strikes has
not neen secured. but they have reaned
were seeking 49,
Q. Details or fieIres 'raocar5i,,,, =, ,,L
81 property destroyed, number Of arrests
Ior crimes and kinds of crimes commit
'ea IN no connection with strikes9
"A. Iowa has been fortunately FREQ from,
disorder during labor disputes Thara is
no record on hard Of any arrests nor anV
property injured or DESTROYED hevonI
some slight damage which occurred dur
ing the A: r. q. strike. This is largely
attributable to tie very consderate man,
ner with which employers and employees
IN Iowa regard each other
POWER OF PREVENTION
any evidence as to how far labor
~ oriioile are eIIectlve in preventing strikes
ter? uilS the mat
"A. The evidence is overwhelming that
me organization of labor is the greatest
preventive pre- of strikes; fifty-three rail-
ROADS, composing the largest systems
nave agreements with their emDJoyes
through organizations and maintain: fhe
most harmonious relations through rep
~ Eo oo committees of the men. Only
o,ooo miles OF railroad in the United
states refuse to recognize such commit
tees. There are hundreds of instances
among unions where wages are regulated
nGuls ADOPTED and grievances adjusted
Without the loss of a penny by all crafts
Wl3lch nave organized or the basis of
autonomy and conduct their affairs in a
oGslhessilke way, but which adjustments
are not Drought to the observance of the
pubic through the press because moth
ing OF sensational character presented
ItselI IN the agreements. We have ONLY
10 10 rel reIeT you to the stronger unions, which
nave developed with age, viz: steel.
glass, cigar and iron workers printers
etc, VINO make annual, semi annual and
season schedules with their employers.
ana especially we would not omit tbe
hPt HI
Gus miners and the operators, who have
adopted the conciliatory system with the
unanimous agreements. We further re-
Ter you to an article in the March num-
Der of the Review of Reviews hy John
n commons. knowledge is power and
organization begets respect
60 EFFECT UPON WAGES.
@. Do labor unions have any perma-
nent effect in the matter of wages?
y A. No. Il, would not be advisable. If
is not an object. The idea is to ste2 dy
/ wages, establish minimum scale for
the weaker individual, who would be
crushed In the mill of competition and
bring down with him his own craft ard
all society, eventually. There will be no
permanency Until every toiler secures
the full product of his toll That is the
aim of the labor union
~ what have the labor unions accom-
pllshed in an educational way to make
the labor problem better understood in
Iowa?
all classes of society, as your present in
curry partially proves; they have given
an opportunity to men whose daily labor
is to a large extent drudgery. an oppor-
tun1ty to associate, to think. to act The
LABOR union is the poor mans college
his university. The easiest comparis On
can easily be made by selecting any two
men, one belonging to a union and one
who does not, and five minutes conversa-
ton will be convincing. Many of the
union men of Iowa are in constant de-
mand for public service. Most of the
unions conduct classes of technical and
economic character, have Libraries ami
arrange lectures
z. What has been their attitude and
influence as to temperance?
A. Their attitude has been non-corroit-
tai. They are not as outSpoken on this
as on other moral questions accountable
for largely by the TACT that the anti tenn
perance influence caters especially to tho
Workingman for the sake of l,roff and m
fiuence, and because no adequate pr1-
vision has been made to counteract the
non-temperance influence. The working
men nave not the means to secure for
themselves homes in the shape of sttrac-
tive rooms or clubs, although heroic a.
forts are being made by them to secure
such. When this is accomplished the
mans standpoint will have been solved
WORK ON LEGISLATION.
@. What have they accomplished to pro-
mote legislation in the interest Of labor?
A. They have secured volume of .357
pages, Second Special Report, and edited
by Carroll D. Wright, Commissioner of
labor of the United States, and in Iowa
they have secured laws to secure the
safety of miners, Sunday observance. me-
chanics' liens, liability laws for accident.
safety coupler, regular payment aboli-
ton of company stores, anti-coercion and
anti-blacklisting laws, and are now
working to secure laws to minimize CON
Wet contract labor, to secure adequate
child labor laws and compulsory educa-
ton.
@. What is the effect of the trade union
label upon business?
A. The effect is most salutary. Tt in
sures quality, cleanliness, and a steady
market by allowing the producer to be-
come consumer to a larger extent,
thereby benefting every business and
professional man. The thorough estab-
lishment and patronage OF the union
label is the simplest weapon for the peo-
pies use. pending satisfactory legislation
against the eXactions of the modern
trust.
@. What proportion OF labor organiza-