The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-07-25


This, he said, giving the aspiring young writer
taste of higher journalism What Hillman did
and said when he returned to his ruined domcile is
not record, but it is safe to say that he gave up
making copy out of McCurry then and there.
HE Schlitz Brewing company of Milwaukee has
been drawn into with the Trades and Labor
Council of that city, and it looks now as if the
beverage that "made Milwaukee famous" or in
famous, you choose, is to be tabooed by union
labor in the future The controversy is interest
ing one as it is good illustration of the power of
organized labor
In June, 1900 the brewing company, a
member of the Milwaukee Brewers Association
agreed with the Trades Council to employ only
union labor on all building work connected with it's
establishment It reserved the right, however, to
let contracts to nonunion bosses, providing they
should bid lower than the union shops. The Trades
Council agreed to furnish all the necessary to
do the work of the association at twenty -four hours
notice. Both parties signed the agreement, which
thought by all concerned to be very satisfactory
Not long ago the sschlitz people awarded contract
to nonunon plumber stipulating, of course, that
he should employ union to do the work The
contractor in question applied to the Trades Council
for the number of men required but, after waiting
furnished he was compelled to employ nonunion
plumbers to do the job. Whereupon the Trades
Council placed the Schlitz company upon the Gun
fair list" and issued boycott circulars against it.
To the unprecedented observer, this would seem
an occasion where the power Of the union is mis-
used. AS far as can be seen on the surface, the
brewing company lived up to the letter of it's agree
ment; to award the contract to nonunion boss was
it's privilege, and the fact that union labor was not
forthcoming the fault of the Trades Council and
not the Schlitz people. The matter not referred
to arbitration, which the brewers courted, but, on
the other hand, the company at once placed
under the ban by the Council
! The labor union yields today a far greater
power than the much abused trust it has risen from
a mere handful of men to mighty army, but it's
future depends whether not it uses it's power
|intelligently That arbitrary demands can be
done has been proven particularly in England where
the employers have formed an association against
organized labor.
few years ago English manufacturer came
to this country for the purpose of importing labor
to work in his mills He offered very high wages
and made long time contracts. He did this, he said
because the unions had made it impossible for him
to operate his business to their satisfaction and at
the same time compete with the American mar
ket. There was case where the union cut it's
own throat, for the employer had no difficulty in
finding the men this side of the water to do his
work. Any man can worry along when the times
are hard and wages low, but it takes good man to
Withstand prosperity, and that is just what the
unions are up against now. If the Schlitz company
is forced-and it probably will be-to accept the
demands of the Trades Council it will be another
] step in the wrong direction.