The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-10-25


paign in this city is one Of he most no.
table features Of the union movement
In this section. The benefits that the
retail clerks have received as a result
Of the enforcement Of this unquestion-
ably just and wise reduction in their
hours Of service are so clearly evident
that it SENS incomprehensible that any
clerk should fail to. recognize the ef-
ficacy Of the clerks: union and refuse
to affiliate with them. Yet it is fact
that there are few individuals who
are so short sighted and narrow-minded
that they declare the unions are of no
benefit to them and that they "have no
use for such organizations" This Ian
guage was actually used recently by
clerk in large store in reply to 4
union man, who following the general
custom, asked the clerk whether he
possessed a Retail Clerks card. The
reason given by the clerk for his atti-
tude was that the main purpose of the
Retail Clerks Unions was to establish
the early closing custom, and as the
house by which he was employed had
always closed at 6 o'clock, he was not
affected by the organizations success
or non-success in securing general OBJ
servance Of the early closing rule.
The .fallacy of such an argument is
so glaringly apparent as to excite Won
der that any intelligent man would
use it. When the early-closing rule
was observed by but few firms it is
certain that more or less business was
lost to these houses through consumers
making purchases from rivals who did
not close at o'clock. While this bus
mess may not have been Of sufficient
magnitude to suggest the necessity of
these firms resembling their early-clos-
Ing rule, it is morally certain that, when
their competitors agreed to close at 6
o'clock these firms who had been obser-
wing the custom benefited directly and
materially by the extension Of the reg
ulation to all competitors. :.
The fair-minded employee feels di-
rect personal interest in the prosperity
of his employer, and it is his duty to
countenance and participate in any
Legitimate movement that will adj
vance his employers interests. Conse-
quently when clerk refuses to affiliate
with an organization the general rec
ognlt1on OF whose principles will pro-
mote the prosperity Of his employer.
that clerk is dfs1oyal to his firm, ana ii
therefore an undesirable employs. st":.r:
Again, the custom among union men.
Of demandig that the clerk who serves
them must be a member of the Clerks
Union having jurisdiction over his par
ticular class NJ become so general
that the employment of non-union
clerks by any particular firm loses to
such house much desirable patronage
The clerk quoted above would probably
reply that this lis; not true, basing his
statement on the fact that a call for
his union card is seldom made by pat
rons. That may be true, but It is
merely proof of the we'll known fact
non-union house is thoroughly adver-
Used as such among trade unicnists,
and they are careful to shun 1t, con-
sequently a request for the clerks card
is rarely made in such places.
NO sensible man engaged in q calling
which is represented in the ranks Of
organized labor can afford, viewing the
matter from any standpoint, to re-
main without the pale of the union of
his calling. In doing so he not only
1eopardizes his own material interests
but, in these days of general and ever
increasing demand by union men that
they be supplied only with union made
products, handled by union men and
women, he is jeopardizing the interests
OF his employer, and he cannot justly
complain should that employer dis
pense with his services in favor of a
man who is more considerate Of his
interests and incidentally of those of
his fellow age-earners.