The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-04
IT AIMS TO STOP EXTORTION,
BUILDING EMPLOYERS LEAGUE
rs ONE OF KOLD-UP VICTIMS
And Ns Principal Object Is 10 End the
Exactions OF the walking Delegate
for His Own P0cket-Capital Unlimited
Behind II, but Not for War on Labor.


Behind II, but Not for War on Labor.
Officers Of the new Building Trades
Employers Association deprecated yester-
day afternoon the notion that they are
trying to settle the original strike, which
has held up all the building in the city for
two or three weeks. II the truth were told
the Employers association is not worrying
much over the result Of the row with the
Drivers Union. They have bigger fish to
fry and they are quite busy attending to
the frying.
Their organization Is now three weeks
old. 1t Is the first association of employ
ers to be organized in this country and 1t Ia
growing stronger every day. 1t ia not
generally known, but every member OF the
association was required to give a bond
OF no mean amount to insure his sticking
to the association Should he weaken
in his allegiance to the organization and
amount is such that any member would be
likely to hesitate a while before FORGETTING
the face OF the bond.
Owing to the misunderstanding that
as to the object to the Employers associa-
ton. one Of it's officers made this state
ment to a SUN man Yesterday afternoon:
I'VE thought" he said. that our object
was quite we'll understood. 1t appears
not to be. Let it be known, Therefore,
CARNATIONS. as such. We believe in or
ganiZed labor and in as high wages as are
consistent with reasonable profit to the
employer The present strike In the build
ing trades is something with which we
are, not personally concerned. 1t has.
really. nothing to do with the formation
of our association. We are giving to the
employers of the strikers such encourage
ment az we can, but those employers the
Building Materials Dealers Association,
and ae dealing with it. OF the outcome
we have no doubt. The union is all wrong;
the walking delegates in the Board of
Building Trades know II. and sooner or
later the building material employers
will win and building in this city will be
I'VE have organized for quite a different
purpose. and one of our chief objects,
strange as 1t may seem TO some, IL to benefit
the individual members OF the labor unio MS
nor the great army Of workingmen has any
idea Of the wrongs that are done in the
name Of organized labor by the walking del
egate. For years he has held up. in the name
of his union, the employers all over this
country. II one quarter OF the self-re-
specting workngrnen Of this country knew
the amount of money collected every year
by the walking delegate and put into his
own poke, in return for refusing to declare
strikes, many Of the labor unions would
go out Of existence for lack OF members.
To endeavor to put stop to this bribery
and extortion was one OF the principal
objects In organizing our association. l
have only to point you to our, platform:
adopted yesterday, to prove this. One Of
the sections of that platform reads:
thetic strikes. including the attack on, in
dividual firms or corporations as well as
the arbitrary attitude OF the business agent
6riberl.
we believe that the root of most Of the
labor troubles In this country is the walk
ing delegate. II the individual members
OF unions knew OF the propositions made
delegates they would agree with our own
notions Of this official. We have no quar-
rel over questions Of wages or hours. We
have no quarrel with organized labor, But
when the walking delegate can dictate terms
under which men shall labor. when he can
hold up employers and extort money from
them by threats Of ordering a strike. II
we can eliminate the walking delegate,
or take from him his fondness for extortion
We believe We shall have solved the chief
difficulties that have arisen between labor
and capital.'
Another feature Of the Employers as
ISOLATION which became known yesterday,
which they have organized, is that they have
made provision for mutual aid, in money
as the unions do. Provision has been
made to take care Of firms or individuals
not as strong financially as some. of the her
Of the association WHO may be-
come financially crippled in time of strike.
The amount of capital represented In the
association Ia not far from 500 900 ,0OO 1t
has been decided that, should any member
need financial assistance in time of stri Ike.
or because of one, the association will give
him what assistance he may need.
Since the formation of the association il
has received support from an unexpected
source. Heretofore, builders and the sell
ers Of building materials have been unable
to get much support from those for whom
they we're working. The association WAS
formed three weeks ago, and since then its
officers and members have received all kinds |
Of encouragement from those from whom
they have contracts. The owners Of the
buildings in process of construction have |
told the builders to take all the
time they need in settling with the unions,
30 long as that settlement is right. Many |
Of the owners OF buildings have gone 80 far
In their announcement as voluntarily to