New-York tribune., 1903-06-10
| REPLIES TO HAVEMEYER.
YONKERS LABOR DEBATE.
j. T. WmdeU Unions Spokesman
Il Big CrozCd attends.

II BIG (TOICU AttCHtS.
The much heralded debate between capital as
represented by John C. Havemeyer. OF Yonkers'
and union labor, as represented by the 1onkers
labor unions took place last night III MUSIC
Hail. Yonkers, before audience OF men anu
women that completely filed the large theatre
Theodore Fitch prominent New-fork at'oi
ney, presided and introduced the speakers ne
Iikened the meeting to the lying together OF
the Hon and the lamb. 1t would be a rather
one sided debate, he said, as only one side OF
the question would be sumbitted, and no de-
cision would be rendered. Mr. Havemeyers
sixteen questions he said. reminded him OF by
gone days when 16 to 1 were mystic III hoers'
He then introduced j. T. windell, of Yonkers'
who said
I am here this evening the representative
of the Yonkers Federation of Labor, an orsah-
ization composed of delegates from h1teen oI
sixteen unions of the miscellaneous trades cI
Yonk.rs, outside of the building trades want
to say at the start that the trades Unions 90
not recognize the right of Mr.. Havemeyer or
any other man : ask them questions ana re-
uuire answers When the trust raises the price
of OIL s1gar or ic.' they do not consult the pub
lic and as the labor unions have been classed
the Iapor trust. they claim the same privilege,
If they choose to exercise 1t. However, 1t is the
policy of the unions to court the widest pub
city. and for that reason am here to answer
Mr.. Hayemeyers question on behalf OF the Or
ganiz, ton which / represent
II.
meyers sixteen questions. which have been pub
Ished in The Tribune and replied to them.
Some of these questions and Mr.. Windelrs
answers follow:
What originally the conditions and facts
which seemed to make necessary the & eombnatit9n t3
of workmen called labor unions, ana Wrlch JUSTLY
their present existence?
ass Pba the Gf 9 2
was formed namely to give to sIsnrtb 1ne
What are the aims of these unions and the meth
oT The ams Of these nons are to secure for those
whose labor and intelligence combined produce the he
share Of ff the RaT Which they
or spr m What is ecompaned of IN Employers
this is the golden rule kept in mind? THIS
you dshonest?" and. therefore. it deserves no
In their methods Is account taken Of the suffer
ing and losses that may be caused WIDOWS orpnaIs @
pose posed grievances and serious and perhaps per
manent, injury, which may result to members from
Yes everything is taken into account in the
mana cement of unions, at least so far as Things
can be foreseen by ordinary human intelligenee;
Will there be limit to the demands for shorter r1
viii it be reached. and by what rule will it be de-
Yes. there will be limit and that limit will ilae be
set by justice fairness and by the limits OF ac&[uas &
no man can say.
REPLY CALLS FORTH LAUGHTER.
If the law of nd and @ supply m pay be I # mot
henty N us a% the 10 uanty and
value of food and products OF the soil and of
manufactures goods must also be artifcially regu-
lated?
This question seems rather pointless. Demand
and supply are not disregarded in their relation to
labor. AS to the quantity and value or food ana
4es afs f d S aRq
5 nd hy 6 he sd tt r ef
sugar. Mr. Havemeyer ought to know more than
that product and what happens to the people SO
far as 1t is concerned. Oaughter)
of wealth, and to what extent and upon what
g finally VI result IS in preventing any man from
earning or securing more than his present needs
Unions believe that man ought to secure Just
exactly what he honestly II ne can & fna ~
painting or in invention, he ought to have it -
union enters into an agreement with any class
of employers it will be under the same legal and
agreement between individuals?
It amounts to this: Will labor unions consent TO
put themselves in such position that they can o De
an employer can find a judge willing to do, do the
work? The labor union Is not union OF dotiaTs @ ~
why it should put itself in the same class with the
dollars. 1 do not think it will do So believe that
at this moment money as represented by employers
is very influential in making laws I know that it
know how to nenGGe I'll the on es r. tf think 1aI the nG M
vidual rights in lump at the mercy of some legal
decision The unions deal very strictly with their their
agreements including good work and sobriety. AS
m oey be 5e rue no6 me9
as I have said, are human. In country where
T Bought and sod It is 9us hnR
bic that union man might be hired
LIKENs UNIONS TO GOVERNMENT.
On what ground is the refusal to work with and
persecution of non-union men justified?
Is it not unreasonable and unnatural that men
who differ widely from one another in opinion
should be forced unite and also join with other
men in actions that may be against their Judgment
and against their conscience? Labor unions.
with all their faults, which admitted represent
in. the industrial world exactly what government
rem world
Is there not in union circles general misappre-
hension and misuse of the terms 'capitai" and
labor and a consequent unfounded antagonism,
in assuming that they represent two distinct and
of fact men on both sides constantly changing
places, the rich becoming poor and the poor rich?
accumulated money means labor in its crystazed
condition The man who controls aG00,O00 con-
trolls. roughly speaking. days work of million
human beings. Labor is human activity; capital is
human activity taken off in the shape of profits and
How dou you meet the allegation that labor union
ism I Tth the @ a46 & ptner
and that it's tendency will be to isolate this country
from ON the rest s, OF the world? ,o,,o-..
ism has reached high point in the United States
tries Of the world as an Industrial power The sec
ond strongest labor union country in the world is
among the countries of the world industrial
power. The high wages paid 10 the wor<ingmen OF
America mean prosperity for the farmers. mer-
chants-for the entire nation. in short which de-
pend upon increase of consumption in land where
production is only limited by the demand of the
Now in conclusion one question for Mr. Have
meyer: You member of the family first con
spfcuous in trust organization. The labor unions
have felt that your request for answers 10 your
questions was somewhat of an impertnence; never
theless. the unions court publicity they want
public discussion, as they not ashamed of any
thing that they do or of their purposes they have
been glad to answer your questions: VIII you
sixteen question put to you in regard to the
Havemeyer Sugar Trust and other similar capitals
tic unions?