Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-07
LOOKING INTO The FUTURE
Leaders Of Business Mems Association
Figuring on Things Ahead.
SOME WOULD COPY AFTER TRADES UNIONS
8cheme of secrecy IL Also Becoming
More and More IrksOme, Rs
Well Rs DtstastefuI TO
Many Members.

What is the future OF our Busine
Utn's association? 1 think II is here to
Htay and grow, at least for some time to
tome" The speaker was one of the active
nHcnts In the organization Of the Omaha
nfeociation, though naturally. not being on
Ne press committee, was not talking in
nj official capacity. The Business Mems
sespciation has demonstrated its usefulness
- the employers of labor who have previ-
cusly been compelled to deal, each by them
lives, with the organized employees and
1nn themselves too often unable to cope
18th the unions on anything like equal
ftfms. We don't want any more strikes
lam we have to have, but 1 think that
~ existence of a strong organization of
Employers will have a tendency to repress
1lfikes and force the peaceable adjustment
differences, with strikes only as a last
sort
III was talking to another member of our
association the other day who had been
Entertaining a Denver mana leader in the
Husiness Mems alliance there-and he ad-
vocated the adoption by us Of some of the
Nolicies pursued in Denver. The Denver
tlliance is formed on the same lines as a
trades union. Each member has a num-
hered membership card which is required
fDr admission to the meetings and for par
Hcipation in the benefits. out In Denver
hey nave even initiated the trades unions
b the extent Of trying TO force everybody
INTO the alliance who is eligible to admis-
ION. As a result they have over 2,4OO mem
bers and a business man who refuses tc
toin occupies the, same position as a scat
foes in the labor world.
want to Spread Out.
Here in Omaha we have not been ag.
kressive at all in extending the member.
ship of our Business Mems association, and
have oven shut out a few who have applied
for admission. / don't know as l would
want to go so far as to compel anybody &c
join with us by use of the boycott or SINH
lar means, but 1 think we will have tC
broaden out over the whole business field
and make our organization include all th'
minor organizations of separate lines o.
business already in existence here.
ErAnothor thing that Is subjecting us t
Niticism and may have to be changed is the
Secrecy with which all our doings have
been invested. AS a matter of fact, a Who'll
lot of us were against this secrecy business
from the start. We didn't see why WI
should have to put padlocks on our mouths
when most of our proceedings might just al
well be taken out in the open and would
Strengthen us by being done publicly. while
anything that had to be kept under covei
could be sent to an executive session.
~ think there has been a meeting helC
& thing done by the Business Mems as
Dociation since It was organized that wal
not tipped OF to the labor Representatives
In short order and the newspapers mus
have had pretty good sources Of informa
fion. for they got more things right thar
wrong and kept pretty close tab on tn
whole situation. 1 believe that II we wan
60 keep the public on our side we will hav
60 take the public into our confidence
That's why the trades unions cultivate tn
press so persistently. and many OF GU
members are gradually seeing the matte
IN the same light"