The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-07


 1 and the right to regulate the force and the output. He must be able to make a fair profit on his product, whatever it is. hAsides earning the annual interest on the cost of the plant, an item never to be left out of the account. Unless he is given A free hand to accomplish these things he cannot do a safe and sound or grow ing business. He cannot thrive himself or enable his people to thrive for long. He cannot furnish the greatest need of labor. which is certainty and steadiness of employment. fair wages and repose." Have you ever been laboring man. Geueral?"
 Most emphatically so," replied Gen. eral Otis. ''f know what 1t is to work and so do all fny business associates. began life as farmers boy learned to read in a log school house and grew up among people with whom industry, fru- eality and free labor were the rules of life. I am a laboring man still. For the past twenty years, during which I have been building up The Los Angeles Times. I have worked more hours daily than most of the men in my employ. have never kept a record of my hours nor charged for overtime, though I have often put in from twelve to sixteen hours per day week in and week out. This. however, is merely a personal matter and of little importance in connection with the question" The Big syndicates and Trusts.
 '"TIow will the great industrial combi- nations affect labor fnatters?" I asked T see no reason why they should not be for the good of labor, provided the com binations are kept within the plain limita- tions of the law according to the wise policy of President Roosevelt. :. Great combinat tions can do great things. They can handle industrial problems which would be beyond single individuals or small capitalists. Great undertakings re- quire great dynamic forces. immense ma chinery and enormous capital. They call for many workmen and create oportunity for wages. The real test is in the ques- tiou as to whether the combinations are lawful or unlawful. Outside of this they should not, be restricted. They should not be crushed merely because they are big any moro than small-operators and operations should be crushed because they are small. All are alike entitled to the protection of the law Such combine tions require some restraint. but that restraint should be the restraint of the law and not of public clamor.'
 The Civic Federation.
 What do you think of the compromise and arbitration policy of the Civic Fed eration. General? mean the policy ad- vocated by Mark Hanna. Samuel Gompers and others?"
 'I think there is more or less politics In it." replied General Otis. Tt Is more theoretical than practical. Mr. Hanna and his people, ignoring the fact that the law is ample to do justice to all, are trying to substitute contrivance of their own for the settlement of labor contro- versies. The same amount of effort put forth in enforcing the constitution and the laws would have accomplished more good. Their basic. though unexpressed purpose. seems to be to caJole or force tho em- ployer to give way merely in order to stop the row. No such plan of settle ment can be permanent for it Is not right. The side to give way in such con troversies is the side, whichever 1t may be, that has been proved to be in the wrong"
 Uncle Sam and Labor.
 How about the labor unions and the United States government?'
 There should be no labor unions among civil government employees" said General Otis. You might as we'll draft them upon the army and navy. AI.e gov ernment is and should be supreme, and it cannot take the risk of suffering la bor unions to dictate to 1t fin any par IlcuIdI. 1ne lHQOT unlOHiEL WHO CHlcF9 | the government service should at once drop his trade union alliances and ac- knowledge his allegiance to Uncle Sam only"
 "You are connected with printing, gen. eral, how should the government act as to organized labor in the government printing office?'
 T have substantially answered that was the reply. T don't think the govern ment should recognize any trades union directly or indirectly. in the government printing office. President Roosevelt was absolutely right fin the Miller case when
 he insisted on its being an open shop He went to the core of the matter in
 that case and nothing less than the rules | he laid down can prevail unless Uncle
 Sam intends to retire from the business
 of public printing. which he evidently
 has no notion of doing"
 The Government and Non n-Unionists'
 How far should the government go ir it's protection of the non-union manT Ut should go the whole length needed
 to protect him in his right to work foi | whom and for what he pleases. The non'
 union man has every right possessed by
 the union man. His rights are, it fact | superior to the union mans rights so long as he keeps himself within the limita' l tions of the law; for the union man does
 not do that He breaks out and under. takes to monopolize all labor himself and
 at the same time maltreats his non-unior brother. I can't see how any sane man can support the theory that the uon-
 union man or any man must join the
 ranks of organized labor in order that he may have the protection guaranteed by l the constitution and the law" Employers Associations.
 What do you think of the associations of capital now forming to keep represen' tatives to deal with organized labor-I
 mean the walking delegates of the capi'
 talists?"
 'I don't think they should be necessary | They will not be when the conditions are normal and where the law authorities are watchful. think the law should pro | tect the employer if he is unjustly treat ed by organized labor. as it should also | protect the employe in similar sltua' tion. The employer has as much right | to such protection as the humblest work
 man. Associations of employers having
 for their object the protection of eacf other by lawful means are entirely prop | CT. They are needed now more than evel before to deal with and check the az
 gressions of organized labor. They re quire the sinews of war to carry or l their operations, and must have author
 ized representatives juet as other asso | ciations."
 The Public.
 1 If the capitalists and the labor unions
 combine, where will the consumers coint | in?"
 They will have to take to the woods,