The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-27
union men SEARCH
RANKS FOR SPIES
Labor Leaders Learn That
Agents of Employers Asso.
4--:
citation Are at Work

A number of the local labor leaders are
of the opinion that through the use of de-
tectlVes, or spies, the Employers asso-
c1atlon IS aware Of every movement being
made by the local unions the result being
that number Of unions have begun an
effort to discover the identity of the al
legged emiSsarieS
The tip that a regular method of
espionage is being practiced on the
unions came from Indianapolis and was
based upon the alleged confession of
Chldlster G. Kidd, at the time president
of the Indianapolis Carpenters union. 1T
Is claimed that Kidd was suspected, and
after being watched for some time it il
asserted that sufficient evidence was Sc
cured against him to warrant his being
brought to trial before the union Word
IS sent forth that during a lengthy exam
lnation Kidd confessed the offense, and
told sensational story to the effect
that detective work for the EMPLOYERS
aSsoclatIon Is being done from Cincinnati
and that there Is hardly a union in the
country of any prominence that has not
representatives in its ranks
1t Is claimed that he gave the names
OF some Of the men engaged in the work
in st. Paul, saying that these men re-
port TO Cincinnati, from whence the news
is sent to the local organization of en-
ployers, thus giving them the advantage
in Knowing the probable actions of
given union long in advance.
Local men say that Kidd afterwards
asserted that he did not make the con-
feSSiOn. and that he proposes to sue the.
Indianapolis union for sending the state
ment broadcast over the country. and also
to secure reinstatement in the union
from which he was expelled.
Men Believe Reports
The result of the charge that there are
spies in nearly all of the unions has been
the cause during the past week of a
great many committee meetings about Ia
Dor headquarters. and it is admitted that
in several instances it has been discov-
cred that the employers have had ad-
vanced information of the proposed course
of unions, and that therefore the alleged
Kidd statement must be true.
Though they acknowledge that an in
veStigation is being made the labor lead
erS will not discuss the developments.
but there is talk among the members of
the unions to the effect that a couple of
the alleged spies have been located, and
that they will be brought before their
unions for punishment. Some of the
unions fearful that there is a leak are
transa citing their most Important buSi-
ness through committees. thus avoiding
the necessity of bringing before the gen
eral membership vital questions.
The alleged Kidd confession has aroused
the delegates to the Trades and Labor
assembly. but it IS claimed that the in
vestigations made thus far indicate that
the espionage is confined almost entirely.
If not solely. to the building trades, which
includes the carpenters. the woodwork
ers, the plumbers, the bricklayers, struct-
ural iron workers, painters and several
other unions. II such proves to be the
case the discovery of the offenders will
with the work under the direction of the
Building Trades council.
Since the formation of the Employers
association there has been some talk OF
espionage. but the alleged Kidd confes-
sion was the first direct information that
the work was actually being done.