The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-12-17

.FARLEN 81 {, sTRtl : u RI!EAlSER


Richard n. ~ ard. secretary. ITO
Strike Breaker Farley, has given the
following disclosure OF the strike
breaking business. Workingmen will
do we'll to ponder the facts disclosed:
II have been Mr.. James Farleys
secretary for eight years, ever since
he began the business of breaking
strikes. His methods are perfectly |
open and above board, and will bear
criticism.
Where does he get his men?
What kind of men are they?
How does Farley pay them?
And how does he make out OF each
strike?
People ask me these questions
hundred times a day.
To answer the last question first
will say that while I don't know just
how much he is worth, everyone who
knows him at all knows that he is
rich. He owns four fine houses-two
at Pittsburg, N. r.. one at Brooklyn,
and one at Cincinnati-and he has
property besides that. The company
that engages him to- break strike
pays him IS a day for each man he
holds in readiness to take the place of
one of the strikers, and he gets this
whether the man works or not, just
for having him ready.
If strike lasts only few days, or
| il 1t runs on, as it sometimes does, for
| two or three months. you can see that
Mr.. Farley's profit is a big one.
Commands an Army Of 800 Men.
He can bring together at twenty
four hours notice 1900 men. He can
make the number 1850 II it is needed,
! and. for every man he has notified to
be ready to come to the scene Of the
strike, remember, he gets IS a. day.
| From the time the man gets his not
ification and packs his grip for travel
ing he gets $3.50 day, his travelling
| expenses and his board, whether there
is a strike or not. If there is a strike
and he takes the place of a striker he
gets $3.50 day. Mr.. Farley pays
this. and the difference between the
$3.50 or $3.50, as the case may be-. is
clear daily profit to Mr.. Farley.
The railroad fare of the strike
breaker is paid by the company that
needs his services. The company
houses and boards them, generally in
the car barns. All Mr.. Farley con-
Germs himself about is their wages. But
when I tell you that he got 100 men
together at San Francisco and broke
the back Of a. strike that lasted four
months, you can get some idea OF his
profits. Amounts to about $S06,000,
doesn't it? I never figured it up ex-
actly.
In the eight years he has been in
this business he must have broken on
an average of at least six strikes {,
year. Sometimes his men don't have
i to lift finger. Just being there is all
! that Is necessary lots of times. II
! was because Farleys 800 men were
, here ready to jump on the cars an6
take the places Of motormen and con-
ductors that the marlborough men coz.
, cluded not to strike. >The night this
conclusion was reach Mr.: Farley sem
200 Of his men home.
The. very next morning,p~when it wa.
known that the men had gone, thu
, strikers made new demands; toSswhici
. Mr.. Belmont would not abagnee.&ssSFAi
{ soon as he gifted Mr.. Farley. he sen
for the men. and eforessthey had reach
!, ed their destinations some of. then
/ We're on their way back to New York
There has been a great deal of cur
: iosity and many misstatements hav,
been made as to what kind of me,
: these strike breakers are. r will en-,
: that here and now by telling the plat,
truth. The men are all employees o
other street railway companies, loan
:, ed to each other in case of a. strike
ys11 hi -.
street railway companies Of Baltimore
. San Francisco, Newark, Jersey City
+ Waterbury, Bridgeport and: Scranton
Q Each company has it's list of 200 O
a | more men who are at Mr.. Farley
r command. The moment they receiv
l a telegram or postal card from hin
! they quit work for their own company
3 Sometimes they don't go to the seem
: of the strike at all, simply walt a
home for orders.
g Mr.. Farley gets a few Of his men o,
| the ground ready for the immediat
t emergency. The others are, as 1t were
' at the other end fthe telegraph wir
! waiting for orders. But he always ha!
4 plenty Of men on hand. For instance
t It takes about $50 men to run the car
! OF the marlborough company. MI
1 Farley, you know, had $50 men, owe
t twice the number needed, ready on tn
= spot.
= The men ran some risks, Of course
3 but MIR. Belmont had provided that OF
every car there should be three police
men, and, If necessary, three soldiers
for the militia would have been cal;
. led out to protect these men. But tn,
. men don't worry about the danger
I They all like the adventure and tn,
ready money.
Some of the men know all about run
;: ming the cars at both ends. Those tina
! don't know We teach.
> AMERICAN IDIOM.