The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-30
PROGRESS OF THE
EMPLOYERS MOVEMENT.
Discussed by President Parry of
Citizens Industrial Association.

Citizens Industrial Association.
New York. Nov. 3D.. M. Parry,
in his annual address as president of
the Citizens Industrial Association to-
day reviewed the progress of the en-
ployers' movement during the last two
| years, and predicted for it a steady
permanent growth. He said in part:
IF tradeunionism should become
dominant in this country L have not
| the least doubt that our industries
would languish and our streets would
be filled with idle men. No other re-
suits could possibly come from a sys-
| tenn that would base the reward OF
| labor not on merit. but on the power
| of organization to dictate terms,
| system that would restrict output, dis
| courage enterprise and permit the in
| dolent and least efficient to set the pace
for industry. Can present-day union
| ism become dominant in this country?
| 1t is my belief that If you would like
| to see organized labor obtain con-
trolling power over industrial and pub
lie affairs all that you need to do is
to fold your hands and let the unions
work their will Under the do-nothing
| policy of the employers, up until few
years ago, the growth of unionism was
| magical. Finally, with several mil
| lions of workers back of them ana
| flushed with victory because of sue
| cess in a number of strikes. the lead
| ers assumed a dictatorial attitude to-
wards Congress and local authorities.
At that time it seemed as though pub
| lie opinion was ready to sanction any
demands that the strike bosses chose
| to make. and but scant hearing was
| given to the employers side or any
| controversy, no matter how diplomat
! ically expressed.
A Critical Time.
IT believe that this was critical
| time in the history of our country
| and had the employers not abandoned
| the let-alone policy we should to-day
be facing a very different condition
of affairs from that now confronting
us. We should, perhaps, have the
| eight-hour and anti-injunction bills on
| the statute books and the principle of
| preference to unionists in employment,
or, in other words, the national closed
| shop would more than likely be in
| fair way of adoption. But, FORUM
| ately, for the welfare of every man,
woman and child in this country, there
Sprang up a movement, which was
practically spontaneous among the en-
ployers, for the formation of local as
sociations, while such great national
| organizations as the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers began to
grapple with the problem with energy
and determination. What happened?
| There is little need for me to rehearse
| the story. Strike after strike was or
dered only to be lost by the unions,
| and a great check was given to trades
union aggression from Maine to CAL
| ifornia. Shop after shop has been
| opened to the non-union man, and pro-
lection has been given him against
| the sluggers in most of our Industrial
| centers.
Many Closed shops Abandoned.
II believe that 1000 manufacturing
establishments have, in the last year,
| abandoned the closed shop and thrown
| their doors open to workmen without
| regard to their membership or non
membership in a union. I have been
| informed of the names of over $50 con-
| Germs in the city of Chicago that have
done this. Is not that a record for the
| greatest hot-bed of unionism i'm the
country? From all parts of the Cen
| trail West l have received information
| of hundreds of other factories being
opened to independent workmen. Many
concerns in the East have also gone to
the open shop. although l must say
| that the employers movement is
stronger in the Central West than it
is here in the East. and that the re-
suits show it.
THE effect of the open shop move
| utlil mas Detu particularly Denenclal.
| In some factories the output per man
has been increased from % to so per
cent. Who can assert that this in
crease in output will not benefit the
toiler as well as the employer? The
theory that the less each man does
the better every one will be is one of
the absurd doctrines of the union creed
and II followed to its logical conclusion
would produce state OF society i'm
which no one worked and every one
went hungry and naked. If increasing
the output per man worked injury to
the workers then all machinery should
be destroyed. for the effect of machin-
cry is to multiply individual output"
Not "a Controversy.
Mr.. Parry declared that the labor
question is not merely a controversy
between employers and employees. but
rather question whether individual
liberty is TO be maintained. He quoted
from labor authorities to show that the
unions denied that there was any such
thing as the inaliena BILE right TO work
MIR. Parry declared that the courts
have with practical unanimity held
that the closed shop cannot be main-
tained by means of contracts between
employers and unions for the reason
that such contracts are illegal and void
In that they tend to produce monop-
oily and are unconstitutional and
against public policy. "The question, /"
he said. then arises whether the
closed shop can be maintained In the
absence % contracts by the method
Of the unions refusing to
| work with non-union men
Granting for arguments sake that
they may be able 90 do this. / want
10 say here now that whore an organ
ization quits work 20 compel the dis
charge Of men simply on the grounds
that these men are not members Of
the organization, then those composing
the organization are guilty. Of an act
N persecution. which can not be justi-
fed on moral grounds, no matter how
much they may De- acting within their
legal rights. The men ~ an organi-
zation that commit such an act should
fully understand that they arc sfrik-
me blow az individual freedom, the
most precious heritage ~ the common
people and nrc thereby inviting their
own uudping."
The Socialist Vote.