Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-19
]. ". KIITO TALKS
DELIVERS AtPAPER BEFORE BRO.
THERHooD OF ST. PAUL.
SPEAKS ON "LABOR ORGANIZATION

SPEAKS ON "LABUR ORGANIZATION"
AS President of the ottumWa Trades
G. Labor Assembly, Mr.. kitto Was
Well Equipped to Deal with the
Question-The Paper.
From Tuesdays Daily.
IF all employers of labor were hon
est, fair and just, giving full. value
received, demanding nothing they
would not grant, it would not be neces-
sary for the working men to unite"
Such is the verdict of John w. Kitto
president of the Ottumwa Trades and
Labor assembly. who last evening adj
dressed the May meeting of the Broth
erhood of st Paul of the First Method
ist Episcopal church on the subject of
Labor Organization" The meeting
was held at the home of DR.. A. e.
Craig, pastor of the church, and al
though the unpleasant condition of
the weather kept many away who
would have otherwise attended, the
evening was nevertheless a most in
teresting one. Mr.. Kitto's paper on
Labor Organization" was given in
concise manner, easily understood He
dealt with the subject from both sides
and told of the laboring mans rea-
son for uniting. At the conclusion of
the paper. discussion followed.
Mr.. kitto's Address.
'Mr. President and Gentlemen;
Zone of the most encouraging signs
of the time is found in the fact that
men and women in every sphere of life,
in every profession and in all classes
of society are investigating. with q
view to more thoroughly understand
the most vital problem which con-
fronts the world today labor Or
ganization.
THE prime motive in organizing the
producers of all wealth was for self
preservation; second, increase in
wages and shorter hours, which in
consequence would Immediately tend
to improve conditions for the wage
Garner and by following it to it's logi-
cal conclusions would bring about
that happy condition mentioned in the
Bible as The Millennium
eff all the employers of labor were
honest, fair and just, giving full value
received, demanding nothing they
would not grant. it would not be nee
essary for working men to unite. And
right here wish to say 1t has al
ways appeared strange to me that the
fair employer does not sympathize
with the workman more than he does
for the unfair man is their common
foe. 1t is a mistake to assume that a
gain to the working man is loss to
the employer. In a large and very
real sense the interests Of employers
and workmen are reciprocal and in
benefitting the wage Garner, the trade
union may secure quite. as important
and permanent an advantage to the
employer.
ut is the unjust and INSCRIPTIONS
employer, the one who is embodied
with the ambition to acquire riches,
no matter what the cost, the one who
says you have no right to place a
value on your labor or time and those
who claim to have received authority
from the Almighty to run their own
business for the benefit of their serv-
ants in particular and the public in
general, who first compelled labor to
organize.
Before the Agreement.
Increase of wages naturally follow
increase of production, advent of Ia
Dor saving machinery and the rapid
strides of modern civilization. The
fair employer would grant the in
crease if he could. but he is prevent
ed by his unfair and unjust competit-
or. To illustrate - Senator Water
man, who represents the highest type
of the employer. before the trades
agreement was established, had sort
of an understanding with his rivals in
the same market that they would pay
certain scale to their workmen and
sell their product at the same price
For little while everything worked
smoothly, the workman is working
steady, the business man is selling his
goods, the employer is making fail
profit. Suddenly notice is posted OF
10 per cent cut in wages to take ef
feet Immediately. A meeting is call
ed. a committee selected to wait on
the superintendent to know his rea
sons for the reduction He says:
Gentlemen. the market is in de
pressed condition at present and we
find we can not operate our plant
without a loss at the present prices
If you accept the reduction, you viii
have steady work for the balance OIL
the season, if not, we will have to shut
down. The committee makes its re
port to the meeting. The reduction is
accepted. What follows? Mr.. Water
man is compelled to follow suit or &c
out of business. But now the trade
agreement or yearly contract appears
| to the relief Of both the workman and
| the fair employer; and there is moth
| ing so promising to the establishment
of friendly relations between capita
and labor as the growing tendency Of
representatives of both sides to NEE
in friendly conference in order to set
| tie conditions of employment for &
stated period of time.
"The lessening of the hours of la
Dor is strictly in accord with the ad
yancement and progress of the human
race. At the beginning of the century
man worked from sun to sun In
agine man returning to his home aft
er working twelve hours? What con
1