The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-07-02
I!SiI 4 TIL TRUSTS u
'tF!s r
+. OR 7HE. UNIONS

Uh Tilt Unlun0|
LABOR. UNIONS ONCE DEsPJsEDH
AND TA7ooED NOW STRONG. I
What Are tho Employers Association.
Really Fighting? Is There an "Oc.,
topus'' in the Case, or Have tho la.
Dor Unions Themselves Brought: ION
the Conflict? Why the Larger Con-
Germs Want Peace, i
Not in many years has the world
of industry produced anything quite
SO unique as the employers associa-
tons, or what might be called "em-
ployers' unions" formed to check
mate the strides Of labor unions, all
over the country. To be sure, the
trust" climas of 1S99-1900 was more
startling, but after all it was quite in
line with what had been going on for
years. Not so with this new employ
ers' movement. This seems to mark
an actual right-about-face in the rela-
tons that have existed between en-
p1oyers and wage learners during the
last hundred years. Until now it has
en- to organize, to fight the "oppres-
sors." The power of capital was over
whelming. Laborers, isolated, were
helpless. United, if they could make
a little Roadway against the giant, we'll
and good; but hold their own they
must at all hazards.
A Remarkable Reversal.
Behold the wonderful change today!
These same labor unions, once des-
pissed and tabooed everywhere, have
become so strong that it is the employ
ers themselves who are forced to unite
for common defense, however little
they like each other on other counts.
Labor is supposed to be doing the
depressing" Capital is casting about
for ways and means to hold its own.
And this why we have some six hun
dred or more Of these employers as
sociations and citizens alliances, most
Of them less than two years old, and
large number Of them now standing
together in national organization,
the "Citizens' Industrial Association
Of America" promoted by David M.
Parry, the energetic Indianapolis car
riage manufacturer, who has been
twice elected president Of the National
Association of Manufacturers.
| An Accusation, not an Explanation.
On the face Of it, such a change is
remarkable. And it is not surprising
| that some of the efforts to explain ii
are more or less sensational. The ma
tural cause that seems to be plainly
enough in sight for everybody who
runs to read is simply that it is due
! to the grip organized labor has OBJ.
tanned upon a large portion Of the
manufacturing industries of the coun'
try, and the excess and abuses tt
which it too often lends itself. Blu
| another explanation has been Offered
which is really more Of an accusation
The labor unions do not lie at the roo
Of the matter; they are only surface
disturbers, only "tools'' in the hand
of other and far mightier powers max
ing for the ruin. of independent privat
n enterprise ,everywhere,i and the ,nev
q emp1oy ers''Hmo Velnent was forced. Int
I beng BECAUSE 81 these powers th
4 background, but for which the sIabo
unions could never have grown int
the menace they are.
1t seems very easy to find a. deep
laid plot at the bottom Of every new
phase of the industrial problem. Tn
special villany supposed to underli
this employers movement is that tn
trusts, or at any rate, the large AM
powerful interests, have made corrup
deals with the labor bosses where
by plenty Of help is to be guaranteed
at all times and no strikes declared
but as much trouble as possible stirre,
up for the smaller and rival concerns
Hence the latter have had to max
common cause or be ground to powde
between the upper and neither, mill
stones of the dastardly scheme. It al
sounds so simple that if the trust
have not actually gone into it yet on
would think they must feel a debt o
gratitude to the imagination which
could evolve so fertile hint. Blu
perhaps they realize that it is not s,
easy after all.
Why the Large Concerns Want Peace
The very ordinary fact which ma,
have suggested the possibility of thi
network Of capitalist deviltry is tina
the larger the business the more i'm
portant it is to have production go OF
without interruption. This means, o
course, that harmony with labor is
vital point. A great industry, there
fore, finds 1t particularly good polio
to adopt a liberal attitude toward it
employees. AS rule, it can afford thi
tmuch better than long shut dowr
For instance, the most important in
creases in wages during the last fey
prosperous years have been thos
granted voluntarily by large concerns
The very clockwork nature of a. colos
sal industry, the dependence of all it
operations upon each other, makes
all the more easily open to attack. /
strike among the boys or girls. VIII
look after the bobbins on the spinning
frames in a modern cotton mill vii
halt the entire process, for the tim
being, just as completely as if all tn
hands should walk out in a body. - S
far as the running of a watch is con
cerned, you might as we'll strike it
blow with q hammer as to break gu
| ar. furo ic OF