The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07
Frank Carpenter Talks with Gen. Otis,
Active Opponent Of Union Labor
An Employer Who Fought Labor and Won
Presents His Side of the Case and Tells the
Story of Strike-..His View of the Proper
Remedy for Labor Troubles

put He must be able to make a fair
profit on his product, whatever II is, be-
sides earning the annual interest on the
cost of the plant, an item never 10 be left
out of the account. Unless he is given
free hand TO accomplish these things he
cannot do a safe and sound or growing
business. He cannot thrive himself or
enable his people to thrive for long. He
cannot furnish the greatest need of Ia
Dor, which Is certainly the steadness of
employment, fair wages and repose''
general?"
Most emphatically So" replied General
Otis Il know what it is to work. and so
do all nv business associates. L began
life as farmers boy. learned to read in
log sc1oolhOUse, and grew up among
people with whom industry. frugaIity and
free labor were the rules of life. / am
laBoring man still For the past twenty
years, during which / have been building
up the Los Angeles Times, l have worked
more hours daily than most Of the men
In my employ. | have never kept record
OF my hours nor charged for overtime,
though ] have often put in from twelve
TO sixteen hours per day week in and
week out. This. however. is merely per-
sOnal matter and of little Importance in
connection with the question
How Will the great industrial combina-
tons affect labor matters?' l asked.
Il see no reason why they should not be
for the good of labor, provided the combi-
nations are kept within the plain limitations
of the law, according TO the wise policy
can do great things. They can handle in
dustrial problems which would be beyond
single individuals or small capitalists. Great
undertakings require great dynamic forces
immense machinery and enormous capital
They call for many workmen and create
opportunities for wages. The real test is
in the question of whether the cOmbina-
tons are lawful unlawful Outside of
this they should not be restricted. They
should not be crushed merely because they
are big any more than small operators and
operations should be crushed because they
are small. All are alike entitled to the pro-
lection OF the law. Such combinations re-
quire some restraint, but that restraint
should be the restraint of the law and not
of public clamor."
THE CIVIC FEDERATION.
What do you think of the compromise
and arbitration policy of the Civic Fedora
ton, general? 1 mean the policy advocated
by Mark Hanna, Samuel Gompers and
others?"
Il think there is more or less politics in
It," replied General Otis. at is more
theoretical than practical. Mr.. Hanna and
his people, ignoring the fact that the law
is ample to do justice to all, are trying to
substitute contrlvance of their own for
the settlement of labor controversies. The
same amount of effort put forth in enfOrc-
ing the Constitution and the laws would
have accomplished more good. Their basic,
though unexpressed purpose, seems TO be to
caJOle or force the employer to give way
merely in order to stop the row. No such
plan of settlement can be permanent for it
is not right The side to give way in such
controversies is the side, whichever it may
be, that has been proved to be in the
wrong
How about the labor unions and the
United States government
There should be no labor unions among
civil government employees" said General
Otis. You might well draft them upon
the army and navy. The government is
and should be supreme and it cannot take
the risk of suffering labor unions to dicta tie
TO it in any particular. The labor unionst
who enters the government service should
at once drop his trade union alliances and
acknowledge his allegiance to Uncle Sam
only"
You are connected with printing, gem
eral; how should the government act as to
organized labor in the Government Print
ing Officer"
Il have substantially answered that" was
the reply. Il don't think the government