The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-04-09
Gould a non-union fact0ry BE start
d in 5ehtcagoIzw Wit any zhope sof sue

" =
Gould a, non union factory, Sc Be-, start
ed in zehtea soH With any Y t1lope ::of sue
cess ?"~ = ~. ~I1E @H ]15 = - ~
ayes, it that: success "a, depended SOLE
ly on the use Of non union ~workmen.
Its: men would not..be zlnoIested and it
would have as fatraGa show lin zthat re-
gard as any union factory. AS to the
financial results, these would lie with
the ownersc Of the business and their
management thereof
do you thing, Mr.. Harrison. that
trade unionism has. on the whole. ben
Gifted the workmen of Chicago?"
Eyes, I do replied the moyar. .T
think organized Labor has done much
TO improXe the condition of. our work.
ing class. It has caused them to
be more respected, 1T has increased
their wages and shortened their hours
Of work. At the same time I do not
deny that organized labor has abused
It's privileges. This has been done at
times but I have no doubt that or,
the whole the movement has been for
the good of the whole class of work.
:ingInen, unionists and non-unionists."
But can you hold the union men
back from violence at times Of
strikes?"
Il do not like the form of that oues-
tlon' said the young mayor. ':The
unions disclaim all responsibility for
acts Of violence. will say, however,
that we can hold and do hold every
not-head among the strikers in check,
and We propose to do so if it REQUIRES
the whole police force of the city. In
our last great railway strike the lead
ers of the union came to me before the
strike was declared and said that it
would be run on peaceful methods.
Nevertheless I soon found that certain
hot-heads were attacking the cars and
trying to prevent their moving.
Il then called out the police force.
put a. certain number of officers in
citizens clothes in each car, and they
went with such passengers or non
union men as rode on the cars to
their homes to insure their protection.
The property owners, the public and
the non-union workmen certainly had
the protection of the city in that
strike. 1t was the same in the KEEL
log Switchboard company strike,
where we prohibited any outside
teams coming within a certain dis
tance Of the factory"
but do not the courts here dis
crininate in favor of the trades un-
iOns?'
1.-The trades uniOnists are always
claiming that the contrary is the. fact"
said the mayor. mo, don't think
so. We have a bad system of pun
ishments here, allowing the Judges to
give indeterminate .sentences-that is,
| they send a man to prison for a term
based upon good behavior, and this
opens up chances for influences, or
pull, as it is called, to aid in his re-
lease. That, however, is an EVIL OF
the law and not Of the executive.
Need the Golden Rule.
Zone of the great troubles in these
conflicts Of labor and capital" Mr.
Harrison went on, is that both la
borer and capitalist are too often il
liberal, brutal or, to say the least, toe
inconsiderate OF the rights of the, 9th
er. I4wish I1could show you the: let
ters get from men denouncing thet,
employers, and i have isome from thu
employers advising the to rquell strikes
BY means leans Of e Glsatltng gums. rifles z.ane
cold steel. Some AZ them ask line *
have the police iret at he s1nob :ant
shoot zto kill Such men ARE wora.
| than the worst: OF the strikers. 1t does
me good to write them what II think
Of them. No. concluded tho moyar
| .'what we need lis more consideration
on both sides. We want more broth.
erly love. We want the golden rule
| ':But, Mr.. Mayor, is the situation
not growing better?''
! II think it isl was. the reply. "Th<
! older unions are becoming more con.
sentative and the employers are be-
ginning to see that the demands @
the ,workingmen after,all are only bus.
mess propositions, based ON the sale
Of their commodities that is,.the, mus.
Gle and skill which they have to put
into the product-and that the mat.
ter should be treated as "a business
one.
! 'tYou spoke of the unions shorten.
! ing hours, Mrs. Harrison, what is thu
common working day in Chicago?"
)" It is the eight-hour day." was: thu
reply.
**But, can a big city like this be rur
on an eightrhour basis?"
IT see: itastated: that your labor, trou
bles are driving capital: out of Chiea
gu?'
II don't believe it." replied the: may
or. AT any rate ethe city lis :growint
rapidly. Our factories are increasint
in size and many new ones are :goint
UP. We, are in a. healthy a financial con
ditions aud our business: is: growing ev
cry year." :.
What is your population now"
asked.
TT lis :now more than 100000,
was the reply: <s.Fhe Il Federal cens gu
ianlta the adifeetery :,,eensus >zze1xss y Y
more. 1--WE xhaVe also also, IAN :estimaat
based ;on>y the nun number OF school chill chi
dren which xInakes our incubation 81 ZIG con
sideraably in ..ex excess !e Of :s2t,oo0,oQo. TIL
Federal census is tdsf 1' ;by the Il mum "
Der ofna,nes and in a pop4,1 Il ton con
tanning as many *foretgners .sas :Ghica
go the enumerators have pr0babl;
lskipped some because they would no
take the trouble to*verify their state
mentS.