The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-24
ORGANIZED LABOR
ROUNDLY SCORED
r. A. Kirk Denounces Labor
Unions at Annual Banquet
of Builders Exchange.

LABOR unions, as they are constituted
and managed at the present time, were
numerically scored by R. A Kirk presi-
dent of the Citizens Association of ST.
Paul, who spoke on Organizations" at
the second annual banquet of the Build
| ers Exchange Of st. Paul, held at the
Merchants hotel last night, in honor Of
the delegates to the state association.
Il am pleased to have the privilege Of
addressing such an association as this
1 one, said Mr.. Kirk. "An association of
employers means protection for the en-
| ployers, and the time has arrived when
employers must band together to meet the
unreasonable demands of organized la
Dor. Labor unions have become so anti
American in their demands for the closed
shop shorter hours and more pay, that 1t
| Is surprising that the people have stood
| for it so long as they have.
1t is true that by organizing men can
work much more effectually than they
| could as individuals but such organiza-
! tons, when they fall into bad hands, be-
come the weapons-of injustice and wrong
Labor unions, properly managed, can do
| a real service, both to themselves and to
the world, but 1t cannot be denied that
| they have drifted away from the path
| or service and become unreasonable, OBJ
| structive and arbitrary to such a degree
| that they have become destructive.
But there will be an uprising against
| labor unions, and when it comes it will
be complete. The labor unions standing
for the closed shop and the boycott are
! as sure to go down as the sun is to rise.
rs there anyone who dares to rise up
and assert that this is free country. and
that the right to life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness, as set forth in the Dec
| laration of independence Is afforded to
| our people when the closed shop or the
| sympathetic strike or the boycott is in
! the saddle?
Dupe of the Walking Delegate.
THE great Industrial losses of the past
| few years are largely due to the methods
of the labor unions and their unreasonable
| demands. In the great strikes the losses
fall almost entirely upon the wage earn
ers who are the dupes of the professional
striker and the walking delegate.
| The unions are demanding an eight
hour work day and a full days pay, but
want to tell you, gentlemen, that the
time has not come, in any business, when
we can compete in the worlds markets
with an eight-hour work day. Should an
! elght-hour work day law be passed II
might result in better wages for short
time, but not for long, and the working
man would be the loser. The passage of
such law would be great misfortune
| to the employe and the employer alike"
Mr. Kirk congratulated the builders
| upon their successful organization.
T. A. Abbott, who offlciated as toast
master at the banquet, took a rap at or
| ganized labor when introducing Mr. Kirk
This is day of combinat ions," said
| Mr.. Abbott, "and $50 men banded togeth-
| er to oppose the closed shop can do much
| more than $50 individuals We are OBJ
posed to the walking delegate and we will
not bow to any band of men organized
| to cut down the hours Of labor and raise
| the pay"
Other talks were made by George w.
Higgins, president of the Minneapolis
Builders Exchange H M Todd, presi-
dent of the Duluth Exchange; e. p. Bass
ford, Mayor Smith and others.
Mayor Smith, In welcoming the builders
to st. Paul, said he was delighted to meet
such a class of men as the builders Their
name alone implied that they stood for
soemthing good, and he was glad to well
| come them to st. Paul. Mayor Smith
said in part:
Mayor Smith Speaks.
1--WE all love st. Paul-the city at
| whose birth some of us were present and
| in whose development to her present splen
| did proportions we have all borne q part
We admire her as she sits, Rome-like, on
| her seven hills, the central figure in a
scene of the rarest natural beauty, with
| the Father of Waters flowing on to
| the ocean at her feet. We are proud to
| know that our city is the healthiest in
the world; that she is unexceIled by any
colleges, academies and high schools
| and offers to her own children, as she does
to all who make their home within her
| borders, every educational facility known
| to the most enlightened condition of HUI
man society.
1.-The tide OF prosperity has flowed in
| upon US. The steady increase in our pop
| ulation leaves us with few. if any, va
cant buildings. The activity and prosperity
| which distinguish the men of your profess
| sion tell of the new buildings that are go
fhn nj fxytc 7V1ar sol
demands. A few years ago we prided
ourselves on being the commercial CEN
ter of the Northwest Today we realize
| that St. Paul is fast advancing to a cor
responding position in the manufacturing
arts. Manufacturing establishments are
| springing up In every direction within our
| city limits, and capital and labor alike re-
| 1oice in the substantial returns which flow
| from their united efforts"
The banquet last night, attended by
more than 200 builders, was the close of
| the second annual meeting of the Mime
/ Gotta State Association of Builders which
met In St. Paul yesterday morning and
afternoon.
AT the business sessions Of the assocfa-
| tion yesterday tWenty-four cities and
towns were represented by seventy-nine
delegates, and some interesting talks
| were heard at both morning and afternoon
| sessions. The labor question was thor
oughly discussed. by the builders, and
tnere was some tai kof affiliating with the
national organization of contractors.
which had its birth in Chicago some time
ago.
| There was some opposition to the af-
| filation, however, and the matter was laid
over until another time, but it was unan-
| imously agreed that the contractor was
| justified in using all honorable means to
protect himself from the demands of or
ganized labor.
| A part of the morning session was taken
up with reports and committee affairs,
and after lunch at the Commercial club.
at which the delegates were the guests
of the St Paul Exchange some earnest
discussions were INDUCED In, largely re-
garding the labor problem.
The officers elected for the ensuing
| year were:
President ]. w. L. Corning, ST Paul:
first vice president, George W. Higgins,
Minneapolis; second vice president. ]. f.
| Schlumes, Duluth; third vice president.
| o. HI. Hatch Faribault; secretary and
| treasurer, A. V. Williams, St Paul. The
| executive committee is composed of
George ]. Grant, st. Paul. N. w Nelson
Minneapolis; G. e. Evens, Duluth; John
p. O'Niel, Faribault, and Robert Seibert
Saltwater.
VIII Argue Tariff Question.
The Y. M. C. A. Debating club last
| night made ARRANGEMENTS IN moot +ha