The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-06
LOOKING FORWARD
WITH INTEREST
Cotton Mill Owners viii Hear
Mr.. Davenport.
TALKS ON LABOR QUESTION
Has Made Extensive Study of the Re-
lations Between Mill Owners
and Employees in New
England.

Washington, June (Specia1)-Within |
the past decade southern orators have fire. |
duently enthused northern audiences with |
glowing accounts of the industrial pro- |
gress of the new south, but It is very |
unusual If not unprecedented occasion. |
for southern commercial organization |
10 invite New Highlander to read them |
a lesson of the experiences of their north
ern competitors in order that they may |
profit by them. Consequently, the action |
or the Georgia Industrial association in
| inviting Daniel Davenport to deliver the
address of the occasion at the forthcom-
ing annual meeting at Warm Springs,
Ga, next Thursday, has attracted wide
attention, In view of the importance of
the topics to be discussed and their bear
Ing on the commercial development of
>ths SOUTH
Mr.. Davenport was selected for this
honor because his wide acquaintance
ship in New England and his exhaustive
Investigation Of the relations between the
miliowners of that section and their en-
pioyes thoroughly fitted him to discuss
the subject in highly intelligent man.
ner He is an attorney by profession, and
/
Boycott association through force of cir
cumstanees. Some years ago he became
interested in the case of D. e. Loewe Il
Co., hatters of Danbury, Conn, not far
from Bridgeport, where Mr. Davenport
lives. This firm had resisted the ef-
forts Of the labor organizations to "uE-
ionize' their shops and had been boy
cotted by them, the American Fedora
/ ton of Labor and substantially all union
| labor. Boycotting circulars were sent
throughout the country with the result
that their business and that of number
OF their customers who stood by them
was seriously injured. Mr.. Davenport's
sympathies were thoroughly aroused by
the despotic methods employed by the
Hatters union to enforce its demands
ana he discussed them with number
oil his friends among the manufacturers
of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and else
where with the result that they induced
him to lay aside his large practice for
the time and go on mission to manu-
facturers who were susceptible to boy
cotting and present to them the idea of
organizing an association to fight any
boycott declared against any member.
Visits Thousands Of Factories.
He Travelled for a year or more visiting
thousands of factories and finding the
owners welcoming the idea as a mutual
insurance against the dreaded boycott.
As a result the American Anti-B Boycott
association was formed with Mr. Daven-
port as executive agent and former Solic-
| ftor General James M. Beck, as general
! counsel, but with the personnel maintain
i ed secret. The plan of the association IS
very simple. When one of the members
is boycotted the entire strength of the
corps of attorneys Is directed toward Sc
curing the enforcement of the law against
boycottlng, picketing, or otherwise inter-
| fering with the manufacture or sale of
its goods. 1t is not generally known that
Alabama Connecticut Florida, Georgia,
Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hamp-
| shire New York, North Dakota Okla
homa, Oregon, South Dakota. Texas and
! Wisconsin already have laws against boy
| cottng and a strong movement is on foot
to secure similar legislation in other
states.
! The objects of the association are to Sc
cure the enforcement of these laws, to
prevent their repeal and to procure the
enactment of similar laws In other states
Because of its great interest In legisla-
| ton of this character the organization
fought the Grosvenor anit-injunction bill
with all its strength for that bill sub
stantally legalizes boycotting.
| For the same reason 1t opposed the |
eight hour bill by means of which the |
labor unions hope to put all factories
making government supplies on an eight
hour basis Also the national arbitration.
bill which proposes national commits
sion to arhitrate all labor disputes, on the
! ground of unwdrranted and undeslred in
reference by the government In dis
| putes between employers and their en- |
ployes In addition to representing his |
association against these measures Mr. |
| Davenport also represented either |
| wholly or In conjunction with others, the
| Chicago Building Trades Contractors
council the National Building Employers
| association, the Citizens Industrial asso-
| - Tpft and other
| allied organizations. 1t is Interesting TO
note that the anti-injunction bill Is still
In committee. the eight hour bill has been
referred to the secretary of commerce and
labor. and the arbitration bill has never
left the hands of the subcommittee.
Attracted Wide Attention.
Mr.. Davenports speeches before the
congressional committees attracted such
widespread attention that he has re-
ceived many invitations to discuss the
subject of labor disputes from the stand
point of the employer before organiza-
lions similar to the Georgia Industrial
association. Not the least interesting of
his experiences has been his debates with
leading socialists In different cities. He
vexed the socialists by condemning their
doctrines in scathing terms while agu-
ing TO the committees OF congress that
the leaders of the labor unions were i'm
bued with socialism. Consequently he
has been challenged to debate the ques-
ton and has appeared before socialistic
audiences a number of times In defense
of his outspoken position. One Of these
debates occurred in Bridgeport his home.
and another IN New York. the house be-
ing packed on both occasions
While in Washington last winter he met
President F. b. Gordon of Columbus Ca
and Mr.. Fuller u. Galloway of IeGranee
Ga, and other members of the Georgia
Industrial association who werS also APP
pearing in opposition to the eight hour
bill, with the result that he has been in
vited to address a typical audience of
southern millowers on his experiences
and observations among northern man.
ufacturers, and his address should prove
OF much interest. Mr.. Davenport is
man of something more than average