The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-17


soldiery app aarance.
tied. that the employers would proceed
10 deal with their workmen individ-
uaHy and not through the unions. This
uitllnatum was submitted to the va
fIJus labor organizations throughout
the country for their vote. The result
OF this vote was. on the 7th inst. made
Known to the employers. and 1t being
| d rejection OF the employers proposal,
ana no good results coming from sew
eral conferences held since then, the
employers were compelled on March
10 1904. to demand individual agree
ments OF their workmen.
The employers association has,
from It's commencement, nearly two
years ago. offered to create a joint
commission composed half of employ
ers and half of wOrkmen. which shall
near all grievances that might arise
on either side and decide them The
/ constitution OF the association requires
that its attitude towards workmen
shall be that of Cancellation and its
general policy be to advocate and en-
ploy preventive methods of arbitration,
carrying out said methods by estab-
nshIng joint commissions, or similar
bodies. who are to consider and de-
ter1nlne AL matters Of mutual interest
existing between labor and its mem
bers In dealing with said questions
the agreed policy of the parties hereto
Is 10 circumference and discoura ge
I :
| 10 such measures until after all honor
able and conciliatory measures have
failed
Now, it was to conform with this or
ganic law of the assOcia ton that the en-
ployers sought arbitration agreements
with its workmen. And it is still with
/ tne view OF conforming with this law that
II now seeks individual agreements with
us Workmen- II it can not treat with the
agreements Wfth aRq m fbe t f ion
slres TO make arbitration agreements
with its workmen as such. The unions
having refused arbitration, it is now
necessary to obtain it from the workmen
! instead. Therefore the ultimatum to the
unions TO treat with the employers, else
Workrnen became necessary
T 10 recognize and treat with the IN
/ ions has always been the policy of the
employers association. and they will to-
day OF at any other time. stand ready to
make agreements with the unions. pro-
7 Vfded such agreements will eliminate the
possibility of strikes and lOckouts during
citation. February 20
Following is the letter sent to each
/ workman:
J photographers Association EAST. West
+ and Pacific, Western Branch 60S-607
Granite Building. St. Louis, Feb. 30 1901.
Dear Sir-We have learned with some
surprise that number of photographic
employees have voted against the principle
I of arbitration. We have conferred with
some OF the men and have been equally
surprised to learn that in MANY eases
+ the men seem to have been laboring IN
der mistaken impression as to the en-
p!oyers plan. We. therefore, say now
what We have repeatedly said before,
either in writing or orally. that what the
employers desire is an agreement be-
one hand. and the unions on the other,
Tor one year, providing for a joint COM
mission with an appeal to arbitration for
the settlement of all questions that may
and employe
4 Some Of the men seem to fear in that
E proposition a plan lowering their
present wages: Nothing is further from
/ leaders of the unions and to such of the
men as we have met that the lithograp phi
/ ers association has no intention of low
regular or overtime. Sunday or holiday
work. and has no thought of changing the
hours that now comprise the work week.
Inc employers are now ready to guaran-
tee in writing that the wages shall not
be lowered and hours as above shall
remain unchanged during the term of
Nor. must any person get the notion
that the employers association refuses
to deal with unions. We believe that well
/ regulated unions serve a good purpose.
Nor must any person get the idea that
the er1ploNers' association has Insisted
upon any particular form of agreement.
The employers association has always
been ready to discuss with your unions
and your national leaders the form of
agreement. but have insisted that its
terms must embrace arbitration.
All that the employers association de-
mands is the acceptance by the unions
beltFt March 10 OF the Principe OF aTDI-
tratlon for one year from that date.
what the association objects to are
the one-sided methods frequently used by
tne unions, SUCH as the adoption of resO-
buttons as to terms of labor to take effect
/ as of a certain date and with the threat
to strike if these one-sided demands are
not complied with It is the methods and
not the unions themselves that the asSU-
citation finds fault with.
The employers insist that in order to
conduct their trade to the ultimate best
good of the employer, the employe, the
stable conditions for stated periods. so
that they may take contracts and exc
cute them. This demand OF the employer
is absolutely essential for the protection
of the customers, without whom neither
employer or employe can exist The
principle of arbitration has been adopted
by all the really successful tradesuniOns
and by most tradesunion leaders of ma
| tional reputation
THE action of union last fall in max
ing arbitrary demands and threatening TO
strike. caused losses of hundreds of thou
sands of dollars These losses have been
partly borne by the employer, partly by
the customer and have lately been felt
among the WOrkmen because of the with
drawal of orders by frightened custom
ers and consequent diminution of the
that no trade can be carried on success
l fully where chickering's between employers
and unions are constant and where there
IS no hxed method OF adjusting differ
ences. Everything which hurts the trade
hurts the workman trade which can
not be so managed that the capital in
vested in it shall receive a fair return.
that can not pay for the loss and wear
and tear on machinery. and the dfspIace-
ment of old machinery by new. and that
can not pay the workingmen fair wages
/ is trade which can not long exist.
The attitude of a union in the past
/ few months has made the lithoerap hfc
trade unprofitable- With general trade at
a low ebb and likely to go lower it is a
poor time for the employees to resist the
principles of peace
| '*Workmen must remember that Hthoe-
rzphy is not essential to the life of this
nation. The country would go on Just the