The Washington times., 1905-09-27
UNIONS BLAMED
FOR SMALL OUTPUT
Startling Conclusion Reach
ed by Bureau of Labor.
RULES OF RESTRICTION
Powerful Organizations, Well Handled,
Regulate the Matter of Modern
Supply and Demand.
RULES OF RESTRICTION

That for two years past the unions
have been restricting the daily amount
of labor performed by skilled workmen
in the slaughtering and meat-packing
industry by regulations imposed the
men amounting to 30 to 30 per cent re-
duction in the days labor. is the start
ling conclusion reached by the Bureau
of Labor in a volume just issued on the
subject of regulation and restriction of
output
The manager of one establishment en-
ploying 600 people said that in 1901
1902 and 1908. the increase in wages had
been 12ia per cent while the increase in
cost of production had been 10 per cent
The difference represented restriction OF
the individual producing capacity.
Union Rules Blamed.
In a study of thirty different trades
or industries. summarized in this volume
II was found that such restrictions are
enforced In a large proportion, general
ly by the rules of unions, and in at least
one case-that of the glass indusiry-by
agreement Of the manufacturers and
unions. Indeed. the glass business ap-
pears the most highly organized and
thoroughly controlled of ALL for IL is
stated that manufacturers. labor organ
izations, jobbers and retailers work to-
gether to keep production both in the
aggregate and per establishment and
per capita of workers at the desired
point.
Few of the trade agreements provide
Tor restrictions in output. Union re-
presentatives explain them as the re-
suit of an unconscious slowing up
In prosperous times. In dull times, they
say, the working forces are filled up
with men OF great physical strength and
endurance, who either unconsciously or
because of the spur which is applied by
realization that many idle men stand
ready TO take their places run UP the
individual output to n very high point
This seems to be the substance of the
+ explanation made by the union organ
izers and by the workingmen gener-
ally, and to a considerable extent il is
accepted by employers.
The Packers Side.
The packers maintain they have in
stalled improved machinery and many
devices to promote economy at great
expense: yet they have failed because
of the decreased per capita. output of the
workingmen to result in any saving of
labor cost The restriction reached such
point that in 1882 when new wage
scales were fixed. a minimum hourly
labor product was set
Calculating on these requirements IL
is found that when there was no re-
striction whatever. in 1901, the time re-
quired TO kill and dress a sheep was 4z7
and 40 seconds. In 1902 under the
greatest restrictions speed, it requir-
ed $50 and $40 seconds; and in 1903, with
restrictions partially removed by agree
ment, it required 52s and lilo seconds.
Similarly. in 1900. handling one beef re-
quired 20 minutes and 10 seconds, in 1902
Speaking generally, the tendency APP
parently is toward the imposition of AN
output efficiency requirement.
Probably no trade is more thoroughly
organized. and certainly none has been
thoroughly organized for longer time
than cigar making The international
president of the Cigar Makers Union,
discussing It's attitude toward machin-
members working on machines: but
there are machines, he asserted,
which successfully make cigars. There
fore, the use of the union label is pro-
hibited on machine-made cigars because
the label stands for good wages and
good workmanship Machine made
cigars represent child labor. low wages
and poor workmanship.
Hand Labor Supplanted.
On d1e other hand, cigarettes are al
most entirely made by machinery
which has almost entirely supplanted
hand labor. The argument of the union
that cigars are not successfully made by
machinery seems borne out by the fact
that only a small proportion of the
cigar product is machine-made How
ever the use of machinery for cigcr-
making is increasing. Eighty-ive pei
cent or more % cigars retailed IN the