The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-18
New York World.

|, Some OF the leading advocates of Ia
Dor organizations are surprised that the
Of Labor, which recently convened at
San Francisco, has not paid some at
tention, to the ."spy system" It was
the understanding of a number Of men
who have combatted this practice for
many years that the national conven-
on this most important subject, not only
because OF it's degrading effect upon
the organizations themselves, but for
the reason that the system of espionage
created and maintained by the large
business enterprises has developed to
dangerous proportions. ~, 81.
Ihrce or four attempts to obtain ag-
gfesslve action on the subject have
failed, altho in the view of some of the
more influential and independent labor
leaders there is immediate necessity for
decisive action. The reason for the sup
preston, of the efforts to put a stop to
the employment of members Of labor or
ganizations to spy and report on their
fellow members and to disclose the pro-
ceed1ngS OF their respective local or
CARNATIONS, are difficult to determine;
yet every, effort having this end in view
has failed.
Employers Get First News.
That the matter will sooner OF later
demand attention and adjustment is
certain, tho the prospect for it is an
nually postponed. The subject is one
that labor leaders sedulously. avoid in
public; discussions. It is frequently
brought up at the meetings of local as
semblles, invariably inspired by the dis
cOvery that the proceedings Of the as
sembly, have been reported to employ
ers before all the members of the or
ganization have been Informed of them.
The creation of the "system" is de-
Scriha1 nv tho Ofhoia1 of local Ia hor
organization, whose name, for obvious
reasons, cannot. be made known. The
system has now grown to such proper
ton that some Of the largest private
detective establishment is more or less
quite, all their attention to it. Every
engaged in the business, and one con-
Germ is declared to have in its employ
many hundreds of members Of labor
organizations who not only secretly re-
port the, proceedings Of their locals,
but who spy upon the Individual acts
of their fellow employees.
So accurate are these reports that
corporations engaged in the. same kind
of business exchange information Of
interest and in this way keep in close
touch with the temper. Of their en-
ployees. The ''spies'. are rarely known
to the employers themselves. They are
designated BY numbers and classified
private detective agencies, and they
report directly to the latter and receive
their pay for betraying their fellow
employees and associates from the same
source, 80. ... -
The "systen,' Is Thoro. 49,.
The original reports are preserved by
the detective agencies. extracts from
these being sent to the corporations and
employers, SO that there may be no clue
Ito the identity Of the author. A scru-
1 Tiny Of these reports reveals the thor
fsst q ----36'' reports to the agency that
hires him that the molders of%a certain
! foundry have inaugurated q strike dis
4 cussion, or the framing OF a protest,
q the demand for the elimination of GER
tain shop rules, or, the dismissal of an
Object employee, oVerseer, IN
5l spector or superintendent.
:. 15sStWithin twenty-four hours the corpora
d tion Or employer who pays the detective
3 tie tie information. IF NG-56'1 report!
81 that a general strike affecting the en-
d tire industry involved is contemplated
Il within thirty:siex hours H every c9neer r.!
i such intelligence is followed by unusua
\ activity on the g inside spies,V and two
i days does not elapse before the origin
3 land the extent of the threatened trouble
4 is known to every employer engaged IL
n the trade. The effectiveness Of the sys
81 tenn was demonstrated not long ago. Al
8 e inside man." classified and numbere!
Il as !"L-19,' reported from little east
: ern country town that his fellow EN-
= ployees were agitating the advisabilit.
s Of a strike. While "L-19'' could no
s exactly trace the inspiration Of tn
+ movement, he thought that it came fro1
& western city. ., - =
b The next day he reported that tn
81 discussion had originated in a wester
q organization, the members of :Whic
q were aggrieved over the operation Q
81 some local, shop rule and wanted :thej
brothers engaged in the. same industr
"a Ito stand by them in their effort to 81
Ecure relief. : ...~.'- - -
Got Facts in Twenty -four Hours.