The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-03-04
PRES, ELLIOTT FINDS
NEW FAULT WITH LABOR
Makes Dismal Failure Trying
to Prove That Scab is a
Modern Hero.
Now Adopts New Tactics by
Criticising Alleged Poll
cies of Trade Unions.

President Charles w. Eliot of Har-
| ward having taken a position of antag-
onism to trades-unions, tries, when he
has an opportunity, to make good"
He made rather dismal failure of his
attempt to establish the "scab" as a
hero" The good sense of the Ameri-
can people, backed by a fast-increasing
knowledge Of the labor movement, re-
fused to accept Industrial Benedict
| Arnoldism as a mark of patriotism and
heroism.
President Eliot is not. however, dis
couraged; the failure of his "scab-
| hero" idea took none Of the fight out of
him. He is sure that the most import
ant features of trades-unionism are bad
for the country and the people, and he
will not rest until he has aroused the
| public conscience against the tyranny
Of organized labor
In the light of his wholesale con-
domination of trades-unions, it is, there
fore, somewhat amusing to find that
President Eliot is, just at present, re-
duce dto a somewhat narrow platform
of opposition.
The other day. during the course Of
an address upon "Education in a Re-
public" President Eliot discussed the
question of trades union interference
Eliot's "scab heroes" but members of
the individuals" were not President
with individual freedom" In this case
unions.
Zone of the chief defects Of the
trades-unionis," said the lecturer, sis
the doctrine Of Limitation Of output held
| by so many opponents of the system,
and vigorously enforced" President
Eliot then went on to relate an incident
| in which some bricklayers, working on
| an inside WALL which was being con-
structed of bats" or half-bricks, used
| only one hand each for picking up the
bats" instead Of laying down their
trowels and using both hands for
| chucking the "bats" into the wall.
The implied Interference with indi-
vidual freedom" in President Eliot's
"brick-bat" story was that the Brick
layers and Masons' Union would not
allow the men on that job to work with
both hands; that the bricklayers were
restrained by union tyranny" from
chucking two bats instead Of one
bat"
Upon analysis it will be found that
a large percentage of the stories Of
trades-unions limiting the output" are
as ridiculous as President Eliot's "brick
bat" story.
The fact is that the sham fight upon
limited output" didn't begin until
some of the unions opened on the pre-
MUM bonus system which certain en-
ployers attempted to- establish in their
works. This system, which embodies
the plan Of set task" with bonus"
to those workmen who exceed the
task" Is intended to. make the men
hustle" at heart-breaking as we'll
as back-breaking speed. 1t is calcu-
lated to break down men in a short
time, and, If allowed full swing, would
reduce scales of wages to the lowest
possible notch for all workmen except
the topnotchers.
Trades unions, both here and in
England-in which country the system
is called an American importation"-
have fought the bonus" system so ef-
fectively as to almost completely knock
1t out. There may be an occasional
workingman so foolish as to resent the
unions interference" with his right to
work himself to death in half a life
time-and at the same time push his
brother down to a starvation standard
OF wages. If there are such one Of
| them can secure a job with President
Eliot serving as "a horrible example,
of trades union interference with in
dividual freedom"
Apply at Harvard College.