The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-06-07

the Typographical Union and the.
Typotheta is not alone for the re-
duction of hours to eight, but a
contest upon the open shop.
The employers contend that they
have the right to employ whom
they please without. any interfer-
ence from the union. This, on the
surface, looks like a reasonable de-
mand, and most people at first.
thought will decide in favor of the
employer. But the. labor union.
contends that its very existence
depends upon a closed shop.
Why do we have labor unions
What necessity brought them into
existence? While labor unions in
some form or other have existed
for centuries, yet the modern labor.
union is only about hundred
years old, and was brought about
by the employer. If we go back
few years, before labor unions
were formed, and look for mo-
ment upon the conditions of the
laboring man aud compare them
with the treatment he now receives,
you will at once be convinced that
labor unions are a great blessing to
the workingman. He was in many
respects worse than a slave, for
slaves are, as a rule, well fed and
housed, and are not over worked,
as their lives are worth something
to their masters. But not so with
the workingmen. They were COM
PEELED to live in the companies
houses (Which were, most of them,
miserable hovels), for which they
paid exorbitant rents They fed
at companies stores which often
the poorest foods at highest prices,
clothed in like manner, cared for
when sick by companies doctors,
and buried by the. companies un-
dertakers-all at great expense to
the workingmen. Money was
almost unknown, as a pay day
would be once in three months:
and if much was due the man,
plans We're at once adopted by the
employer to reduce his wages, or
dismiss the man who desired to
save. He was compelled to work
from twelve to sixteen hours a day
and received the lowest possible
wages. Women and small chill
dren We're compelled to labor in
order to make living, and they
were found in mills, factories and
mines by the thousands. If the
workingman went out on Il strike
for any cause, he was with his
family turned out of the compan-
les' houses, the store closed, and
having no money or credit, he
must go back to work or starve.
If he left the place he would find
himself upon the blacklist and
could not secure employment else
where.
The labor union has changed
this worse than slave into a self
respected, independent working
man. 1t has compelled legislatures
to forbid women and children
working at many of these vacations.
mas regulated the hours and com
PEELED better sanitary conditions.
He gets his pay each week or every
two weeks in the money of the
realm instead of the scrip of the
companies. He lives where he
likes and buys where he likes. His
hours have been reduced to ten.
often nine, in now in many trades
to eight His wages have been
doubled and in every way his CON
dition improved. Besides, strikes
and ylockouts have been reduced.
and the majority of cases of dispute
settled by arbitration.
1t is no wonder the labor union
is very dear to the heart of the
workingman. OF course. it costs
him considerable time and money
to maintain this organization. 1t
not only helps him in his strike
against his employer, but brings
him into a ci0se fellowship with
his brother workman, who helps
him in sickness or death. and when
out of employment helps him to Sc
cure another job. He knows VIZ
that unless he can induce his 81
siow-workmen to join with him and
share with him in the burdens OF
the union, that there are plenty OF
worklngmen who viii enjoy these
benefits that the union has brought
without being willing to pay one