Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-29
IN LABOR CIRCLES
g.

| u
Labor day plans have been completed by
! the several branches of the organized
| workingmen of the District, and the out
| look Is for an enjoyable occasion all around.
The outing of the Central Labor Union will
| be held at Luna Park; the carpenters Will
| go to River View and the local Knights OF
Labor will entertain their friends on the
| green lawns at historic Marshall Hall.
| Several years ago Labor day was marked
by street parade. many Of the marching
bodies wearing distinctive uniforms. The
decision was finally reached that the pa
| rade feature brought about q maximum or
| expense and q minimum Of pleasure. and
! so 1t was abandoned and outings substi-
tuted.
In many of the larger cities big parades
are still features of the day.
| In the sister city of Baltimore on Labor
day. September 3, plans have been per-
| fected for q great procession OF organised
| labor. It is said the parade will have about
| II. 900 men in line. and there will be floats
| and bands Of music to enlfven the line OF
! march.
The Baltimore Electrical Workers Union
| will have two floats In line and the prom
| Used daylight electrical effects are said to be
| novel. The floats are being built by the
employees Of the Chesapeake and Potomac
and the Maryland Telegraph and Teie-
phone Companies. There will also be IN
dividual floats from the various organize
| lions whose calling will permit OF such
| demonstrations. The parade will terminate
at barley Park after following the line OF
| march.
At the park there will be prize shoot
| Ing and bowling. and prizes will be award
! ed to the unions having the largest number
| of men in line. best appearance and most
/ t~rra 1scynl In 10 IN -
| ton will be delivered by Mr.. A. 8. Colds
| borough.
Ralph M, Easley. chairman of the execu-
| tive committee of the national civic feder-
| alton, submitted an interesting report at
the annual meeting of the committee re-
| Gently held in New York. Copies of the
report were received by labor organizations
| in the Pittsburg district last week. In re-
| ferring to the industrial economics depart
| ment Of the federation Mr.. Easley says:
garized year ago. held one general meet,
| Ing at which was discussed the question Of
| individual; liberty. The department has
| mapped out: promising program for the
THE non-union versus the union or what
| Is commonly called the open and closed
| shop controversy; the Injunction. the
| boycott. and the hours Of labor are among
| the subjects that will be studied.
."Some new problems confront US In the
open and closed shop controversy. which
has become acute In nearly every industry
where the employees are organized 1t was
rare for q union to strike two years ago
| to secure what 1t termed the union shop.
Today the demand for the union shop Is
the cause OF numerous strikes 1t Is claim
ed that the reason for this change in policy
| is that. while, several years ago, the open
shop meant a Notwithstanding one
| that Is to say. one in which the union men
open shop practically means a non-union
shop. The unions present much testimony
| to show that there are numerous employers
organizations whose members. while public
ly declaring that they will treat union and
non-union men alike, are practically fore
| ing every union man out of their employ.
| II this be true, then. in fighting for what
1t calls the union shop. the union Is only
endeavoring to preserve its existence.
1T will be the duty Of the industrial eco
nomics department to investigate this sub
ject and present all the facts to the public,
ION the question of the Injunction. or
ganized labor claims that the courts are
! lending themselves to the employers by
| issuing temporary injunctions at crucial
moments during strikes. and that although
| upon a later hearing the injunctions are
| dismissed they have. in the meantime.
| served the purpose Of the employers to
break the strikes. Il labor has the right
to strike and no one will deny that prop
| osition. and If the courts are thus made
allies of the cause of the employers 1t is
certainly a serious matter. If 1t be found
true that the Injunction IL thus abused the
be expected to recommend how the abuse.
may be corrected without destroying the
general principle Of the Injunction.
"Other questions that will naturally come
| before this department are: The Union
Label. Restriction Of Output, The Limita-.
| ton of Apprentices, The Minimum Wage,
Piece Work, Trade Agreements and Com
| pulsory Arbitration"
San Francisco (Cal) fire commissioners
have granted the request Of the committee
tt10 aaypf
to ask the supervisors in the next budget
to provide ways and means for one day OF
in seven. The men now work twenty-four
hours a day and every day in the month
save three.
An unusual communication was received
last week at the headquarters of the In
| ternational Association of Machinists. which
caused some discussion. and q reply was
prepared by D. Douglas Wilson. editor of
the official journal of the organization.
The communication was as follows:
Il grant you that the trade unions have
been useful in their day, but have they
| not outived their usefulness? What more
can they expect to do and now will they
ultimate aim Is as you see it. and what you
expect they will accomplish. in short what
| Is trade unfonism. where does 1T stand and
what does 1t expect to finally do?"
In his answer to the queries Editor Will
son says:
Trades unionism aims and hopes for
new social order Where labor Will De on top.
1t Is dissatisfied with existing conditions
and would have them changed. If trade
unionism is not yet perfect 1t is because So
cial conditions as they are and will
not permit 1t. The social conditions aimed
at by trade unionism are not quite ideal,
but go a long step in that direction. The
ideal state Is one without statutes and
without courts: trade unionsm does not yet
contemplate going that far. Unionism
| would correct many Of the evils of in
divdualism. Individualism is based upon
profit; profit Is the mother Of all our Ills.
Were there no profit in the liquor traffic
none would be sold. Were there no profit
| in prostitution there would be little prosti-
| tuition. Were there no profit in mu-
nicipal corruption. In the legislatures and
courts. those bodies would be pure Were
there no profit In crime generally there
would be little or no crime. Trade union
| ism aims to prevent profit, by first reducing
the hours of labor. for profit is the generic
| term for rent, interest and robbery. This 1t