Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-06-13
FRISCO AFFAIRS
IN SERIOUS WAY
BANKS TAKE HAND AND CEASE
MAKING LOANS.
AN OPEN SHOP is COMING
cowardiy Merchants Who at First
Helped the Strikers Brought to
Their Senses by the Wholesalers
Citizens Alliance Moving for
Liberty for All.

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Liberty for All.
San Francisco, June 9.-lt Is hard
heart in these days of stress that
refuses to bleed for the San Fran.
cisco merchant. Harassed on every
side, the victim of high rents, ex-
orbitant clerk hire, impossible in.
,surance charges, unreliable freight
service which may keep his goods on
the road four months where formerly
lthey were less than twenty days, he
finds himself in the midst of an indus
trial fight. OF which he had no part iii
the making, that has knocked the bot.
tom out of business. Rents run on
and insurance, and clerk hire.
4 But the stores are empty. 1t is a
question whether many of the merch-
ants are selling goods enough to pay
their rent All this is bad enough,
but a greater affiiction is upon the
merchant class. They have been called
upon to take sides in the capital
labor warfare.
i When open warfare was at first de
clared, the gentlemen CT yardstick and
lscales attempted a neutral position.
Such position was, of course, i'm
possible. brt retail commercialism
apparently did not know it.
What Is to be the attitude of the
merchants during the striker was
asked large retail dealer fortnight
ago
THE merchants course" he replied
will be along the line of least loss
To determine the line of least loss
has been problem that has assumed
equal importance with the merchants
game to keep sufficient money on
hand to meet the landlord
! Union at First Favored.
There Is no Disgusting the fact thai
San Francisco is under the heel o.
union labor, and that union labor Ii
the great retail purchaser of the com
munity. So the merchant in hi:
blindness chung to this union labol
trade When the cars were started
: the dread of boycott upon him, tbs
: merchant even instructed his clerk!
not to ride. In the light of rapid,
: developing events this has been denied
bat 1t nevertheless is true, and tel
days ago would not have been disput
ed Some of the cowardly banks ever
warned their help to at least avoit
being seen on the cars. A number 0
contemplate merchants. butchers ant
bakers went further They refused
to sell goods to strike-breakers an,
even to those who patronized cars. On
the night of a riot of fortnight ago
II was found impossible to secur
meals from the restaurants in tn
, vicinity of the Jail for the strike break
! ers who had been arrested by scound
rely police.
1 Retail San Francisco. with a mis-
. taken idea of the side that its brea
was buttered made valiant stanC
: But 1t is developing that it was nc
the stand along the lines to least loss
Figuratively speaking. there ar
more whips for the San Francisc
merchant than he suspected. Rattle
: shortsightedly he recognized the viii
of the purchaser organized the viii
9 of the wholesale seller organized. Fe'
:. OF us did. for most OF us respect tn
y law--or try to--and the law prohibit
organization to restrict-or. let us sa,
. intimidate--trade But in times {
= war statutory laws are apt to be los
sight OF. and labor and capital in Sa
Francisco are just at present at wa
- During the last ten days a mysteriou
change has come over the would
. non-combatant merchant Now b
y certainly isn't refusing TO sell to an
y body. even though his clerks may M
: be openly riding in the street cars.
And 1t is openly stated that the r
= taller who refuses to sell to strik
u breaker will find himself unable
p buy, Furthermore the report is abo,
X that the weak .kneed merchants hay
been whipped into line. and will !
made to stand out in plain sight ft
the open shop"
IN fact. II is predicted that ope
ship signs in the stores viii soon
4. as plentiful as Il walk" buttons 0
q the strtets.
= A Counter Force.
a Herbert George. president of tn
Il citizens alliance. has been adverti
- ing extensively for Information givin
u specific acts of violence or intimid
" ton. or weak kneelness on the part /.
merchants.
70 I'VE are better organized than "
al ever were before" said he. land al
n prepared TO work together. For e
Y ample. the day that advertised for II
" names of firms that were refusing
" sell TO strike-breakers. the names I
II Eight bakers were sent in. Now n
e. bakers must have four. and the on
a way they can get II is from the mi
N ers. Every miller from whom tbs
te can purchase belongs TO the Unite
il Cereal and Flour Millers' association