The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-10-19

Story Of a Recent Happening in
a Connecticut Town By
: ''Pinks."
Proves Worthlessness |, of Under
Hand Methods and System: Of;
Spies. 8 Il ..

Hand Methods and System Of
Spies. 8 ~.
Much has, been said lately in the
meetings Of organized labor in New
York city about spies in trade unions
and in workshops" The great feeling
among union men is that the spies can
do the union little harm; as, nothing
is said or done in the meetings which
the organization would not be willing
to allow the public to know if it cared
for the information. /, -
Be that as 1t may there is a phase
Of the question that may not be
brushed aside so easily. They spy or
spotter in the workshop has it in his
power-or, rather, it is within the
power Of the agency which employs
him to do great harm to" both the
unions and the Individual.
These spies can-and some of them
do-exaggerate their reports SO as to
retain soft berths regardless of the
harm done to unsuspecting workmen.
And if they do not make their reports
strong enough they are strengthened
by the agencies The reports are
not made direct to the owners or man.
ayers of the concerns in which the
spy is employed, but through the
agency.
case in point has come TO the no.
tice of the editor of this column.
writes Joseph r. Buchanan in the
New York Journal, he has all the
facts, but will give only enough of
them for good reasons, to make the
illustration clear.
A concern which has Offices in one
of the largest uptown office buildings
of this city advertised for machnists
as it advertised constantly for work.
men in many lines. A man newly ar
rived from the west responded The
applicant was told that he was wanted
for a position in a large machinery
shop in Connecticut. There was some
petty thieving going on in the works
and he was to run 1t down-become
In other words a detective. He was
told his pay would be $S5 per month,
the agency adding enough to the wages
received at the works to bring his
monthly income up to that amount.
The man accepted and went to work
in the Connecticut town. He saw no
sign of stealing by the employee and
thought there was either some miatake
Tor che Waasa iIuresas detscti akf
end sdf tensdaysyfhl 4nyAteFy g
explained by a letter sfrorn*ttie agency
instructing Its spy to report the senti-
ment of the men upon the subject Of
unions in the works, which was not a
union concern. He made inquiry and
discovered that but few of the en-
ployes were members OF unions. He
was notified: from New York that an
organizer of the macninists was in
the town where the works are located
and was attempting to form a. union,
and that he-the detective-must'j Join
the union, get a list Of those who be-
came members and those likely to join
and send them to the agency in New
York
The detective refused to perform the
and returned to New York; hence this
account Of his experience.
He was con the job" long enough to
learn a few things about the ways Of
operating the agency. The wages Of
spies vary, cunning all the way from
SIS to $125 per month, but in all cases
the amount received at the shop is de-
Quoted when the agency settles the
monthly account. The agency charges
the concern to which it furnishes spies
whatever it can get and make hand
some profit. The Connecticut firm pays
$500 a month for its detective. The
agency pays initiation fees and dues to
the unions for its representatives.
Reports are made at stated times by
the spies Of the agency The latter
rehashes these reports, adding ginger
and tubasco enough to suit the taste,
and sends them to the employer. 1t
is necessary to keep the employer
frightened about the condition in his
shop so as to insure continuance Of
the 5000 q month remittance. For in
stance, the report Of the spy that there
were few" union men IN the Con-
necticut work had grown into large
percentage of union men and secret
movement to organize strike before
it got to the employers. :
Spies are somtimes instructed by the
agencies to work up sentiments OF
discomfort among the workirgmen: A
very small sentiment is enough. The
agency will do the rest in reports
GUNPOWDER MAKER" !.
wEDs SECOND COUSIN
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