The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-05-25

ASSOCIATIONS nave multiplied very rap
idly Of late. The detective agencies
make contracts with the associate
of employers which provide that each
member of an association Is to be fur
nished Information regularly at COM
paratively small sum. At least, this
is the way one Of the well known
agencies in New York put the matter
before those whose "business'-and
dollars-it seeks.
A letter sent by this agency to the
secretary Of an employers association
whose members are engaged in a GER
tain line Of trade in this city has fall
len into the hands Of the editor of this
paper. It is an interesting commune
cation and evidences considerable skill
on the part Of the writer. Trades
union1st may care to see just how the
detective agencies secure their Glen
tele among the employers of labor.
They may also care to make an in
vestigation to ascertain whether the
agency can do what it promises it's
patrons.
The Expensive. Method.
"Mhny large employers are today in
dividually engaging detectives, but on
ly during part of the year." says the
letter. 1.-The cost of this work as it
Is now undertaken Is prohibttive to all
but the very largest employers, the
minimum price being Sc day and ex-
penses for every operator the detect.
i've agency put on the work"
The writer Of the letter, who asserts
that he has devoted good deal Of
thought to the labor problem during
the last few years." goes on to say:
II have learned positively from the
Investigations have been making for
a long time that more strikes and la
Dor disturbances are anticipated dur
ing this year Of 1907 than there have
been during any previouas year:
therefore have, created, a. SPECIAL de-
partment In my business for the ,:pur-
pose, Of enabling every: employer Of Ia
Dor, whether large or small, to obtain
absolute and reliable. information In
advance, for the: entire yearH>of. what
the various labor unions are doing, or
anticipate doing in the near future.
f.. Only Dollar a Week.
MY plain, in brief, Is to put as
many expert detectives as necessary
into each labor union, who will devote
their time to ascertaining conditions
and what is actually being done or is
anticipated, thereby enabling me to
give a detailed report as often as may
be required to each Individual member
of your association, and to keep you
constantly advised as to what is go
i,7o 80 ~
be divided up among all the members
Of your association, and will amount
to about 81 a week for each member,
providing your membership is thirty
or over."
Just think Of it! A cut from Sc a
day and expenses to 81 week! Com
petition will certainly ruin the labor
end Of the detective business if some-
thing isn't done to stop it. If these
honest sons of toll are not brought
together they will soon be working
for starvation wages. The only thing
that will save the industry is a union
A Detectives Union.
There's a job for the organizers of
the American Federation Of Labor. "A
union Of labor detectives is a crying
need Of the times. The noble calling
must be saved.
With we'll organized union, affiliat-
ed with the general labor movement,
only members of the Detectives Union
would be permitted to work in, on,
under and around labor meetings. And
this would be safe way Of protect
ing the detectives employers No
himf1ammer could work off a story of
what happened at a union meeting
If he didn't have a card showing that
he could gain admission to the meet
ing no one would believe him.
There is no doubt that a great deal
that is done behind closed doors by
the trades unions reaches the ears of
those who have no right to know, but
very little harm comes from this, be-
cause the unions are not conspiracies
and they don't do anything for which
they need to blush. On the other
hand, their business is their own, and
they might just as we'll keep it to
themselves.
There is one possibility in this cut
ting Of prices by the detective agen-
cies which might be employed for the
benefit Of unionism. Some members
of labor unions are so careless or lazy
that they rarely attend the meetings
Of their organizations, and consequent
ly are often out Of touch with affairs.
Now for a small sum Of 81 week
each of these fellows who prefers to
spend his evening elsewhere than at
union meetings may be kept thorough
ly Informed of all that takes nlaca
Unions desiring to make provision
for their absentee members through
means Of the cut-rate detective agen-
cies will be furnished the name Of the
latter upon written application, with
seal attached, to the editor of this
paper. e.
Mr.. Union Man:-Notify Your Cigar