The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-07-09
CLOSED SHOP POLICY
A Principle That Is Accepted In
Business Life.
WHY WRONG FOR TolLERs.

Organized Labor Must Control Work.
ers il IL Would Keep Contracts With
Employersl-Why Trades Unions Re.
fuse to Become Incorporated.
The principle Of the SO called closed
shop ii accepted IN everyday business
life. why may not 20 organization Of
workIngrnen similarly make bargain
with an organization Of employers
The dealer win agree with the mnnu.
facturer to handle only certain kind
OF goods. This is considered perfectly
legitimate. why does II seem I'M
constitutional when precisely the same
bargain Is entered into between the
employer ana bis employees? The IA.
Dor union says to the employer: we
will agree to furnish you with compe.
tent men at So much per day We can
control the men IN our organization.
They will abide By the contract that
we shall make. We cannot control the
men who are outside OF our oFganIza.
ton, SO we ask you to employ only our
men, thus making your shop union
shop. If these outside men will agree
to make the same contract with you
that we have made, we shall be glad
to have them come into our organiza-
ton, thus giving them the same priv.
lege that we enjoy
The average employer who fights so
strenuously for the God given right
OF the nonunion workingman to exer.
else bis privilege Of remaining out OF
the union If he SO desires, declaring
that his shop be an open shop for free
men, will usually debar the men who
exercised the same God given right By
becoming a member Of the trades IN
ion. so that practically his boosted
open shop policy means a closed shop
to the unionist.
But, it may be argued, the trades
union Is unincorporated so that an
employer cannot hold it to its con.
tract, while be himself Is liable to dam.
ages. This Is not true. It Is well
known that an unincorporated concern
can neither sue nor be sued, so that
both the employer and the trades
union are Oh an equality before the
law IN this respect. Furthermore, II
the trades union was to become IN.
corporated 1t would be comparatively
easy matter for an unscrnpulous en-
ployef to hire spy to commit an act
OF unlawfulness which would involve
the destruction Of property whereby
the entire union would become in.
volyed. A successful suit for dam.
ages would practically disrupt the or
ganization. II all employers were alb
solutely honest the incorporation Of
the union might be insisted upon, but
for the reason given above organized
labor Is naturally cautious about TAX
ing step which would bring It prac-
tieaily no advantage, while It would
lay itself open to the assaults Of lis
enemies.
The right to run ones business as
he pleases must have its limitations.
Great changes In the conception Of
personal and property rights have
come as part Of the democratic eyolu.
tlon. in some respects a man can run
his business us he nleases, but IN other
respects public opinion, and frequently
pubic law, steps In and limits bis
exclusive control In the matter Of
employment It Is being recognized that
there are two parties instead Of one.
a man may do as he pleases in so far
as that liberty does not injure the well.
being Of his fellow man. One may not
set nre 70 bis own house, nor may %
sen cigarettes or whisky 10 some
states. because the exercise Of That
privilege might injure somebodT.
Boiler Makers Journal.