Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-09-04
.SPIES|N TRADE UNIONS
How the Employer Is Mulcted
by the Agencies"
A SYSTEM WITHOUT MERIT.

nccNcut own hat Proves ths
Worthlcssnoss Of Underhand Methods
of Espionage.
Much has been said lately In the
meetings Of organized labor In New
York city about spies in trades unions
and In workshops. The general feel
Ing among union men is TINT spies can
do the unions little harm. as nothing
Is said or done In the meetings which
the organizations would not be willing
for the Information.
BE TINT as 1t may. there Is phase
of the question that may not be
brushed aside so easily. The spy or
spottcr In the workshop has 1t in his
powcr-or. rather. 1t Is within the
power of the agency" which en-
ploys hlm--to do great harm TO both
unions and Individuals.
These spies can-nnd some OF them
do-cxnggcrato their reports SO ns to
retain soft bcrths. regardless OF the
harm done TO unsuspccting workmcn.
And II they do not make their reports
''strong" enough. they nrc strength
cned" by the agencies" The reports
are not made direct to the owners or
managers OF the concern In which the
spy IS employed. but through tho
agency.
case in point Inns come 10 the no
ticc of the editor OF this column, writes
Joseph II. buchanan In the New York
Journal lie has all the facts, but will
give only enough of them. for good
reasons, to make the Illustration clear.
a concern which has Offices I'm ono
of the largest uptown office buildings
Of this city advertised for mnchinists,
as 1t NdvertscS constantly for work
men In many lines. A nun newly ar
rived from the west responded. The
applicant was told that he was wanted
Tor position In large machinery
plant III Connecticut. There was some
petty thicving going on In the works
and he was to run 1t down-bccome, In
other words, detective He was
told his pay would be SS5 per month
the agency adding enough TO tho
wages received nj 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 employees and
thought there wns either some mis-
take or he WAS Il failure as n detective.
At the end OF ten days the mystery was
nNnlninnH n n m
instructing its spy to report the senti-
mcnt OF the men upon the subject of
unions In the works. which was not L
union concern. He made inquiry and
discovered that but few OF the ON
ployces were members OF union. IIo
was notified from New York that an
organizer of the inachinists was In the
town where the works are located md
was attempting TO form union, and
that he-the dctcctivc-must Join the
union, get list of those who became
members and those likely TO Join and
send them TO the agency in New York.
The detective refused to perform
the required service, resigned his posi-
ton and returned to New York; hence
this account OF his experiences.
lie was "on the job" long enough to
learn few things about the ways Of
operating the agency. The wages
OF spies vary. running all the way
from $50 to 1925 per month, but In all
cases the amount received ut the shon
Is deducted when the agency settles
the monthly account. The agency
charges the concern to which It fur
nishes spies whatever 1t can get and
makes handsome profit Tho Con-
nectlcut firm pays $500 month for It's
detective. The agency pays in,tia-
ton fees and dues to the unions for
Its representatives
Reports IRE made at stated times by
the spies to the agency. The lntter
rchnshcs these reports, adding ginger
and tabnsco enough to suit tho taste,
and sends them to the employers. 1t
is necessary to keep the employer
frightened about the condition In his
shop so as TO Insure continuance OF
tho $500 month remittance. For IN
stance, the report OF the spy that there
were "fcw" union men in tho Con
necticut works had grown into large
percentage OF union men and n secret
movement to organize n strike" before
1t got bnck to the employers.
Spies are sometimes instructed by
the agencies TO work up sentiments
of discomfort among fellow workmcn.
a very small sentiment Is enough. The
agency will do the rest In It's reports.