The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-12-02
PROSPERITY DUE.TO
STAMPING OUT OF
UNION RULE
- -. J. wHIRL.
INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS FLOCK
HERE BECAUSE OF IMPROVED
LABOR CONDITIONS, SAYS SEC
RETARY OF EMPLOYERS ASSN.

That the recent Industrial growth
and prosperity OF Detroit Is due al.
most entirely TO the work OF the EN-
pioyers' association and ITS allies. the
builders association and the Graphic
Arts association. was the most strik-
ing statement made by John j. Whir;.
secretary OF those bodies. In his al.
dress TO the Wholesalers association
III the Penobscot Inn, Wednesday
noon.
Whirl declared that new factories
have come TO this city because labor
conditions are better here than else
where, instancing a Chicago concern
which recently announced It's inten
ton to come TO Detroit after havin,,
one o: Its departments tied up for u
time by strike.
The industrial population of De-
troit has grown by thousands" said
Whirl. Have our people remained
and have others come because they
were being ground under the relen,.
Tess heel of capital or because they
lave been released from that other
heel, the heel OF the labor agitator?"
That wages average higher In De.
troit than in other cities and higher
than the union scale In many indus.
tries. was another of his startling
statements.
Beginning his speech, Whirl de-
fcrfbed conditions from the employ
ers' standpoint In 1902--factories gov.
erned by shop rules, help dictated u
by walking delegates. output limited
end strike always imminent. He de
clared that the employers had sun.
oenly realized that Frankenstein haa
risen among them, that they must
win or go down TO utter defeat.
What was destroying and throttling
the life or our manufacturers was or
ganized labor-not organized labor a.
II should be but as II is in its hideous.
ness. stripped of all lction," saiu
Whirl.
The speaker read the four cardinal
principals of the Employers associa-
tion: To discriminate against no man
because of his membership In any or
panization: the privilege by employer
aId employe to terminate WORK
whenever deemed best; since the en-
ployer is responsible for the work
cone, his absolute right to direct the
men and manner In which that VoFf
Is to be done: the payment OF the EN-
ploye by the hour rate, premium sys-
tenn or In any other way deemed fai-.
and the adoption OF no system to limi
earning capacity OF the employee.
Whirl then touched again on the
conditions In union shops describing
the business agent as car, ruling
both employer and employee. according
TO his whims and always willing to be
bought, but never staying bought.
BY shop rules the saving and ad-
vantages of improved machinery were
offset Strikes we're called where
many of the strikers did not know the
cause
Describing the fights between the
Employers association and the unions.
Whirl charged that thousands OF dol
lars had been spent by the unions In
these fights, that thugs had been hired
and even assassins imported. The
employers had opened their own en-
ployment bureau and secured the
country to find men who would work.
until they had filed the places OF
strikers.
1T often seemed our manufacturers
could not stand up against the force
secured through years OF organization
by the unions" he asserted.
Victory had come at last, however.
In spite OF the great obstacles and the
industries Of Detroit have prospered
accordingly. The Employers associa-
ton had paved the way. he remarked.
for the Board OF Commerce and the
Wholesalers association to proceed
with the plans for the good Of the city.