Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-06
MURTAUGH MAKES TART REPLY
SAYS EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION
IS MISLEADING THE PUBLIC.
Claims That Imported Mechanics
Are Cheap, Inefficient Men, and
Public Suffers Accordingly.

In the war of words now being waged
between representatives of the Employ
ers' Association and the local building
trades labor organizations another vol1ey
was fired last night from labors' ranks.
James f. Murtaugh, a member OF Brick
layers Union. No. 1. issued a statement
in response to that, given out a few days
ago by Mr.. Joseph Richardson, president
of the Employers Association.
He denounces one argument of Mr.. Rich
ardSon as ''insidious' and says it is IAN
attempt to deceive the public and the
members of organized labor" pronounces
another argument 'misleading.'' and adds
that there is bitterness in the exist
ing contest between employers and labor,
due to the policy pursued by Mr.. Richard
son and his colleagues. He also MAIN
tainS that the employers, in their attempt
to get work done by nOn-union labor,
have imported cheap, unskilled and ineffi-
cient workmen.
Fight Not Against Unions.
Mr. Murtaugh. in his statement, first
takes up the announcement of Mr.. Rich
ardson that the "open-shop'' fight is not
against labor unions, but is against labor
leaders. Mr.. Murdaugh maintains that in
asmuch as the labor leaders hold their
union members. and they must therefore
carry out the wishes of the labor unions
the fight against the leaders is a fight
against the labor unions, which have
chosen the leaders.
In commenting on the statement of Mr.
Richardson that the question involved is
whether or not the employer has right
to pass upon the efficiency of his en-
ployes, Mr.. Murtaugh asserts that the
right of any employer to discharge an
inefficient Ionic
but that does not mean that the employer
has the right to determine what wages
he shall pay, while the employe has no
power to put a price on the labor he
wishes to sell.
Mr.. Richardson also says there is no
longer any strife between his organization
and the majority of union mechanics and
the fight is kept alive only by labor lead
ers that they may live in idleness and
few selfish employers. who, for their own
personal gain. are pandering solicitiously
to the paid agitatOrS.
Mr.. Murtaugh states that "Mr. Richard
son by the above statement Stultifies him
self. If such crimes as he alleges have
been committed by labor and labor lead
ers. how can it be possible for any indi-
vidual employer to advance his interests
by collision with such men. If the labor
unions policies were SO heinouS they GER
tainly could not have any friend among
the employers. But, we, upon investiga-
ton. find that union labor in Washington
numbers among it's friends the richest
and most respected firms doing business
in the District.
And. if. as Mr. Richardson says, there
is no strife, why then this appeal for aid
to continue a struggle that does not exist.
There is a struggle, / am sorry to say,
and one directed mainly against the or
ganiZation of which l am member. and
the bitterness of which is mainly due to
Mr.. Richardson and his colleagues.
Policy of the Association.
The policy they are pursuing is as fol-
lows:
1.-The contracting bricklayer is a SUBJ
contractor, and if he wishes to do any
work for the Employers Association, he
must sign a contract to hire men sup
piled by that association, or he Will not
get the work. Any contracting bricklayer
who wants to hire union men cannot Sc
cure a contract from them Mr.. Richard
son having failed to disrupt our
union by persuadng the individual
member to desert, is now trying to coerce
their employer the. contracting brick
layer, into becoming an instrument for
them to fight their battle for them, and
bear the monetary loss, which is consider
able.
AS they well know. Mr.. Richardson and
his fellow workers against the welfare of
this grand capital of a free people have
gone so far as to have men come here
from England to take the place of citi-
Zens of the District and also all the I'M
desirable and inefficient wor-men of other
cities, and yet they would try to make
their efforts appear as one to be COM
mended by the general public. when in
reality it Is one that IS most undesirable
as it will have tendency, If persisted in,
to force from our midst mechanics who
are far above the average Of other large
cities.
Some Union Men Are Idle.
Mr.. Richardson states that union men
are idle. Some are, that is fact, but it
is due 10 the financial depression and not
to any associations efforts. Today there
are more than 500 union bricklayers
working under strictly union conditions
in this city to about eighty men whom
the Employers Association are trying
to palm off on the investors as capable
mechanics. If good mechanics were as
obtainable Mr.. Richardson claims
why the employers compelled to adj
Vertise in local and out-of-town papers
for men, and in the same advertisement
state none but first-class men need ap-
ply. And in refutation of the statement
that there IS no curtailment of wages
Nlsnf III