The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-02-01
IT'D b
ust 81 important. We stand Tor the

TIM oh
D ]. w ars i not alone i !. our demand Tor
session, copy Of the constitution 81
the Real Estate Exchange, Of Du-
lath N not eom nn5S section Which
ton shall by any member OF this tx
change be paid or divided with any
person who is not member Of the
D9 yGhd note re much dr.
labor? Why do not the people r fs" Who
are taking such an active interest in
least confederate enough to grant us
the same privileges they take for
themselves? p - & ~
The Jobbers Also.
AS T glance down the list of the So
called Civic committee, I notice, the
names of the representatives of several
wholes sale houses. For some reason
usually in every contest against labor.
However, as much as they dislike
trades unions, they enjoy the protec-
ton OF an sho WHICH IS
than any. labor organization may ever
hope to be: They observe certain
"ethIcs of the trade that no self re-
gard. They have not only been com
PEELED to organize to protect them
selves from unjust and Injurious com
mination as middle men. by the ayar
Ice of manufacturers who might seek
closer relations with the consumer and
get for themselves the profit which
now goes to the jobber:
The Retailers Likewise.
Our IT. friends ad,q the 5tG;bbers, as mat
from the be- manufacturer' who sells sell 0 dl.
manufacturer MIST sell his goods ds
through some jobbfng house.
he nn1a Ia
grocers and through their respective
organizations their mutual interests
note also on this great list, the
names Of number of members of
the the Board of Trade It is notable
wheat unless he is a member Of that
organization. I understand that it
costs an initiation fee Of $4,000 to
might take up the whole evening in
proving the union shop principle. as
applied to almost every organization
or business men.
Others Should Be Fair.
do not object to the application
least injury to the least number, and
IS productive Of the greatest benefits
TO- the many. All ask is that our
us as we want to be with them.
J.. Labor must have the union shop,
II the union is to have anything to do
Without the union shop the competi-
tive. wage system with all it's demon
alizing influences: would be in vogue.
Labor La u, eannot maintain living wage,
ton between working men. Like the
shop to protect ourselves from e ui 'unn
just and Injurious" competition
Labor Competition Degrading.
among ,workingmen in this country, is
not only unfair, but it is degrad ing.
us of the hoard Of immigrants who
come to this country from certain
PORTIONS Of Europe, and whose ideas
ent from anu th Sse Of 'e the %0e Xmercan
Workingman? Our laborers are pro-
gressive men. The advancing wage
seale and the the shorter hours Of labor
contribute much to the increasing of
working men ana their wives dress
other country in the world. In our
our desire for more things never
ceases. We have fine pictures on our
walls, pretty carpets on our floors,
comfortable furniture in which we
might rest, and even piano for our
children. The standard of American
living has been established, and when
we are called upon to compete with
ard. that Competition mmediateiy be-
comes unjust and injurious.
Lower Standard of Living.
Not long ago visited in the mining
a scene in a cabin of a number of
Austrian miners. It was small shack
with bunks built around the walls Of
ahs solitary dtatyr room "a h There was table in
between the table and the sleeping
hunks. Over the table and suspended
IRON the ceiling, were more hunks,
ana mere 80 men ate, slpet and lived
What different. picture this is from
the ideal home of the American work.
ing man. It is against this standard
or living that. the trades union has
to set the minimum wage scale, under
which we protest against the opera
ton Of the so-called law of supply and
We hold that there is a. point below
which men cannot labor, so we at
tempt to fix the minimum wage scale,
at least on the level with the bread
The Graded Wage Scale.
You can readily understand that
ment of our opponents When criti-
cising labor organiza tions they de-
SAoAo Cudl we ought TO nave a graded
wage scale, and in the next breath
they hold that the antiquated law of
supply and demand should govern
wages. There can be no similarity in
these contantions.
Trades unions are organized to pro-
tect the weak. The minimum wage
scale is for the protection of the
| helpless. We are perfectly satisfied to
permit the law Of supply and demand
to govern, down to- certain point.
That certain point I have heretofore
referred to. is the minimum scale at
bread line wage Without the union
shop labor cannot expect to maintain
any kind of wage system that will
give justice to working men.
We have been assured by the men,
bers Of the Real Estate Exchange and
the Builders Exchange that there was
no desire upon their part to reduce
wages. All they contend for, they say,
Is the open shop" Why the open
shop" Again their position becomes
Synonymous with low wages, while
the union shop is synonymous with a
living standard of wages. So you can
readily see that our opponents are
either ignorant of the. application Of
their, pet law Of supply and demand,
OF. they are willfully attempting to
mislead the people,, unless. possibly
they themselves are mislead I would
n