The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-09-27
LABOR'S SECRET ORGANIZA-
TIONS-DETECTI FORM
UNIONS--A FIVE-DAY WORK
WEEK.
By Peter Power.

The efforts of the employers
associations to destroy labor or
CARNATIONS are having the effect
of producing the condition that
was generally predicted when the
campaign began several years
ago, viz: Many of the national
unions are becoming more power
full and class conscious as re-
suit of the opposition. and, Sec
ondly, those unions that are tenn
porarily suppressed on the sur
face are in reality being driven
underground and reorganizing in
secret.
There are now secret organiza-
lions in existence or forming in
the iron and steel industry, among
marine workers, packing house
employees, street railway en-
ployes, in some mining districts,
and in other branches of industry
in which open organization has
been forbidden. Indeed, 1t is
I known that there are powerful
secret associations in some of the
strongest trade unions on the
continent, the memberships in the
former being limited to those
who have demonstrated their 10y
atty to the cause of labor by long
years of service and sacrifice
when necessary, and who are
sworn to defend the principles OF
trade unions against every attack
whether industrial, political, OIL
otherwise.
| The promoters of the secret or
CARNATIONS charge that the antag
onistic employers organization.
hire detective agencies to ferre
out active members of trade
unions, and that the latter arr
blacklisted and their families ar,
compelled to suffer because the!
dare to demand justice. The.
maintain that their organization
are just as law-abiding and patri
otto as are fraternal orders an,
IOJueT secret DOuleS.
| The labor people in Chicag,
land a number of Texas cite
haye just created a sensation b,
luncoyering what they claim to b.
a systematic attempt on the par
of a Chicago detective agency II
organize unions among the pack
ing house employees at Fort Wortl
and several other Texas cities ant
then smash them to pieces.
| The detectives engaged in tn,
work at Fort Worth made a con
fession to officers of the Chicag,
Federation of Labor. Briefly, tn,
scheme operated as follows: TIL,
Chicago detective agency notified
the Fort Worth packers that tn,
lagency had come into possession
of information showing that thei
employes were organizing to de
mand more wages, but that tn,
plans of the laborites could b,
frustrated If one of the agency
detectives were employed at f;
good round sum per diem, which
proposition was accepted. AS ;
matter of fact, no union of pack
ing house employees was contem
plated at Forth Worth, but the de
tective was dispatched to tn,
scene with orders to quietly or
ganfZe the men and talk strike
The detective even applied for al
organizers commission at A. f. o.
L. headquarters in Washington
The detective began preliminary
work, but not meeting with grea
success he was transferred to &
divorce case Gin which he was tt
swear away the honor of a WON
am, and another detective was
substituted.
But No. l rebelled an6
l"peached" on his employers. The
detective charges that after he
formed the union and melted 6
strike the next step in the scheme
was for the agency to secure 6
contract to furnish the packing
bosses with strike breakers and
guards and bleed the packing con.
Germs still more. But the detec.
tive's voluntary confession to the
Chicago union officials blocked
the scheme.
In Nova Scotia there is a bitter
strike in progress at the mines OF
the Dominion Coal Co. The Cana
dian militia is on the ground
called out at the behest of the