Douglas Island news., 1909-05-26
A Catholic Divine on Labor
 Unions
Unions

The Rev. John l.. Belford, pastor of the church of Nativity, Madison street, Brooklyn, \. r., who has printed number of caustic things in bis parish paper, The Mentor, comes out in the latest issue with an article headed 1.-The Union" It reads as follows:
 This is the era of the union. There are unions without number The par ticular kiud we wish to deal with is the labor uniOu. The subject can be treat"i in theory and in practice. lu itsell, u' gauizatiou is good. In union there is strength. But strength can be used and abused. So long as it is used it can hurt no one and it can help everyone. IC can protect the weak and restrain the erriug. 1t can develop skill and extend business. When 1t Is abused. it can become a real menace to industry and to business. The virtues of the union have been told so often that a glance at its vices may be novel if not interesting.
 A sturdy hOd carrier called on us re- gently for loan of 5. He had been out of work for weeks. He was in debt to the union for dues He could not get card until he paid the dues. He could not get work without the card. The uuiou woulG not lend him money. 1t would not allow him to earn it. It made him beggar.
 We read a few weeks ago that the stone masons had gone on strike. Their grievance was this: The em- ployer refused to allow the union to sit in judgment on him and his business. The union demanded that when an em- ployer was not satisfied with man, he make a complaint in writing to the union, who would appoint committee of three members of the union to hear the case. If they found the complaint just, the employer might discharge the man; if they found it unjust, the man must be kept.
 Some time ago the bod carriers felt very strong. They made rule that no man should use more than one hand in filling his bod. Another rule was that no hod carrier might carry stone. Be it pebble or capstone, he would be fined for handling it.
 The plasterers. have now, we think, 8 rule that meN must be employed in the order of application. If lazy drunkard appears for work in the morning, and is denied, and a steady, competent man appears in the after noon and is put to work, the employer will be obliged to dismiss the good man or keep both and pay the good.for- nothing the same as the other.
 Then, should a foreman plasterer push his men too hardin their opinion charges will be brought against him. If he is found guilty, he will be fined $50. For second offense he will be fined and suspended for six months. For a third otfense he will be sus- pended forever.
 Finally, should a plasterer commit the crime of doing more than certain number of yards of plastering in day he will be fined. If he continues to violate the law he will be suspended from the union, which means that he cannot work at his trade where the union exists.
 Some time ago in certain sky scraper in New York there was laid a bronze sill. It had been. in position some weeks when it was discovered that the pattern from which the sill had been cast had been made by non- union pattern maker. The wicked man had since joined the union, but when he made that pattern be was scab. The union ordered the owner to take out that sill, have it broken and recast from pattern made by union man. He told them to go to hell. They called out all the men on the building,