Arizona republican., 1910-10-26

 ORGANIZING Purpose Is to Protect Open
 Shop Principle FIRST 0f TIGERS NAMED Thirty two Employers Agree To Unite AS the Phoenix Merchants and Mechan- ics' Protective Associa- tion.
FIRST OFFICERS NAMED

NO eIlOft IS Hldue III any QudTleT Dy either the friends or enemies of or ganized labor, to conceal the fact that | for months past representatives of the various trades unions have been busily | engaged in organizing the laboring
 men of this city. In respect of some | lines of employment there has been | little or no protest. In other trades the protest has been merely individual, | by those employers or laborers who were personally affected. Recently the
 representatives of unionism have served formal notice upon employers in certain lines, of their purpose to
 unionize the trades, fix scales and
 hours of labor and enforce the closed shop principle Feeling that such con- ditions would not be for the best in- terests of themselves or for the best
 interests of the city and that the is
 sue has been forced upon them, many
 of the employers of Phoenix have de-
 termined to meet organization by or
 ganization, seeking the one object of
 being let alone. Representatives of the
 employers fin these trades in explain
 ing their attitude to a Republican re-
 porter, stated that they found no fault
 with union scales or union hours and
 that of their own accord they have
 and expect to continue to observe such
 scales and hours, but they object to
 being dictated to by those they would
 employ. They cherish no feeling of animosity toward union men and will
 employ them as willingly as any
 others. Moreover. they have no con-
 troversy with union men who choose
 to organize in accordance with the rights of every citizen, nor with those men who. carrying union cards, re- fuse to work for them, which is like wise their constitutional right and privilege. But they do object to the announced intention of the labor leaders to interfere with their consti- tutional privilege of employing whom soever they please and on any condi- tions that may be agreeable to both parties.
 They contend that the invasion of this city by an agitation that is de- signed to align all employers and l workmen on one side or tine other of labor issue will be harmful to the l business prosperity and to the trades, | particularly the building trades such | as carpenters, plumbers. plasterers, l bricklayers. painters. and, in fact. all l trades that participate in new con- struction. for which there is now a | growing demand They fear a repeti- | tion Of such conditions as have at times stagnated Los Angeles, San | Francisco and other coast cities. at | the time when Phoenix is on the | threshold of what should be an era of | unprecedented growth. The city has | been prosperous under old conditions | and they believe 1t will continue to be | if old conditions are maintained There | is need of workmen in many lines | Contractors are busy and they con- tend that they are paying good wages | for reasonable hours of work, and | hiring all who seek work under pre- vailing conditions without question as | to their utilization with trade unions | or otherwise. Believing also, or at | least hoping that public sentiment is | with them they desire to make known | to the public their attitude at this | time. If the labOrers choose to or ganize, they say. that is their business. If they are desirous of working for | the employers they will be welcomed | and if not these employers will be forced to seek labOrers in other quar- ters. To the end above described they have asked The Republican to give space to the following announcement:
 "A meeting was held of the princi- pal contractors of the city last even ing when it was decided to organize and make a permanent organization +A h ATa,~ al,.y t-F and Mechanics Protective Association. T. l.. Edens was appointed temporary chairman and H. J. Tilley, secretary pro tenn. After some discussion it was decided to make this a permanent thing when it was moved by Claude Cisney and seconded by Clinton Camp bell that T. L. Edens be elected presi- dent of the association Clinton Campbell was elected vice president; Claude Cisney. treasurer, and H. J. Tilley, secretary for the ensuing year. A committee on membership was also appointed, including H. Shirley, T. L. Brown, c. Cisney, J. H. Mulrein and Lafe Brunson. All electrical con- tractors were unanimous in declaring an open shop. After discussion on several other points the meeting ad- adopted:
 Previous to adjournment the fol- lowing resolution was unanimously adopted:
 Believing that the closed shop principle as maintained by labor unions would prove inimical to the best intersts of this city. we the un- dersigned employers and contractors hereby announce that we will from this time forward maintain and ad- here to the open shop principle asking for ourselves the moral support of the entire community: