The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-09-15
CONTINUED From Page One.)


coast labor war.
This was done so that the big
interests could get workers at the
cost of the rice eating Hindu, at
the cost of the chill devouring
Mexican, at the cost of the opium
smoking Chinese, at the cost of
the willy Jap.
So today from Seattle to Los
Angeles and from Spokane to
Portland, business Ia tied up, men
are hungry, families are living on
meager strike benefits and thous-
ands of hapless business men are
facing loss of trade that, IL con-
tinued much longer, means bank
ruptcy-because a dozen men of
great wealth at the head of the
National Manufacturers associa-
ton demanded that American
workers compete with the Hindu,
the Jap, the Chinese and Euro
pean peasant, and forced on a
prosperous coast the greatest la
Dor war In its history!
Every strike on the Pa
cific coast today was def
nitely arranged by the big in
terests, was forced ON the
employers and their workers,
and millions have been lost
I'm q senseless battle.
HOW 1T STARTED
Last winter word went out
through every fiber of the great
Manufacturers association that a
big labor war was coming on the
coast. At that time the policy
of every central albor council on
the coast was pacification, arbi-
tration and peace. But agents of
the national association visited
the coast cities and first scared
the business men in each center
by threats of the mysterious COM
ing war, and then salved their
mental wounds by agreeing to
put the entire force of the nation
al association behind them If they
would form local associations and
when strikes came would refuse
to deal with their men directly,
but would hand over the fight to
the local employers association
and would implicitly obey instruc-
lions.
In short, the business interests
of the coast were so tied up by
spring with signed agreements
that in event of strike no set
Element could be made until a
dozen men in New York pulled
the string.
Aiding in this gigantic plot
were the local labor union haters
that exist in every town and who
are usually leading citizens, i'm.
dustrial giants big employers OF
labor and openly or secretly con-
nected with some branch of the
Manufacturers association.
These men worked on their fell
low business men, abetted the
agents of the national association
promised their support, agreed to
see that any money the little fell
lows lost through strike would
be paid back by the higher ups
and generally boosted the game
along.
HOW TT WORKED
The first definite word came to
the foundrymen of the west
through the National Foundry
mems association to the effect
that the coast metal workers were
not going to get their contracts
renewed this time through the
agency of the employer in each
city, but that the general associa-
tion would handle the problem
The National Foundrymen's as
sociation is one of the big toes OF
the Manufacturers foot, and IL
appears now that the dozen high
er ups picked the metal trades for
the inaugural fight because these
unions were weak in Southern
California.
June 1 was the date when the
metal workers, the iron trades in
general, would renew their agree
ments and contracts with the en-
ployers.
The eight hour day and the
question of wage advance were to
be considered, argued and decid-
ed, after a mutual discussion. But
this years there was no argument
no discussion, no agreement. In
every city but San Francisco, the
foundrymen, ship builders and
bosses in general abruptly turned
down the demand of the metal
workers, at once turned over the
whole business to the local branch
of the Manufacturers association
and saw their plants close, their
contracts vanish and their profits
slump, feeling secure in the assur-
ance of the timber barons that
every cent of loss would be re-
placed.
In California the Southern Pa
cific machine jerked the strings
put big sums into the fight and
held up the hands of the Los An
geles employers. In Oregon B. s
Josselyn, local head of the trans.
portation, light and power monop.
oily, Hartman owned system
was one of their big fighters fol
the open hsop and against the
metals workers and the transfers
AND THEN, LEGISLATION
In every town these manipulate.
ed and forced strikes were made
the basis of legislation calculated
to put unions forever out of bust.
ness. Anti-boycott ordinances
were made. In coast cities the
no,.~nt1 thz -. ox,or ow5 4bo x.1Iso1