The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-01-12
KIRBY BLAMES UNION LABOR
 FOR HIGH PRICES
PRESIDENT OF MANUFACTURE FRS ASSOCIATION ALSO SAYS s.TRCST'' FORCES UP WAGES AND CURTAU4S PRODUCTION.

Springfield. Mass, Jan. 12-Large responsibility for the higher cost of living was laid by John Kirby, Jr., President of the National Manufac- turers' Association, upon what he call- ed the labor trust" in an address he delivered here before the Employers s Association at Springfield. MT. Kirby declared that trade unionism aspired 10 absolute control over all labor that is hired. and paid for by em- ployers,' and charged that it's efforts to this end were being abetted al- though unwittingly. by the National Civic Federation.
 Mir Kirby's address was largely a reply to a recent implied attack upon his organization ill an article in The National Civic Federation Review. He said IT part:
 Thkre is general complaint about highf prices of the necessities of life, saRle, chief among which are the tar i4 and the capitalistic trusts, while, fs q matter of fact, the primary fcas7se of the constantly advancing prices of commodities of all kinds lies, at the door of the labor trusts, car iinai principle of which is to raise wages and restrict production. neither Of which can fail to diminish the pur- chasing power of the dollar and when working together to doubly depreciate its value.
 Therefore just as long as the labor trust is permitted to interfere with the law of supply and demand by restrict ing production and artificially advance ing costs of commodities, by abnor- inally high wages just so long will our industrial affairs remain in a state of chaos and unrest, and just so. long will that great portion of the public who cannot unionlze be com peIled to suffer the consequences.
 The Civic Federation, as a National organization. was brought into being by the late Mark Hanna. The names of a number of men of influence in the commercial and industrial world were easily secured as indorsers of the scheme and a number of trades un- ion leaders, professional men aAd other prominent citizens were gathered into the fold. The meek lambs and feroci-' 0us lions were thereafter to dwell to- getl1er in peace and harmony, labor troubles were to be adjusted decently and in order. Aside from it's political inf1ueuce, which but few of it's sup porters knew anything about, it was sincerely believed by many that the organization would accomplish won- ders in solving the so-called labor problem. and for those thus minded have nothing but commendation.
 f.It soon developed however, that the affairs of the organization were be- ing managed in the interests of the American Federation of Labor, and Samuel Gompers, it's Vice-President, promptly became it's Commander in Chief and with Mitchell and Paisley as aide de camp, proceeded to shear and trim the lambs for their snug re- pose in the bellies of the lions.
 sArtful and cunningly devised schemes have been put into effect to retain the names of prominent men in n T<---- <<G 1>4 1kx~x~ r,r,6 f<,r adding more such names to the list, the announcement, that enrolment is free being held out as special in ducement to join in the great welfare and civic Improvement work of the or sanization which, if; conducted in sim. rerity and free from alliance with an organization of men who sat them selves above the laws of the land, would merit popular commendation and would doubtless accomplish some good work in which the National As sociation of Manufacturers would be glad to cooperate.
 *But when it's official organ pres ents. in group form, as it did in it's November number a photographic pie lure of f1fty-four of it's members with Gornpers and Mitchell-fresh from the Toronto Convention and their anar- chistic defiance of our courts still vii brating through the air-occupying
 
 next door but one to President Taft and the latter touching the hem of hiE garments'-is not Such a spectacle enough to make honest citizens sit up and think?
 tI do not wish to be understood as 'condemning the many excellent we'll meaning and; sincere men and women, -foo, ranking among the best people of this Nation. who lend the use of their names to the Civic Federation and who have done so in good faith and with patriotic motives, but who know very little about it's inner workings or of the real issues involved in the labor question. and perhaps. still less of the sinister threatenings of the Labor Trust. For all such men and women I have the highest esteem and deem it my duty, now that the provocation has been given me. to remind them of the Scriptural phrases, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteous ness and they that seek shall find,' and to suggest that, with these truths in mind they investigate for them selves how and for what purpose, and 'by whom their money and influence is being used"
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