Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-03

The Taylor System at the Arsenal.
Much as The Argus deprecates the
prospect of a general strike among
the men employed at Rock Island ar
senal, either in view Of the present
status of the wage system agitation
or at any time, yet in all justice to
the arsenal men it must be said that
they are not to blame for viewing
with suspicion the adoption Of a
scheme for the regulation Of their la
Dor, against which the voice of la
Dor has gone up in emphatic pro-
test. The men employed at Rock Is
land arsenal are not looking for an
opportunity to pick a fight with the
government. They do not want to
strike against the government. They
do not object to full days work for
d full days pay. They are not stand
ing so much in fear of attendant re-
dLction in wages as a result of the
proposed innovation, as they are Of
the tendency, and as they believe,
purpose of the Taylor system, to
place them, to an extent, at
least, in bondage. They maintain
that regardless of what may be the
policy OF private corporations and in
dustries in prescribing for the regula-
ton of labor the province of the gov
eminent should be to take a higher
ground and set a higher standard in
dealing with its employees. In other
words the men at the arsenal con-
scientously maintain that instead of
the outside industries fixing the rule
for government employees, the gov
eIEment should set the pace for the
outside industries, and that such a
pace should be American and hu-
name in it's aims as well as in method
of fixing the wage scale.
The men at the arsenal feel that
the government ought to treat them
as honest men, willing and anxious
to prove worthy of their hire, and
that as self respecting men they have
right to protest as citizens, no less
than es employees of the government,
against such rules and regulations as
will place them in any form of slav-
cry. They declare that where a man
cannot stop to get a drink of water.
or brush back his hair from his
eyes or blow his nose without &C
counting for the moment that he is
taken from his task in the perform
anCe of any essential requirement
he becomes a slave. They feel
that the government of a free re-
lpublic, established on the theory that
all men are equal, should hesitate
before putting into effect regulations
o. such restricting and exacting ma
; ture.
The men fail to see why they as
: American citizens should be required
to submit any other restrictions than
are enforced upon politicians and
grafters that hang around Washing.
ton and are paid out Of the same ma.
tional treasury as the man who tolls
with his hands.
The men speak IN the highest
terms of Colonel Burr, whom they
regard. and The Argus believes
, rightly, as one of the most fairmind.
ed and able commandants that has
ever been stationed at the arsenal, q
man who knows his business and II
doing his duty in obedience to the
command OF his superior, and they
have only the highest respect fol
him on that account. But they oppose
the system that the ordnance depart
ment, by the secretary OF war
is seeking to impose, not only upo1
them, but upon labor in general.
The Argus, while not seeking t.
influence the men, had hoped thai
they would get together with Colone
Burr, upon whom they may rely fol
the utmost fairness of treatment, and
defer final action until the congress
sional committee which has investi
gated their claims gets the ear o.
congress.
That body has It IN its power Il
overrule the war department in the
prescribing of regulations for gov
eminent employ.