Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-05-27
Discussions so Far Are CAL
culated to Convey the
Wrong Impressions
NO QUESTION OF WAGES
Old Union Was Close Mon
opoly so Worked as to
Become Unbearable

An entirely unwarranted uneasiness
is felt in some quarters over the
longshoremen controversy, and that
uneasiness is fostered by the uubli-
cation as the leading editorial in the
last issue of the Grays Harbor Post,
an article that reads like the brief of
a retained attorney and gives a color
Led one side of the case.
The Herald holds no brief on either
side of this dispute but believes the
entire story should be told before the
public mind absorbs the msinforma-
ton that is being ladled out on the
subject. The thinking man does not
need to be reminded that there can
be no controversy without at least
two sides, and it is the aim of this
article to give an unbiased sketch
of the disagreement from the begin
ming, in order that injustice be dcne
to none.
What Is the Trouble?
1t is well at the outset to understand
what the issue really is. There is no
dispute about wages, working hours
or conditions. No changes have been
made in those features under the open
shop plan in vogue for the past three
years. The only issue is that Of re-
turning to the closed shop system
md rocOvDizinp tho union
Compliance with the demands of
the union would really mean less
money for the workman, to the ex-
tent of the tribute he would have to
pay into the union, so that. as far
as the general public is concerned.
the men have greater spending ca
pacity under the open shop. On the
other hand, the shippers see the dam
ger of returning to conditions that
had become intolerable under the old
union
The Dsiodged Union.
The Longshoremen's Union that
was superseded by the open shop
three years ago, was the neatest lit
tie trust on the face of the earth. A
Scandinavian labor trust that had re-
fused admission to it's membership
every American born applicant for
I more than four years. With the ex-
q orbitant initiation fee of $50 and the
rule that three black balls rejected
an applicant enabled the union to re-
strict it's membership, and. as cur
Trent rumor went, allowed it's leaders
ITO reap a little rake-off in the way
of bonuses from proposed applicants
for membership.
% The result was what may easily
have been forecasted when the little
mOnOpoly began to discover it's pow
Ter. AS most mOnopoles do, it be-
.came dictatorial arrogant and care
Jess about the work to the dissatis-
xaction of the shippers and ship own.
ers The first strike grew out of
lemand for coffee and cake to be
Served between meals by the vessels
&hey were loading. and was really the
last straw that broke the patience
IF the shippers, who Immediately be-
tan taking steps to relieve themselves
~ this trust.
M The advent of two rival stevedoring
companies from the Sound. one of
Which employed union men and the
Ether worked an open shop, in the
iii Of 1908 created the first friction
etween the workmen. The union
Bed every means in its power to stop
be open shop business. but unsuc-
essfully Appeal was made to the
hilors' Union to join them, but the
dicials of the union refused to in
Wrfere, and finally strike was de-
cared. and since that date the long.
oremens union has not been recog-
1zed by the shippers of Grays Har-
oor.
The Saw Mills Act.
Annoyed and harrassed beyond en-
durance by the pickering of the long.
ahoremen, the mllmen of the Harbor
incorporated the Grays Harbor steve
dore Co. with the avowed purpose of
working on the open shop plan. They