The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-28

defeated or the hours lenethenad Rat
Ter results have been obtained in tho
way of economy and speed Of construc
ton from the Increased efficiency of ths
men, the freedom from labor troubles
and the greater control of tine EMPLOYER
In organizing and directing the work
we believe it has been practically DEM
onstrated that the open shop is a great
and substantial beneft to the employer
the mechanic and the city of Duluth:
and the welfare OF the community and
its industrial progress render its main
tenance OF vital importance.
On account of the exceptional and fav-
ofapie conditions prevailing in this CITY,
we are glad to recommend that no re-
auctions be made in the wages of build
ing mechanics but that the scale adopted
last year remain unchanged.
signed. Labor Committee
The story of Duluth may furnish food
Tor thought to the good citizen who
thinks that his city is TO be hlighted and
its progress checked by the Introduction
of the open shop. 1t may also throw
some light upon the real cause for the
great desire on the part of union leaders
to maintain the closed shop.
Open Shop Means Better Unions and
Better Workmen
The following statement by Warren s..
stone, secretary of the American
brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
the most efficient, powerful and well or
ganized union In this country today and
the one that has secured more for its
members than any other-is TO be com
mended to the attention of such laboS
leaders as persist>in telling their follow
ers that they can secure better wages
and better conditions through the closed
shop than through their own merit and
efficiency. Mr.. Stone said: II do not be-
neVe In Forcing a man to Join a union
III he wants to join all right; but Ii is
contrary to the principles OF free govern
ment and the constitution of the United
states to do Soto try to make him Join.
we or the engineers work wiIlinkly side
py side with other engineers every day
VINO DO not belong to our union, though
they enjoy without any objection on our
part the advantages which we have OBJ
tanned. Some of them we would not have
In the union others we cannot get. What
l say Is. make the union so good that
they will want to join
The open shop Is open to unoion and
non-union men alike. If the members
of the union excel non-union men in
skill. faithfulness and efficiency, they will
be the ones employed. Employers would
be competing among themselves to
get the services OF the members
of a union where membership repre-
sented these things. One labor leader,
when asked why he did not encourage
greater efficiency on the part of the
men and greater CO. operation with tho
employer, in working together to in
crease the output, said: II notice that
you don't have to bother about the eff
cheney OF the man IL you increase the
EFFICIENCY Of the organization" This. in
essence. Is the spirit of the closed shop.
Is an institution regulated by such a
spirit good thing for your city7
Closed shop Not Necessary to Coed
Unionism
And one word more. The claim that
the open shop means the destruction
OF unionism Is false. The example OF
the Brotherhood OF Locomotive Engi-
neers should be an answer to that The
history of even the closed shop unions
also disproves IT. for these unions ex-
listed. expanded and flourished for years
with their members working side by
side with 'non-union men before they
reached the point OF securing a closed
shop. and venture 10 say that they
were healthier and better and that their
members possessed greater skill and
got more joy out of their work in the
open shop than they have since In tho
closed shop Unionism of the right
sort. and of the sort 1t must become
IL n is to Justify itself as q permanent
institution In our industrial system, is
injured rather than aided by the closed
shop. 1t is too much. perhaps, to ask
of closed shop advocate that he give
assent to these principles at opce: but
1t is not too much to ask OF the owner
and business man. whose prosperity IL
bound up In that of his city. that he
give very serious and devoted thought
to the question of what he shall do in
the way of making the closed shop a
permanent fixture in his community, or
OF freeing the industries OF his city en-
tirely from its grip
Personal Word
The closed shop in the building trades
wherever II has been secured 10 used as
a wedge to force the closed shop into
the factory. yard, mill. shop and store.
Every dollar you spend for building op-
erations on closed shop basis tends
to fasten this vicious institution upon
all the industries of your community,
including your own. IL thts good citi-
zenship or good business? don't think
so. Do your ~
WALTER DREW.
Manager. National Open Shop Publicity
Bureau. "a West Thirty-third street.
New York City.