The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-02-28
LIKES THE TRADE UNIONS.

Otto M. Eidlitz Says Organization Is
Essential to the Welfare of the
Worker and the Employer-No Man
Has a Right to Cheaper Toll.
Otto NJ Eidlitz, one of the most
prominent figures in New York city's
Industrial life, was recently interview
ed by the New York Times. Mr.. Ed
litz was president of the Mason Build
ers' association for four years, is a
director in many business enterprises
ana is Il member of the chamber of
commerce. I'm the course of the inter
view he said:
The trade union is an admiral bic
thing from the employers point of
view, for ii gives him something con
crete to have dealings with The EN-
plOyers' organization is an admirable
thing from the employees point of view
for the same reason Industrial prog
reSs would be vastly handicapped, if
not altogether stopped, were such or
limitations to be done away with
Both sides should be tightly organized.
and every relation of either to the
other should be tinged with apprehen-
sion.
There are men who remain honest
without being forced to it by fear of
law; there are men who do not. There
are employers who instinctively are
fair to those who labor for them, and
there are those who are not There are
workingmen whose natural desire is to
do full duty to the men who pay them
wages. and there are those who are
far differently constituted Any plan
TO be successful must admit existence
upon both sides of men who will do
wrong if they are let to. and the only
weapon which will control such men is
that to which | have referred-appre-
henSion the fear of suffering if they
do an unjust or an unfair thing.
Fear here. as elsewhere, will often act
as a corrective of the purely selfish i'm
pulse to take advantage of the other
fellow. 1t makes an employer far less
likely to grind down his labor; it makes
the leaders of his labor far less likely
to be other than conservative in their
demands The fear of God is a fine
thing in all the hearts of men; the fear
of a strong trade agreement is fine
thing in the hearts of all employers
and the hearts of all employed.
1t Is my belief that substantial jus
tice is only done the worker when he
is strongly organized. In those indus
tries with which am associated
(building) | am emphatically in favor
of the CLOSED shop" 1t is better for
the men and better for the people
whom they work for | know that
there are many generally appealing
reasons which are given by brighter
minds than mine as arguments that the
"cloSed shop" should not be considered
in the industrial relation, but from
them | dissent. usually for the reason
that an employer under stress of com
petition will do things in his business
that lie would not do in private life.
1t is essential for the welfare of the
worker that his employer should not
feel that he owns him body and soul;
it is essential for the public good that
the employer understand that he can
command the services of working peO-
! pie only when he reasonably comes
within the standards created by group
ed workers in that industry in which
! he operates. 1t is unreasonable in this
age of concentration to say that the in
dividual has the right to dispose of his
services at valuation which would
menace the compensation of his fellow
workers in the group to which he be-
| longs
This is a day of groups, not of indi-
| vidual workers, and this fact must be
considered when one talks about the
''closed shop" and the open shop"