The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-08-01
STANDS FOR Good
Real Significance of the Trade
Union Label.
SYMBOL OF HELPFULNESS.
Arizona Legislator Pays a Glowing
Tribute to Trade EmbIem-Deelares
It Is a Recognition of the Golden
RuIe-Sien of Noble Objects.


RuIe-Sien of Noble objects.
According to the Typographical Jour
nal, an effort was made in the recent
session of the Arizona legislature to
rescind the order providing that the
union label appear on the stationery
used by that body, but the motion was
lost, due in no small degree to speech
made by Senator H. A. Davis, mem
Der of the Typographical union. Dur
ing the course of his remarks the SEN
ator said:
From assertions made in this dis
cussion 1t is plain that some members
have very limited conception Of what
the union label stands for-of the prin-
ciple evidenced by the appearance of
the union label upon a piece Of print
ed matter Perhaps some senators
here do not realize that the principles
of unionism are interviewer into the
basic law Of this state. Perhaps they
do not know that the Typographical
union, to which belong, has operated
in its own affairs the principle of the
recall. For many years it has had as
principles in its government the initia-
tive and the referendum.
Gentlemen have urged here that
this union label order would foster
monopoly. Little can they know of
the history of the Typographical union,
most conservative Of all unions, to
make such statements as that. Union
Il, - II
Unions were brought into being as
result of monopoly, and such state
ments that they foster monopoly have
no place in this body.
"There has been suggestion made
here that instead of this order we
might have another one, one which
says that other things being equal
the union should have preference.
l am opposed to such an order for the
reason that union labor seeks no such
preference as that, and for the greater
reason that other things can never be
equal as between a union shop and
nonunion shop, as between unionism
and nonunionism; they are as wide
apart as the poles.
at might interest you to know that
the union label appearing upon little
card, that may perhaps cost only a
dollar goes in a slight measure to sup
port some of the greatest things in hui
manitarian endeavOr Some part of
that dollar goes to pay old age pen
sions within the craft; some part of
that dollar goes toward the support of
the largest tubercular hospital in the
world another part of that dollar goes
to. support worthy humanitarian OBJ
jects. No part of the wage from a
nonunion printer does any Of these
things. The state is not called upon
to support and sustain a union printer
who has outlived his usefulness. The
people of Maricopa county are called
upon to spend $4,000 year to sup
port our INDECENT poor. This money
is not used for union printers. In
brotherly love we care for them our
selves through old age pensions;
through hospitals and in other ways.
When a union printer has reached that
age when he can no longer work he is
not turned out as a charge upon So
ciety. The craft recognizes that he
has been a useful citizen and 1t does
what the state should dot gives him
an old age pension Yet when we
come, in this small measure, to put
our stamp of approval upon such lofty
objects we are met with a cry of mo-
nopoly.
''The union label is a recognition of
the Golden Rule. AS the sunbeams.
breaking through the clouds of morn
ing, adorn the dewdrops with myriad
of diamonds. so does the union label
light up the dawn of a better indus
trial day"