The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-26
EIDLITZIN FAVOR OF
PRESENT LABOR PLAN
President of Trades Employer,
Says That Nine-tcnths of
Labor Graft Is Gone.
FOR PUBLIC ARBITRATION
Business Agents Before L. s.
Commission Declare Against
"Rusher" System.

How walking delegates for urio,,
called strikes until they got money "a
fix things up. how various materials wer.
Kept out OF New York by agreement bc.
tween employers and the unions an,
various other details OF past and present
labor conditions in the city were d.
scribed yesterday by Otto Eidlitz. organ.
izer and first president OF the Trade.
Employers Association, and other VII
nesses before the United States Associate,
on Industrial Conditions, which Is holding
sessions in the City Hall
The holdup methods used by the vnu.
ing delegates has been done away with
Eidlitz said. by the agreement, bu; t1s
embargo on such things as Indiana lime.
stone and Vermont marble still exist.
Mr.. Eddie told how Bishop Potter
brought about arbitration between the
unions and the trades body and said IA.
ferring to the plan.
Il think II put a stop TO nine-tenths
or the holdups think 1t was as success.
full as was possible when you are dealing
with human frailty, backed by power"
The witness said that there now existed
agreements between the various trade.
associations OF employers and the unions
In this city, but that there was nothing
to prevent an outside employer from erect.
agreement proposition.
we have been doing business with the
unions" he said. but they will have 10
play fair, or we'll make 'hem"
MT. Eidlitz also said that he believed
there should be compulsory arbitration in
labor disputes. as In all public service
work.
TN Industrial disputes" he explained.
either strike or lockout there should be
commission OF outsiders to settle then.
Sometimes where they are scrappy they
see nothing but red on both sizes"
Roswell d. Tompkins. secretary OF ~.
United Board OF Business Agents. repro.
senting the building trades unions, told
how most unions DO not look favorably
upon men known as "rushers' because
they WORK faster and get more wages and
set a pace that the others could 40,
equal. Superiptendents who bounded and
overworked men generally didn't last long.
he said
Frank b. McCord, viee-p-esidont OF the
firm OF Post q McCord. building contrac-
tors. told OF the Nights OF eight years
ago with the Housesm.ths and Bridge
mems Union, which resulted In an open
shop being declared in the structural
iron trade. J. w. Johnston, president OF
the Housesniths and Brldgemen's Union,
said that other trades worked with house
smiths employed under the open shop
plan.
EdNln OutWater president or the Mas
ter Carpenters Association. said that ar
agreement existed with the Brotherhood
OF Carpenters until January |, 1913 but
that II was not renewed because the mas
ter carpenters would not continue In effect
a clause which provided that carpenters
should handle none but union made trim.
The former agreement on that point had
brought litigation. and an Injunction Sc
cured by the Paine Lumber Company 10
still pending. The employers gave up the
policy because they didn't want to be re-
sponsible for driving outside firms from
the New York wood trim market.
Walter Gordon Merritt. associate coun-
sci for the American Anti-Boycott Asso.
citation. said that strikes were often un-
fair and that one was called recently
upon the Delaware and Hudson Railroad
because two men were discharged for in
competence. In another case a strike was
called on building because two men
were let go for being drunk. He toid
about the wood trim agreement and said
some firms had been kept out of New
York as II by an iron wall.
John B. Lennon. member OF the com
mission and labor man. took up tina
cudsels with Mr.. Merritt in behalf OF the
carpenters and defended them on various
charges made.
John Rice, local organizer OF tina
Brotherhood of Carpenters. was the last
witness and was on the stand when the
hearing closed. He will resume test
mony to-day.