The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1914-11-26


Viewed from the standpoint ofprac-
ticaI politics also the labor union is
good thing-beter even than the pen
sion list. Union labor now musters
2,3se, 500 votes. which rightly manipu-
lated should be enough TO eject any
body. anything. anywhere
Recent Developments. however,
have been such as to suggest IN
auiring whether the labor union Is
really the good thing II Is repre-
sented to be or whether the members
paying dues and assessments are the
good things.
In the mind OF the average man the
dominant feature OF labor unions Is
the strike Most labor news which
reaches the general public Is nssociat-
ed In one way or another with strikes
or threatened strikes.
Tuning, then. 10 volume IL OF the
report of the Industrial Commission
OF 1901. we find that the loss OF wages
on account OF strikes In the United
States In the twenty years from 1881
to 1900 Was $257. .s63.fsS.
Il would take a great many days
work TO earn SO vast sum. IL
would take a much greater number
of days work to get back this loss In
any possible Increase in wages over
ana above the rate paid before tho
strikes. As their is no way TO bal
ance the account by showing what
was actually gained. n anything. the
reader Ia left free to form any con-
clnsIon he pieascs while We turn TO
,he latest available figures concern
ing all workers.
These are found In the twenty-drst
annual report Of the Commissioner OF
Labor Not word Is said about
gains or losses by strikes. but the In
formation ls given that there were
1921 strikes In the Emitted States In
II. twenty-five years from 1851 to
1895. of which sS.ss per cent were
ordered BY L sor organizations. and
that these union strikes Involved
1893 per cent. II all strikers.
In these disturbances s.72s,oss per
sous struck and s.5o3.s2i were thrown
out of work for nm average period OF
s5t days.
uf strikes ordered by labor orEani-
saiious sg.4s per cent. were success
full and 1851 per cent. partly success
full. As 3a.ss per cent. OF the strikes
not ordered by labor ORGANIZATIONS
were successful and s.s2 per cent
partly successful. II would appear that
the union Il less potent as weapon
for forcing concessions from rciucf-
ant employers than has been alleged.
Further research IL dishcartentnS
IN those who would promote their ma
terfai welfare by organization. FOR the
fat i revealed that only s0.Te per
cen, of ali strikes III = quarter of
century were In whole or even In part
In less
than 10 per cent. of strikes n demand
for shorter hours was combined with
ofhe. demands Yet Il Is popuiarly
supposed that the great ends sought
nv union wnrkinen are Increased
WAGES 10 enable them TO raise their
stnndnrd of iivinK AMI more leisure
IN which 10 enjoy added comforts
that higher WAGES buy.
So u seems that seven-tenths Of all
s.rIxea oracred by labor unions, that
ouiv twrffths of these are connected
vish any demand fo- hlgher wages
and less than ha'f are successful.
To put Il another way. these Of.
ficiais data. covering long term OF
wears show tina, six times ont OF
eyery ten that the union workman
strikes he does 80 with no hope OF
AainfnE Anf fARft fNtAAtN ~ 10y AAF
grocer. but with the positive knowi-
edge that Tor an indefinite number OF
DAYS h. will have no money nj all
TO nay anybody In the remaining
four strikes in ten he does not stand
quite an even chance of getting n
small Increase to offset the wages to-
tally lost And in every one OF the
ten strikes he runs n risk OF looeing
his Job altorether.
REGARDED an an Investment. the
10 be desired.
If official data concerning all unions
are less complete than could be de-
sired II is at least possible to find oiit
all about one Representative union.
and this. Information may serve as a
key to the whole union problem by
good luck II happens that the one
union which In subject to special
statistical oversight by both national
and state rovernments. concerning
which, therefore. full information Ia
a,-;:.sa..> u the uninn which for vari-
GUS reasons has been most conspicu-
ously In the public eve.
This labor organization is the Unit
ell Mine Workers OF America. form
er eocretAry-treshurer OF Which II
now a member OF the Cabinet.
Tho United Mine Workers II ai'eg'
ed 10 be increasing In membership
more rapidly than any other OF tho III
unions affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor.
The United Mine Workers II the
only labor organization that ever had
the enterprise TO conduct an armed
lnsurrection, In which pitched battles
were fought by men with high power
modern rifles provided by the union
and commanded by union officers.
WITH Sfute froons Tho Tyuitod Mine