United labor bulletin., 1915-01-23

Take up the daily paper OF any city.
What do you find apart from the news
matter? Nothing but advertisements;
that's all. Here's real estate agent
trying to dispose of lot or house. In
another column will be found a very
tempting offer made by dealer in
shoes. And so on all through its col
umns. As as matter of fact the large
department and other stores in every
city in the country are spending thou
sands and in some instances hundreds
OF thousands of dollars each year try
ing to influence the trade of the public
In every instance you will note that
only few of these stores depend upon
the patronage of the very wealthy or
fairly well to do. Ninety per cent of
their business is covered with their
dealings with those of the wage earn
ing class. These vast outlays by large
mercantile concerns must be justified
by returns or the shrewd business men
making them would not continue to do
so. Observe that they make their ap-
peal to the wage earning class. To
give one an idea of the great purchas-
ing power of this class it is only neces-
sary to ascertain the factory output of
this country and its approximate value.
In recent bulletin put out by the de-
partment of labor the statement is
made that the value of the annual out
put of American factories reaches
total of $4,000, 0,O00,0O0, having doubled
in ten years. Another bulletin pub
lished by the census bureau says that
.-the manufacturing industries of the
United States employ as wage earners
6.6l5,O46 persons, the number of wage
earners having increased 40.4 per cent
since TS99.' OF these 6,6l5,O46 persons
more than third are members of the
American Federation of Labor. Then if
We add to the trade union members
those who sympathize with them We
have still a greater proportion; proba-
bly, two-thirds. Just think of the
power behind the enormous number of
wage earners: power to wipe out the
unsanitary factory, the consumption
breeding tenement house, the danger
Gus mine, child labor and all its at
tendant horrors. How? Do / hear you
say. My answer is: By advocating the |
use of the union label If all members
OF the trade union movement in this /
country would do this, and practice
what they preach. this fair land of
ours would be paradise compared to
what it is now. The union LABEL Wha: /
does it mean? 1t means that every pro-
ducer of label article is an ideal en-
ployer, and that its use makes men and (
women receive good wages. Are these
things worth striving for? Good wages
and ideal employers combination hard
to beat. A combination worth striving
for. And it's up to you. Mr.. Union
Man and Sympathizer. to do your share 1
in educating the people concerning tie [
union label And don't forget this: !
Charity begins at home.
The next time you buy hat be sure
You get one with the label. And if your
dealer can't supply you have the moral |
courage to tell him your principles;
give him a little talk on the label. Let |
this happen four or five times day
to any halter in this city and the first |
thing You know Mr.. Dealer will be
jumping sideways to placate his GUS
toners. And so on down the line with
everything in the way of wearing ap-
parel. 1t can be done, and you can do
it. VIII you?
Take the printing industry. II ranks
sixth in the manufacturing industries
Of this city. In the city of Portland.
Ore, over two million dollars are in
vested. The annual pay roll runs into
hundreds OF thousands. Very little of
the output of the plants doing business
here bears the union label of the Allied
Printing Trades Association, except at
election time. Then it is very much in
evidence, for the office seeker who fails
to use it knows it is within the power
Of the voters to administer rebuke at
the polls. Why not carry this same
thought-the thought of retaliation. or