The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-02
LABOR MEN ISSUE REPLY TOEMPLOYERS
 LETTER ON ISSUES
Claim They Are Not Asking for Discrimination in the Awarding of
 Contracts

H. o. McClurg, secretary of Labor's Co.,
 operative Citizenship and Educationa l furnished The Age-Herald with a copy l of letter addressed to the city com
 mission in reply to the recent letter ot the Employers association of Birming- ham. The letter reads:
 l Birmingham, Ala, June 1, 1916 ITO the Board of City Commissioners, Birmingham, Ala:
 "Gentlemen: The employers associa- tion (the Lord and MT. Stafford only know who they are) evidently resent the participation of the workingman in | mission it displays it's usual contempt for the man who works, and boldly flys it's (the 'employers) sovereignty. The patriotic and all-powerful employers would have this a government of, by, and for the employers Will the czarful l Employers be so condescending as to per- init us to say that we thousands of poor fellows who produce their wealth feel that we are citizens, and, as such, have a right and duty to express our convictions, and that we will exercise it, free from the 1, bulldozery of such associations as the 'employers?'
 Now, unlike the employers we do not want the world, together with the con- tents thereof; but only our humble share. Taking up the points of the employ ers
 q. We are not asking for any dis elimination. We do advocate living wage, and time to sleep, and be with our families. We stand for the right to live.
 '2 The employers have their figures turned around in it's declaration that 30 per cent of the working men are non union. About that per cent of skilled Workmen are union men, and the four train organizations include virtually 100 per cent of the white railway employees. The union men in this ditsrict number by the thousands.
 ''3. Why is it so certain that the three bond issues will carry? Are the 'em- ployers' for them? We defy the employ CTS to declare for the light bond issue.
 A. We make no attempt to control politics or anything else-the employ CTS have a monopoly on attempting to control things. Far be it from us to invade their holy province. Messrs Nose ley and Wood were neither the candidates of organized labor, nor did organized la Dor support them. It must be remem- bered that Clement Wood Preferred to) was a candidate four years ago, and even then he received more votes than his lawyer opponent. How about the cleo ton of Socialist Barber; the large vote received by our candidate, MT. Shapiro; the election of railroad man, Mr. Rives and the 3O62 votes of another railroad em- ploye, MT. Spain? And what of Dr. Vines, past president of the Farmers union? Doesn't this prove the increasing voting strength of labor? 9
 "5. For answer to the employers as- sertion that only two or three shops in Birmingham are union, we refer them to the ninth commandment.
 ''6. No 'agitator' seeks to nominate or control the light plant. As stated, to at- tempt to dominate and control is the 'em- ployers field, not ours. One of the fundamental principles adopted by this committee is: The employers and em- ployes interests being coordinate, this committee will oppose any effort or meas ure that would be destructive unfair to the employer Is there anything this just in the employers principles?
 Do the employers know that on last Monday night, by vote of 1298 to 20 the Actors Equity association affiliated with the American Federation of Labor? We presume the employers would also cate gory as 'agitators Francis Wilson, the president of the Actors union, and George
 
 and David Warfield, members of it's coun ci. And how about some of it's agita- tor members, E. H. Sothern Vivian Mayo, Ethel Barrymore, John Drew, Rosalind Coghlan Louis Mann, and Edith Wynne Mathison? Are the minds of the employers broad enough to know that the teachers of New York; Chicago and elsewhere are unionized? Have their schools suffered by reason of these unions?
 Are the eyes and ears of the 'em- ployers' open enough to see and hear that the authors and writers are con- templating4 joining the American Fedora ton of Labor? Labor is dignified and the union is but the concentration of that dignity
 "We only seek the truth. That we are fair and open minded is proved by the fact that, at our invitation, representa- tive of the Birmingham. Railway, Light and Power company will present the com panys side of the light bond issue at our Bijou meeting on next Sunday. Do the employers maintain a closed shop as to information? We ask the commission for information. Should the commissioners answers be not to our satisfaction, their souls will not be damned; we will only be little the wiser.
 ''The laborer is alive. He thinks, and usually he thinks right. This committee marshals facts for the workmen. so that they may act intelligently and fearlessly, and not be controlled or intimidated, but be guided by truth and justice. Very respectfully,
 .LABOR'S COOPERATIVE CITIZEN
 SHIP AND EDUCATIONAL COMMIT
 TEE.
 'H o. M'CLURG, Sec'y''