The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-01

The Plaza theatre was crowded to i the roof yesterday afternoon when the 1 International slAsso citation of Maehin- ists, Local No. 30, inflated between 1,- 800 and 1900 new members. k All the orchestra and first balcony were filled with applicants. AS the upper gallery was occupied by specta- tors, nearly 300 other applicants
 couldn't get in the theatre and an
 overflow meeting was held in Machin- ists' hall.
 Stuart Reid, s.the clergyman organ izers' was the principal speaker. He gave an address that evoked applause at frequent intervals and at the con
 clusion he was cheered for many min | lsutes.
 MT Reid characterized the recent announcement of the Manufacturers' i association decrying the closed shop as 1 "a public declaration of war; If the
 union had accepted the challenge, act ing as hot -headedly as did some of the
 would now be in. the throes of a labor war of tremendous scope.
 Union, he said had taken the little
 children from the mills and mines and
 had given them chance to be kids for a while.
 The nachinists gathered shortly af- ter o'clock in Cannon street and
 marched to the theatre. The line ex- tended from Machinists' hall, 27 Can non street, west to Broad, through
 Broad to Fairfield and through Fair field to the theatre. Four abreast, the line was unbroken.
 J. F. Ryan. president of the I. A. M, local here, ,oTsened the meeting, followed
 by Organizer J. J. Egan and Business Agent George J. Bowen,Nyvl1o spoke on
 rganization.''
 Then came. the address of MT. Reid,
 who is noted throughout the East as
 a labor speaker, and who has been clergyman. His address follows. in. part:
 .sYou have taken part in a cere- mony that means much to you. would advise that you do not permit the emotions of the heart to run away with the ca1mer reasoning of the mind, but that we irnpassionaely dis cuss the issues that will follow the ac-. tion you have taken today in becom- l ing members of this great organiza- 1 ticn. There are many people who are l looking for trouble. as a result of this
 meeting today. and. and even some of, 1 you here may have an idea that you | will be called on strike in the near flu l ture. Let me assure you that it is not our purpose to strike, and that. if 1 a strike is precipitated the responsi- l bi1ity will rest on the shoulders of the manufacturers.
 ..It is my privilege to give you your
 first lesson in unionisn and propose
 to do so in a manner that may disa-A buse your minds of many of the er- Coneous impressions that have been | placed there by enemies of the move | ment. Tn union is a business institu-
 ton, and if you attempt to make any
 thing else out of it will prove a fail- l ure.''
 l. Here the speaker asked all of the | T. I up their hands. Not a. hand was rais-
 ed. and MT. Reid continued: What is l a business man? He is simply one
 who buys and sells. Some of you are ldeclaintng now: That lets me out. buy, but do not sell anything My brothers, you do sell something, and l the something you do sell is of the greatest importance in the business l world. If that something you sell
 could mot be purchased it would be l impossible to do any kind of business. You sell your labor, and are the most | important kind of business men. l "f business man would hope to
 be successful he must acquaint him self with up-to-date business methods, and if you are going to succeed you too must become adopts. How do we do business? You go to buy suit of i clothes, and when you find a garment 1 that suits you, you ask the merchant ] how much it is worth. He tells you and if you want the goods you pay this price, or you do not get them. The
 Remington Arms Go. is manufacturing
 arms and the government that wants l to buy their product must pay the price asked by, the arms company or 1 go without the arms. Why is this so
 The merchant has a right to say how much you shall pay for his goods. be- cause they belong to him. The arms l company has a similar right, and mo- body in the business world questions | it. If this is good business as far as
 the merchant and manufacturer is
 concerned why should you be denied 1 the same right? The union seeks to
 teach you that you have and we pro l pose to insist on the same rights ac- corded the merchant and manufactur- | CT and tell our employers how much
 they shall pay for the labor we sell
 to them.
 l The employers tell us they will not
 permit us to dictate to them in the
 matter of running their business We do not propose to do so. But we will i strenuously oppose any effort on their < part to dictate to us how we shall run