New-York tribune., 1916-05-29
"a Columbia Instructors
Take Up Cudgels in
Unions Behalf.
SAY MANUFACTURERS
CAUSED STRIKE
after Resent Outside lnterefer'
ence-CaIl Teachers State
ment Inaccurate.

Twenty four professors and teachers
Of Columbia University for the
most part whose names are written at
the top Of the roll Of American authori-
ties on history, economics, sociology
and politics have entered the war be-
tween the garment workers and their
employers and have allied themselves
on The side Of the $4,000 unionists now
locked out Of their shops.
In a statement made public yesterday
they place the responsibility for the
present crisis squarely upon the execu-
tive committee OF the Cloak, Suit and
Skirt Manufacturers Protective Asso-
citation. They view its attitude as lit
tie less than a public calamity and
earnestly urge tina: its action be sub
jected to revision after more deliberate
consideration"
The issue OF the statement marks a
new era in the history Of New York
strikes. In no other instance. so far
as is known. has a group OF collegians
bound itself together to diagnose and
place responsibility Of a labor crisis
on either OF the warring factors.
Call Statement Inaccurate.
officials of the Manufacturers Pro-
tective Association, after careful
study Of the statement. branded 1T as
inaccurate and untruthful. They en-
phatically denied almost every para
graph OF il, resenting the fact mat
the educators have volunteered TO hX
right" side in the bitter war.
The statement OF the Columbia men
follows
"The trade agreement between en-
ployers and employees in the cloak, SUIT
and skirt industry in this city main
tanned for FIVE years relation OF
peaceful cooperation and brought about
great betterment in the industry. Inc
breakdown Of this voluntary plan,
which has attracted the attention OF
the entire country, cannot be a matter
of indifference to students and teach
ers Of economies and political science:
After careful examination OF
statements Of the Manufacturers Pro
we believed 10 be a fair statement OF
the facts, drawn almost entirely from
the written statements and explsna-
tions submitted 10 us by the Manu-
facturers' Protective Association, with
the request that they correct or am
nifty il in any regard in which il might
seem 10 them inaccurate or incomplete.
ITO this request, the officers of the
Manufacturers Protective Association
have replied that our statement OF the
facts il substantially correct. Our con
clusion, after careful consideration, Is
that the Manufacturers Protective As
.sociation broke its two-yesr agreement
which still had more than year to
run without other justification than
the fear that the agreement might
thereafter be broken by the union, AZ
a time less favorable 10 the manu-
facturerS' interests.
Wished Old Conditions Back.
The basis for this fear that the
union was planning to strike at favor
able time Is hard TO discover. II seems
10 us that the real reason for the action
Of the Manufacturers Protective Asso-
citation is that its officers were unwill-
ing to accept the consequences OF their
agreement. and. as their president has
stated they wished to return 10 the
conditions existing prior TO 1910. We
regard this as little less than a public
calamity, and earnestly urge that every
effort be made 10 restore the agreement
"ln our opinion, a just lnterpreta
tion OF the admitted facts warrants
fixing the burden OF the responsible
ity fer thc present crisis directly upon
the shoulders Of the executive com
mittee ot the Manufacturers Protec-
tive Assoc alton. The breaking OF this
important trade agreement involves
responsibility which We feel the rank
and flo Of the employers in this in
dustry cannot afford to assume.
"Nt. therefore, sincerely hope that
the action taken may in some way be
subjected TO revision after more de
liberate consideration on the part OF
the entire membership Of the Manu-
facturers' Protective Association"
The subscribers TO the statement
are:
Wendell r Bush professor N philosophy: j. J..
Cbambsrlain. head of the legislative drafting -
p.rfri-nt: John Dewey. professor OF philosophy
Charles A Beard professor o. po,es ho0s a.
l. Hale Instructor IN political economy: carlton
!. Hayes professor o. hiroD: Arthur MacM;hon.
Instructor I'm politics Wesley Mitchell professor
~ poticsl economy Parker Thomas Moon. IN
,fr,,'for In n stop samuel McCune Lindsay, pro-
f,s,or of social economy. Franklin " Gddings.
professor Of sociology Henry r. sesser. professor
n political economy Edwin r. A. ssligman, pro-
f,..or of political economy: James Robinson.
,ro,,,sor o' history Herbert l.. Osgood. professor
y, history. Thomas l. Parkinson. legislative dran
ins department. ". 7. Montague professor o'
philosophy Robert Livingston Schuyler. professor OF
bi..ory Herber y shenlon Instructor IN sociology
A . Tenney professor ~ sociology Donald :.
rrrLer. " u shepherd professor % history an1
James r. sho'vei. professor OF history.
Ernest J. Getsksy, general manager
of the Manufacturers Protective As
socistion, said last night:
Generally, would characterize the
statement as untrue, and as showing
an inability on the part Of the men