Evening journal., 1916-05-05
GARRETSON replies
TO hickey letter
DeclareSCentral Labor Union
Did Put Up Bars Against
NOn-Union Men
SAYS MANY CITIES
FAVOR "OPEN SHOP"

FAFOR OPEN SHOP"
c. D. Garretson. president Of the
Wilmington Employers Association.
has issued the following reply to John
". Hickey Of the Central Labor Union,
on the open shop" question;
have noted Mr.. Hickey's published
letter directed to me, and beg to stand
corrected as to the authorship OF the
demand for closed shop IN Whining
ton. made in the letter received by To-
cal contractors. / have procured
copy of this letter. 10 is as follows:
Building Trades Council, Wilmington,
Delaware, April 5, 1916.
Dear Sir-At our last meeting held
March 30th, 1916, the secretary was
instructed to notify you (as well as
all other contractors in this vicinity
that by vote of the council it was de-
cided that members of any craft afil-
lated with the trades council will re-
fuse to work with non-union men after
May LIST. 1916.
Hoping that this will meet with your
approval, and with best wishes, we
remain,
Very truly yours,
Wilmington Building Trades Council
John II. Hickey, Secretary.
This letter is clear and explicit. It
requires no comment, and it hardly
fits with Mr.. Hckey's present state
ment as to the purpose and policy Of
his organization. Had no protest been
made by organized employers, VIII
mington would have become a closed
shop community in the building in
dustry.
It is true that there have been
meetings Of employers in different
lines. including merchants and that
information as to what the closed
shop means in cities where it has
been established has been furnished
at such meetings Mr.. Hickey says
that the effort was made AT these
meetings to show that merchants in
other cities had passed resolutions
fayOring the open shop. In this CON
nection the following resolutions
taken from the front page of the
Gary Evening Times OF February %.
1911, will be interesting.
Whereas. The past three years ex-
perience i'm iary under the closed
shop has clearly demonstrated that
the closed shop permits Of unreason-
able exactions on the part of labor
from investors. and
Whereas. The operations under the
closed shop have shown q steady in
crease in the cost of b ilding there
ulder; and,
Whereas. The increased cost Of
building had reached a point where
the investor was charged a premium
for investment I'm Cary, and
Whereas, n lad become Impossible
10 attract the investor 10 Gary through
these adveree conditions, and
Whereas, II had been demonstrated
that the oper shop has proven a so.
luton of the problem In other com
muni:ies and through the enforcement
of open shop principles other com
munities have attracted numerous
large industries 10 the resultant hene-
ht Of the community. now therefore
be II
Rerolved. That the Gary Retail
Merchants Association appreciating
the necessity of assuring the outside
investor and the incoming workmen
docs hereby indorse the action of the
Contractors. Builders aud Material
Mems Association and that this asso
citation urge upon all merchants and
| other citizens the necessity of taking
| a firm omen stand for the permanent
establishment of open shop principles
in Gary.
lave shown in Gary that the
closed shop had Increased the cost Of
an ordinary workingman's home iron
/ $3.50 10 81 900. and that rents ha6
become unbearably high for the
, worker.
AS TO San Francisco. which Mr.
Hickey mentions. the president ol
the Merchants Association, in his
last annual address publicly stated
that San Francisco's Industries were
decreasing rather than increasing
and that the domination of closet
shop unionism was the cause, h'
stated that 14OO letters were SEN
out by the Chamber OF Commerce II
1914 TO merchants and manufactur
ers containing a list of questions
One Of these questions read as FOL
lows.
'In your opinion what conditions
in San Francisco are most unfavor
able to your business2'
He said that very lage percent
age OF replies ignored the othel
twenty-five questions and answered
this question only. and the unani
nous answer was labor conditions.
We do not like to weary the pub
lie with argument or propaganda
hut anyone who is interested car
procure a great many more facts an'
.iigures concerning the effects Of tn
closed shop upon city's indlEtria
development and progress. AS Il
the conduct OF the Employers Asso
citation, we have nothing more TO sa,
to Mr.. Hickey.
SMITH CASE CONTINUED.
In City Court today the case o
| -. ~ a...aII. .hn rood with meInl