The labor standard., 1918-09-01
SMITH & WESSON
 WILL NOT OBEY WAR LABOR BOARD
Springfield Concern Refuses to Recognize Union or Submit to Collective Bargaining - Will Let Government Run Plant

SPRINGFIELD-Th Smith 6 Wes- son Company of Springfield, Mass, will not obey the War Labor Board. It refuses to recognize unions or sub- init to collective bargaining. It would rather let the government run the plant than give license to agitate.
 The decision with which issue was taken was that of restoring back pay to employees discharged for violating a rule regarding union membership and which approved collective bargain ing between the employees and the company. The company wrote Secre- tary of War Baker that it did not submit it's rights to the War Labor Board it did not concede that the board conducted it's investigation in accordance with President Wilson's proclamation and saw no reason why 1t should abandon it's plans of doing business. It formally refused to. abide by the decision of the War Labor Board. For fourteen years they have been free from labor troubles, they say. They have individual con tracts with the 1,400 persons they em- ploy. They are making quarter of a million revolvers for the army. The letter of the company follows:
 August %. 1913 To the Honorable the Secretary of War,
 Washington. D. C.. z
 Dear sir: Smith & Wesson of Springfield, Mass. begs leave herewith to submit for your the enclosed copy of the recom- mendations of the War Labor Board, together with 3 copy of the reply of the company here to, in controversy between portion of the employees of said company and the company itself.
 The enclosed reply of the company, together with the enclosed printed argument of the attorney at recent very brief sufficiently sets forth the position of the. si 8 sss E
 This company has been singularly free from strikes or labor troubles of any kind for up- wards of fourteen years and indeed until the recent activity of labor union leaders outside the plant to unionize it. It is generally recog- nized by employers in this part of the coun- try that since the promulgation of the War Labor Board principles. labor union leaders look upon that declaration as ? license to agitale and U organize the employees of any or every plant engaged in war work ire spective of the known conditions under which any given plant may have been operatetl, and irrespective of the legal rights of the em- ployers. To such activity the words of our federal supreme court are especially applicable.
 t"The cardinal error of (such) a position lies in the assumption that the right is so absolute that it may be exercised under any and without any qualification, whereas, in truth, it must always be exercised with reasonable regard for the conflicting rights of others.''
 For fourteen years, the company has been conducting it's business openly and above board with non-union basis making writ ten contract with each. individual who enters it's employment, in which he agrees that dur ing employment he will. not become mem per of any union without giving the company } weeks notice in writing of his intention to do so. It admitted by labor union officials at hearing by commissioners ap- pointed by the War Labor Board that the system adopted by the company known to them at the time they were making speeches in front of the company's premises and inducing employees to join the union. Such organizing activities as those admitted have already received the condemnation of the United States supreme court in the Hitch nan Coal 6 Coke case in the following lan- yuage:- -4s-
 ''The inducing of employees to unite with he union in an effort to subyert the system ,f employment. by concerted breaches
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