The labor world., 1919-10-11
THE "CITIZEN'S ALLIANCE"


time anti-union interests in Duluth
are framing up for another fight on
union labor, such as was made in
the building trades in the fall Of
1907. They have resurrected that
old bugaboo, the ,'open shop" and
to justify their course they have re-
produced a moss-covered opinion on
the rights of the individual deliv-
cred by the Anthracite Coal Strike
commission in 1908, before the
thought of the world became cry
stallized as it is today on the labor
question.
According to the daily papers a
number Of we'll known employers,
lawyers and business men have or
ganized "Citizen's Alliance" for
the purpose Of "com batting the closed
shop The officers and members
of the board of directors, with few
exceptions, were members of the old
"Committee of One Hundred" in
1907. No new converts have been
recruited. 1t is the same old gang
with the same old camouflage issue.
They pretend to recognize the right
of labor to organize, although the
representatives of the employers on
the board of directors have earned
for themselves unenviable reputa-
tions for discharging employees hold
ing office or membership in labor
unions. Every mothers son of them
as matter Of fact is opposed to the
open shop and in favor of the closed
shop. They would have their shops
closed to union men and open only
to non-union men. If by chance any
of them now employ union men it
is because OF the fact there are not
a sufficient number of non-union
men at large during these days of
protiteering and high cost of living
to man their jobs.
1t is to be noted that among the
executive officers and directors of
the new "Citizen's Alliance" are rep
resentatiyes of our banking, whole
sailing and manufacturing enterprises
who have for a decade or more made
Duluth "closed shop" town in all
that the term implies. They form
the interlocking directorate of our
business life; extend credit in the
banks they control to themselves
and their favored ones and either
deny or curtail it to the unfavoced;
obtain favors over their competitors
in business through their interlock-
ing relationship; discourage through
their control of various civic agencies
the establishment of competing in
dustries here, and they will permit
none to be started unless they have
: their finger in the pie.'' 1t is a
fine bunch to challenge the Ameri-
canism of labor's so-called "closed
shop
If they would impress the COM
munity with their sincerity of pur-
pose in battling for the "open shop"
let them direct their attention to
the plant Of the Minnesota Steel
company, the leading CLOSED shop
Industrial institution in the state.
Let them go to Chisholm and other
mining towns where a union miner
Is discharged the moment it is
learned he is member of labor
organization. Indeed the "Alliance"
might find fertile field for it's activ-
tiles right in the very Establishments
presided over by some shining lights
among its board of directors
We note among the directorate
members of the Duluth Real Estate
exchange. From the constitution of
the exchange we observe a section
which reads about as follows: mo
member of the exchange shall divide
commissions with non-members. -
Commission to a real estate man is
similar to wage with a working
man. Real estate men often work
together as workingmen are bound
to do. Frequently it takes two or
more men to work deal, and when
it is made they divide up the COM
mission. Now, should a member OF
the Duluth exchange work with a
nor-member he'wiu violate the con.
stitution Of his trade organization
He will be working with a "scab'
real estate man, and the rules Of the
>, .,- :. ...,,.,--fs. - : !. .,... -..