The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-20
GARY DECLARES
! FOR OPEN SHOP
Gompers Expresses Disar-
pointment at Pro-
nounCement.
LABOR TO WITHDRAW
Arbitration of Steel Strike
viii Not Be Agreed to, q
Says Gary.
LABOR TO WITHDRAW

Warrington, oot.. 20.-Ar.
rnanded by the labor group, should
not be considered by the national in
oustrial conference, Ebert n. Gary,
chairman Of the board of the United
states Steel corporation, and a mem
per OF the public group, told the con-
ference today.
The corporation will not agree to
any arbitration and stands firmly on
its previously announced policy as
regards the question, Gary said. 1t
was his first announcement to the
conference, and included a declaration
In favor of the open shop.
Judge Gary had scarcely finished
reading his statement before Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
Federation of Labor, and chairman of
the labor group was on his feet to
express the disappointment of labor
at the pronouncement of the steel
corporation.
Threaten to Withdraw.
The labor group voted unanimously
this afternoon to withdraw from the
conference unless the resolution be-
fore the committee in favor of col
lective bargaining Is accepted The
labor group voted to accept no COM
promise on the collective bargaining
ISSUE"
Judge Gary said.
II desire to make brief statement
in relation to the question under dis
cusson as well as others submitted
to this conference. Further explana-
tion Of any vote | may register will
probably be unnecessary.
Like other members of this con-
ference, l recognize that the public
interest must always be considered as
of the first Importance; that all pri-
yate interests must be subordinated.
II am heartily in accord with the
desire of the president to firmly estab
lfsh proper and satisfactory relations
by all groups of citizens connected
with industry, including of course,
what has been designated as capital
and labor.
II believe in cooperation and ar
bitration whenever practicable with
out sacrificing principle.
II am of the fixed opinion that the
strike against the steel industry Of
this country should not be aribtrated
or compromised. nor any action taken
by the conference which bears upon
that subject.
ALSO, that there should be main
tained in actual practice, without in
terruption, the open shop, az I under-
stand it, namely, that every man,
whether he does or does not belong
to labor union, shall have the op-
nnrtnnifv fA in, linz nf
legitimate employment on terms and
conditions agreed upon between en-
ploye and employer.
Il am opposed to a policy or prac-
tice which unnecessarily limits pro-
duction. increases costs, deprives the
workman from receiving the high
est wage rates. resulting from volun-
tary and reasonable effort, hinders
promotion or advancement in ac-
|. cordance with merit, or otherwise in
terferes with the freedom of individ-
ual action
"As unorganiZed labor, which en-
braces the vast majority of working
people, has no special representation
in this conference 1t is appropriate
to say that all labor should receive
due consideration and it is the obli-
cation and ought to be the pleasure
of employers at all times and in every
respect to treat, justly and literally
all employees, whether unorganiZed OF
organized"
Gompers Replies.
President Samuel Gompers, of the
American Federation of Labor. de-
clared Judge Gary's statement was
| identical with the steel executives let
ter addressed to subsidiaries Of thu
steel corporation more than month
ago.
Admitting there might be differ
ences of opinion on the open shop, as
on all other questions, Mr.. Gomper:
charged Judge Gary with taking The
attitude that there is no other opin
ion on the matter"
Declaring the devotion of American
Federation of Labor officials to th'
cause of the laboring man, Mr.. Com
pers exclaimed in voice filled will
| emotion:
| "If we cannot help them, my Goo
| (and l say it reverently), we will no
| hurt them"
The labor leader accused the stee
corporation of giving out to tn
newspapers that the steel strike hat
been lost" and added that he hopeC
| il was not true that hundreds o
/ thousands of men had been com
PEELED to yield because they were to'
! hungry to hold out
Gompers warned the conference
that "if what has occurred in tn
United states in the industrial worlC
lately has afforded no opportunity Of
reason for a new understanding ther
there is no reason for a vote in thi'
conference on this question"
Attacking the bourbon" who ha
never forgotten anything because n
has never learned anything Gomper'
said it was useless to continue TN
conference If the real industrial issues
! of the day were to be passed over.
"You cannot improve the super
structure safely until you hav'
strengthened the foundation" n
said. "and the millions of toilers II
the United States are the foundation
upon whose shoulders rests the en-
tire superstructure of our industria
building"
Members Of the employers grou
were not present. They were still
conference attempting to reach a.
agreement on some form of com
promise collective bargaining resolu
tion and at the conclusion Of MI
Gompers' address the conference ad
journed until $3.50 tomorrow.
The employers group was under
stood to have been informed in ad
vance of Judge Gary's statement.