The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-09-11
Just Word With That Indignant
Citizen
lFor the Reporlcn

did not ask to be born. but here
| am, and, on the whole | am rather
glad of it.
| wasn't consulted either as 10 thc +
date OF my advent on earth. but even
in that particular, haven't much
fault to find wasn't given the choice F
of what country | was to be born into. I
/ 1t happened to be the United States. /.
| That wasn't too bad, either.
On the whole, it would have been
matter of constant regret had | failed t
to be born at all, and | shouldn't have
! liked | know, in the early days Of
the Christian era. when a man could
I be roasted or picked in boiling oil, i
If he dared ever to look at king
l know | shouldn't have enjoyed eX
| istence in our own colonial days, when
If a man owed a dollar fifty, and
couldn't pay it, he could be put in
jail until he found a job and earned
the cash to settle that bill. | don't +
think either. that | regret not having
been born in Russia, Patagonia. or
Zoololand. | don't know much about F
these places. Doubtless they have
their advantages. but my impression
is. that on the whole United States. T
Maine and Skowhegan offer superior
advantages | just had an idea that
/ New Zealand. where they have no
strikes, no lock-outs, no trust. no
poverty. and very little crime, might
be better than the good old United
States. but, it is a good ways off, and
at my time of life. ! have no notion
of going there to find out, and so you
see. having been born in this vicinity
without my consent, and having
lived most of my life here, | propose
to stay and make the best of it. and
/ | have written all this in prepare I
ton for saying just word or two in T
reply to the Indignant Citizen" who
published something rather harsh as
| to the position of the Central Labor
Union of Skowhegan, in your last is
sue.
Now. don't approve of a competa
tive system, but as is explained above
| | found il here when | came and il is
still with us in spite of some good ad-
vice which | have freely offered from
| time to time as to a change. But /
am not blaming anybody about this
| tllDeI, DeCduSt, uluGI a lCDi NnCIltc-
tive form of Government, you and
can change it, any time we see fit.
! If we don't, it is to be presumed that
we don't want to. and there should .
, be no kick coming.
! The point is, that when our lndig-
nant Citizen has a house or horse
to sell, he gets all he can for it,
! haven't a house or horse to dispose
/ of. | haven't anything to sell in T
/ fact, except one days work, every
/ dav in the week. and will tell You
] right now. Mr.. Indignant Citizen, that
/ I am going to sell that days work f
the only thing | have to sell--at the
/ highest price | think is just
In the good old days. Mr.. Citizen, T
if you wanted my product days T
work. you used to offer me job ,
and when | got through. you paid NE
about what you felt like. Whatever
/ it was. | didn't dare question it, /
had no relation with my fellow work /
men, and we all received no more
than the lowest price that the most
needy man would accept. In the
last few years. ! and my fellows have
learned the advantages of collective
bargaining, and so, when you come to
hire us, we tell you the price. We
haven't any apologies to offer for sell
ing our only product at the highest
figure which seems to us eXpedient. |
Now Mr.. Indignant Citizen, you re
port someone who finds fault because
we refuse 10 work with folks who
won't stand in with us in this coll
lective bargaining. Mind you, We,
don't say whom You shall or shall not
employ. We have found that our best
interests are served by working only
with those who sympathize with our
ambition to get good price for our
labor and who affiliate with our or
ganization for that purpose You are
at liberty to employ anyone you see
fit. but we shall work with our union
members only for the reason Just re
ferred to In following this course.
our motives are Just as praisewOrthY
and just as far above criticism as
yours are when YOU seek. either in
dependently or by combining with
others to get the highest price for
your horse. your farm, or pound of
sugar or beefsteak. or suit of
clothes.
This disposition to Sell to Adj
vantage" is not peculiar to labor
unions; it is absolutely universal and
has been since the dawn of history,
and it doubtless will be until enough
of us get tired oil it TO adopt some
other system of industry.
} ALBERT J. BLAIR.
Central Labor Union,