Omaha daily bee., 1919-09-01
Gary and the Open Shop
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

defiance TO ~ international unions in the
United States Steel corporations working
forces, issued by Judge E. H. Gary in an open
letter to their joint committee
The corporation and subsidiaries are OPP
posed to the CLOSED shop" They stand for
the open shop" which permits one to en-
gage in any line of employment. whether one
does or does not belong to a union. This
best promises the welfare Of both employe
and employer. In view OF the. well known
attitude, as above expressed the officers of
the corporation' respectfully decline to dis
cuss with you, as representatives OF labor
union, any matters relating to employees.
In doing so, no personal discourtesy is in
tended.
On receiving this communication the COM
mittee of FIVE men representing all the u in
ternational unions sought out Samuel Gompers,
With Mr.. Gompers they started for Washing
ton on midnight train. The assumption that
they meant to put the matter right up to Presi-
dent Wilson and certainly without disassociat-
ing it from other issues in which the president
is DESTROYS of having the help of the Ameri-
can federation is not by any means unreason-
able.
Steel has been called, and in a very broad
sense it is the basic industry of America. On
the manufacturers of steel agriculture de-
ponds for its plows and it's harvesting machin-
cry; carpentry and building for cutting tools
and structural STEEL all factories for replacing
Of machinery. The blow to all phases of in
y,
six months would be an incaculable injury
to the country. The United States Steel cor
poration is the most powerful of all the EN-
ploying organizations in the land Hence
Judge Gary's aggressive defense of the open
shop has vast significance.
And frankly speaking, the argument which
is advanced and the further argument sug-
gested by the words used are irrefragable SO
far as logic goes. The open shop "best prom
ises the welfare of both employees and EN-
ployers." To those who stand with Judge
Gary it means discipline and efficiency. 1t
means friendliness between workers and
bosses, just as the closed shop means sus-
picion and unfriendliness. 1t means manhood
rights for the laborers who do not choose to
put their wills under the heels of walking
delegate or determine their action by what
union chooses to vote. 1t means rivalry
among individuals, increased production in
stead of restricted production, better work,
more honest goods turned out. More than
that, perhaps, from the community point OF
view it makes for good citizenship, 1t is
do as much work as any other man, and do it
better if possible. The closed shop encourages
the notion of doing as little as possible as
badly as possible. for few hours and as high
wages as possible That is the ideal of the
shirk. To what extent and degree it is dimin-
ishing production in all lines today and
HANGING prices we do not know. We are sure
that its range and RIGHTEOUSNESS can hardly
be overestimated.
But-there is always a "but" when one
tackles academic Observation-Disclosures has had
two years of conditions, with everybody
surrendering to the principle of collective
bargaining and full endorsement of that
principle by the governing agencies in Wash
ington, which for obvious reasons as employ
ers or as debating purchasers have had
dominant position. Everywhere collective
bargaining" has forced itself on our industrial
concerns Wherever the ShOD has been
defended for a time, surrender or loss of br
ness has been tAe alternative for the en-
ployer. The tide is running in. Neither mop
nor broom will check it. If Mr.. Gompers
stands, as he is likely to stand against the
steel corporation, what will Judge Gary SUBJ
stitute for the mop or broom!
Perhaps the philosophical attitude is the
one most employers have assumed, of compro-
mise, patient though somewhat cynical. If
Judge Gary does not weaken he will consis-
tenty repudiate this attitude, stand on the
rights of his corporation, and defy the union
lists to do their worst Perhaps Leonidas and
his Spartans saved Greece, but they won only
glory mo pensions and no retirement pay by
doing SO.
France, England Italy have welded every
point to collective bargaining. Their labor
troubles are on other issues. The problems
of the world are our problems Can Judge
Gary change this state of things by the most
heroic and unf1inching support he can give to
a theory that is in itself just and right? We
doubt it. The civilization of Chrstendom SUI
fers from common affection 1t must clear
itself. purre itself gradually, not precipitately,
of the malign germs of hatred, waste, deness,
class selhshness That bitter and long i'll
dustrial conflict between Gary forces and
Gompers forces would help along the process
of purgation is prediction on which few
thinking economists would agree. Time, not
intransigency, is the remedy that cures all
diseases