The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-12-04

where the conditions are pitiably abb
ject and distressing.
The United States is short more
than million homes. Coal bins are
empty. Everywhere there is a de-
mand for materials greatly in excess
of the supply. It may be said, then,
that reproduction in any real
sense is a minus quantity.
That the unemployment crisis is
very largely artificial is susceptible
to easy proof. In a statement re-
Gently issued by an organization that
is backing the open shop agitation is
given a. list of more than a. thousand
large employers Of labor who are
pledged to lend their material and
moral support to the campaign to
curb the workers-"to put them back
in their Places and keep them there.
One manufacturer recently in
formed a convention of businessmen
that the workers are already ''eating
out Of the boss's hand" and predicted
that during the next few months
very little would be heard from those
groups that have been insistently de-
manding only economic and social
justice.
Closing Plants
It is noteworthy that in this list
are contained the names Of manu-
facturers who are discharginig work.
ers and closing plants. For instance,
there are the Railway Executive AS
sociation and the Railroad Security
Owners Association. They are
pledged to contribute to the success
of the open shop campaign, which in
it's essence is an attack against labor
organizations. For the open shop. in
practice, is a closed shop against men
who are intelligently moved to safe
guard their own interests.
The railroads are laying off thou
sands Of men. The Pennsylvania sys-
tenn since Oct. i, has discharged more
than 10000, and those affected have
been told that their services are per-
manently ended and they may seek
elsewhere for work. BY following the
policy of suspending men con-
tinuously the railway managers ex-
pect, no doubt, to break the morals
Of the men and make the disruption
of their organizations comparatively
easy matter.
Get Rid of "Agitators."
The textile manufacturers very
frankly announce that they accept the
situation as affording them an op-
portunity to get rid of "agitators" and
perhaps destroy their organizations
In Philadelphia. 1t is announced, more
than 10000 textile workers are to be
! discharged, not because there is no
need Of their services, but because the
manufacturers desire to free them
selves Of men who have during the
past few years built up an organiza-
tion that has revolutionized condi-
tions of employment in the textile in
dustry.
study of recent suspensions dis
closes that they are heaviest in in
dustries where organizations are
strongest. The open shop campaign
is on in earnest. It is proceeding
with calloused disregard of conse-
quences that has always characterized
the treatment of employers when
they were aided by. economic causes.
Just what organized labor is going
to do about this matter is not yet
plain. That something must be done
is not open do discussion. That some
thing must not be done only by labor
organizations, but by that intangible
entity, the public. A nation that re-
volted at the use Of poisoned easses
In warfare cannot regard with com
placency the employment of starva-
tion in industrial strife
An effort to make men humble and
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