Evening journal., 1920-11-05

a., '--~H LSStS Ffiui6tts COUNSEL LOT
passionately with the men moi to he.
gin the Brooklyn car strike, his argI-
ment included nothing as TO the besl
interests OF the people OF Brooklyn
IL dld not even discuss the best inter-
ests OF the w0rkers-hls dig argument
and basic plea was that such a
strike VIII break up the best union
In the country"
Louis Fridiger also made another
remark at the same time which is as
typical or the labor leaders attitude
or today as the public be damned"
was typical OF the trust barOn's atti-
tude a generation ago, when he
warned labor not TO pay attention 10
government officials, because their
first duty is TO the public"
When the great Amalgamated Metal
workers Union was asked TO assist
TO win the steel strike, they replied
mat they would only help on condi-
tl0n that they should have a 81 per
cent. control OF the big new sloel
union TO be the result OF the strike.
The brotherhood OF Railroad Train-
men has reserve fund OF Si0.OOO0O0
in its treasury. The Coal Miners
Union collects a minimum OF Sii,OOO.-
600 a year dues from its members
What It's reserve fund is no outside!
knows. There are other big unions
whose financial resources - though
they keep them very carefully hidden
must be as great as, or even
greater, than these, and scores OF
smaller unions whose incomes ana
war chests are in relative proportion
The Republican party, comprising
approximately half OF all the people
Of the country. has been accused, as
though 1t were a crime, OF attempt
Ing TO raise St5,0O0,0O0 in order frank
ly and openly TO put before thC
best good or all the people.
The great union leaders can and do
command sums many times geater
than those which are USED in ways .hai
are largely hidden and unacoOunted
FOR 10 advance the interests OF pow
erful and publicly irresponsible or
ganizat ons which, at most, represent
less than 10 per cent. OF the people
These immense sums offer. as has
already been emphasized, a constant
temptation TO different factions with
In the unions 10 fight for control OF
these sums because OF the power such
control gives. Fights for such power
have been one OF the biggest bauses
OF some OF our most costly strikes
But the very existence OF such sums
under irresponsible labor leaders con-
trol-the possibility OF raising such
sums and thus acquiring such power
is the real crlx OF the whole strike
situation and the most vicious men
ace which has ever threatened Amer
ica and Americanism.
Neither the President OF the United
States nor any officer or group or Of
floers in our entire government pos
sesses the possibility OF such pOwe-
TO lniure all the rest OF the people
as Is posSe essed and was exercised by
the coal union leaders. The basis
OF that power Is the fact that with
the Sii 10000 a year dues, they can
maintain an organization that dom
mates an industry that Is vital to the
whole nation.
In Russia. the small minority labor
class today completely dominates the
whole government. In Germany, tn,
| labor class minority has a disprOpOr-
tionate voice on the government. In
ENGLAND, the labor class minority Is
/ frankly and openly working toward
the domination OF the majority OF tn,
rest Of the people.
Now. the means by which labor
minorties have dominated, or sought
10 dOmlnata in other countries has nOl
| been through orderly processes O'
government. but through getting con
troll OF the production OF The neces-
sarles Of life and then threatening n
cut of the necessaries Of the people
until they obtained The individual OF
class advantages which they sought.
Powerful labor leaders n America
| TODAY have exactly such a control r.
/ the basic coal industry and exercised
| exactly this kind OF control In th'
/ coal strike. The governn Mt itsel
ordered the union leaders to call N,
| strike on. The leaders went through
the form of sending telegrams TO tht
/ local unions which did not. and coulf
not, bear the ofllclal union seal. with
out which, under union law. no u0iOI
document Is omcial. These teleerams
, therefore. were not meant actually L
call or the coal strike as the govern
ment ordered They were not under
stood by The men as an order to cal
on the strike. but merely as a sub
sarfuge and they did not call on IN
coal strike The gov rnment itsel
would not treat with the union lead
ers IN the men had gone back &
work. But the government dd De
pose Mr.. GARFIELD, the fuel admins
! IINIOT. lIONl INWtI hN NNilillhANl ~
The union leaders and not onl'
treated hut made agreements with th
union leaders before the men wen
back 10 work The union leaders di
not get all they tried 10 get out o
the coal strike. but they did dominat
the government Itself sufficiently q
make 70 back down from the position
n had publicly taken.
Now. 70 IA perfectly obvious. II N
organization Of 5O0OO0 men and IN
collection u sii.OO0O00 annual due
can give labor leaders such powe
through the control of the coal In
ldusirv 10 use their own or their clas
interests. that lust in proportion a
they can organize other great hasi
Industries they will have just tina
much greater power with which 9
further their own or their mere elias
interests.
Wages shorter hours. personal ieal
ousles and ambitions and many othe
factors have been projected into m
strikes Of the last two years. Thes
strikes have cost the whole America
people previously undreamed-0f an
noyance and suffering and billions q
]