The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1920-11-26

tions Almost daily the mails and
wires bring news Of activity in fresh
localities
It's prairie-fre viii surprise the av-
erage citizen business man and work
er alike who knows lit,.e Of labor dis
turbances outside his own city and
does not trace any connection be-
tween local trouble and disputes else
where
Its strong tendency to become a
political, as we'll as an industrial,
issue viii interest many voters. In
several sections candidates for high
office before the election advanced
the open shop" as an issue
Another important phase involves
the use Of the boycott by some bust
ness coreerns against others, to whip
them into line for the open shop
And in one extreme instance of
"open shop" conflict, martial law re-
suited, depriving an entire commun-
ity Of 10000 people Of their civil lib
critics for many weeks. This was
Galveston.
Under Cover in Most Localities
In such sporadic cases the "open
shop" fight has achieved considerable
local or sectional publicity. but in
most parts Of the United States it has
not yet sought the lime-light
Quite the reverse. Publicity is
avoided until the time comes for the
test Of strength. Even then there is
often a modest biblical desire to be
known BY works rather than By
words.
In some cities-like Detroit every
effort is made to discount or ignore
labor troubles and particularly to
avoid notice Of them outside Of the
city. 1t is not unknown for CONNER
cia1 organizations and newspapers to
unite in achieving this outward APP
pearance of perpetual Industrial sun
shine.
The open shop crusade has been
gathering momentum for 10 or u
months. Within a few weeks its or
ganizing speed has increased tremen-
dously
So quickly. and so quietly, has this
been going on that its national scope
and strength are known to few out
side the small groups actively fo-
menting the agitation.
Many Labor Leaders in Dark
Even many labor leaders, against
whose power it is aimed, are only hall
aware IF its formidable character.
Often the existence Of a local open
shop" association, or citizens ALI
ance, is not known in a community,
until some labor dispute arises, per
haps in a minor industry This may
come when the union workers seek to
renew an expiring contract with their
employers.
Then the workers discovered that
not only are their employers united in
refusing to deal with the union COM
mittee, but that they have the moral
and financial support of employers il
other lines.
The psychological opportunity for
an open shop" clash seems to present
itself best, however, in a dispute which
seriously discommodes the public
with its inevitable tendency to alien
ate sympathy from the workers be
cause Of the general Inconvenience
caused. The recent strike on tn
Brooklyn Rapid Transit system is al
illustration.
Crisis Not Yet Come
In most cities where "open shop
associations exist, the crisis has no
yet come, but is impending IN a fey
cities the preliminary clash has re
suited in victory for the employers, a
least temporarily In others the work
ers have won.
There are spots, also. among thos
earliest organized by the "open shop
pers," where anti-union enthusiasm
of employers seems to have reache
its peak, or to be subsiding. This
indicated by reports from some eli
les in Texas and the Pacific north
: west.
Another factor to be considered
that IN nnarh,r citinc tInrn ;s on nIl