The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
LET'S CLEAR IT UP,

LET'S CLEAR 1T UP.
Here is a good one on the "open
shop" crowd. 1t appeared in last Sun
day mornings News,Tribuue: "Four
years ago a mason laid 1000 bricks =
day; two years ago he was laying 1900.
Today he is laying 600 bricks day.
A carpenter four years ago would lay,
asy 1000 feet Of rough floor; today
500 or 600 feet. On finished work a
carpenter four years ago would put in
nine to fifteen doors; now he puts in
between five and eight. Plastercrs have
slumped in output about as much IS
masons. 1t would be safe to say the
building trades have one, third less effi~
cheney than four years ago. In some
crafts the drop is even greater"
This is sample Of the kind Of rot
the "open shoppers' are feeding tho
uninformel public, and there is not one
word of truth in it SO far as it may be
applied to union labor. We do not
hear of union shop employers complain
ing about the loss in efficiency Of
union men. Such complaints come only.
from "open shop" and non-union en-
ployers. As matter of fact = brick
layer on union job lays a. many brick
in day as he ever did, that is if there
is no delay i'll getting mortar and mate,
rial to him and prompt attention is
given to scaffoldins. That is a ques.
ton Of superintendent,
With the carpenter his daily output
depends largely on tho kind Of material
with which he is forced to work: The
deterioration in the quality Of lumber
that is now put into buildings naturally
slows up the work. A carpentc~ can
work clean high.grade lumber much
easier and put it up much more rapidly
than he can do with the low-grade lum.
Der that is used today. You can It
reduce the quality of the material with
out increasing the labor cost of cutting
and handling This il fact known to
ivcry experienced builder.
The rough lumber used in buildings
now is largely tamarack, when formerly
pine was used. It takes carpenter
more than twice as long to cut q TAM
arack board than white pine board.
Then he must be more careful in nail
Ing as tamarack is more firm than pine
and splits. very easily, hence loss Of
more time.
Finishing lumber consists now OF.
birch, yellow pine Oh western fir. all
very hard to work. Indeed there never
was such easy workable material used
IN building construction as white pine.
A carpenter could put up ton casinos
OF white pine in the same time that il
takes him to put up four Of yellow
pine, FIR OF birch. Strange that labor
critics do not take such facts into con.
sideration before casting reflections
upon the integrity Of the workers. for
man who will purposely shirk at his
work is not an honest man, and when
the claim is made that workers az O.
whole are wanton shirkers it becomes =
charge against their honor as men.
What is true Of the bricklayer and
the carpenter is true in like measure
OF the painter, plumber, timer and
other building trades workmen. But
taking it all in all tho average union
man employed in union shop is an
honest, earnest, hard working employee
who has the best interests of his trade
ana employer at heart. He is giving a
fair days work for a fair davis
wage" more now than he ever did
before. He disputes with all the force
he possesses the claim that he is re.
sponslble for any decrease in OUTPUT
He denies that his union puts q limit
on the amount of work a member NAV
turn out in day. That is not a union
question; it is . pexsonal matter th.4
each workman must decide for him.e]p.
to the satisfaction Of his emnlover
Long bsfors there wore labor unions
1ast workers were looked upon with
envy by the slower workmen and thew
were frequently called to task bv thar
Yellow workers, whom they feared. be.
cause the boss had a habit Of u.;no
them as pace settlers ia speed the .yer.
age workers up.
The claim that labor is not turning
out work a. fast a. it once did /.
largely anti,union propaganda, and a,
we have said, comes mainly from .topen
shop" or non'union employers. So, t.r
es union labor is concerned we hold
that the charge. cannot be- sustained.
Would it not be fine thing to have ..
- >.d1S antnnaiaainp risht hare ~ ho,, :,