The labor world., 1920-09-25
ONES OWN BUSINESS.


Bulletin issued under date Of Septem-
Der 20, finds in the strike Of tho local
meat cutters an excellent opportunity
to exploit the anti,union labor senti.
ment Of the community by more fully
defining tho objects and purpose Of
the Alliance than he has formerly
done.
"The Citizen 3 Alliance,' he says,
"was not organized for the purpose Of
destroying the unions, but to bring
about peace and prosperity for business
and for the community at large. We
recognize the right Of worlsingmen to
organize, but I'VE say that the employer,
who takes all Of the risks Of the busi-
ness, should also have something to
say about how his business should be
rum
That is very laudable purpose, and
if it were true, the Alliance would
receive the moral support and backing
Of organized labor in this city. Indeed,
workingmen organize for the same pur-
pose. They want peace and prosperity
for business and the community. Where
labor is we'll organized there is indus.
trial peace; there is general prosperity
and the community enjoys it as we'll as
the workers.
Can't every merchant see that when
labor receives good wages and is en-,
ployed under the shorter workday the
workers become good buyers Of the
things they have to soil. The poorly
paid worker hasn't any surplus to buy
more than food and the cheaper arti-
cles the merchant has for sale. The
12-hour worker at the Steel Plant has
no time to do shopping and he has less
to wear or use the finer articles handled
in the stores.
Mr.. Harris is unquestionably right
Whsn he states that the employer
should have something to say about how
his business should be run. Indeed, we
will 60 Mr.. Harris one better and de-
clare that he should have all to say.
That is the position Of union labor. It
docs not want to run the business of
the employer. 1t merely wants voice
in saying what wages shall be paid
to the workers within the industry.
It wants to agree with employers on
the length Of the workday and on the
rules governing the conduct of the
workers at their employment. These
are the things which affect their com.
fort, their welfare and their lives.
Az to the conduct of the business
itself, by all means preserve for the
employers, the men who own the indus
tries, the full right to run it in their
own sweet way. The trouble with the
type Of employers that Mr.. Harris
speaks for is that they do not only
want to- have, all to say about their
business, but they want to have all to
say about the business Of the workers,
while the workers are generous enough
to grant them half the say, something
such employers would not concede in
their business management to the
workers.
Every worker has his labor to sell.
In most cases the seller of an article
hxes the price. The Gasser company
puts its price on meat. Mr.. Harris
puts his price on his services as a
lawyer. The doctor tells Us the amount
OF his fee. The Marshall.Wells CON-
pany publishes its self.fxed price in
catalog form on every article it han
dies, but when the workers attempt to
say what they will charge for their
labor when sold to employers that is
running the employers business.''
Where does Mr.. Harris get that stuff ,
He knows As we'll as we do that it is
not true, and that employers merely
make such statement because they
have beon making all tho rules and all
the regulations for labor for such a
long time that they have led them
selves to believe it is their divine right
to continue to make them.
Mr.. Harris maintains that the en-.
ployer "takes all tho risk Of tho busi.
ness,'' and, measured in dollars, it is
true. But do not the workers who
stake their energies and their live.
In an industry all take some risk
not tho kind Of risk that business con.
sidors, but risk that means 50 much
to tho happiness, success and comfort
Of numberless dependents. Such a risk
was taken by the workmen who were
injured or killed In the construction Of
tho new addition to tho MARSHALL Well.
building. Such Z risk is taken by meat
cutters every time they cut into :
eareass Of meat.
Again in the Special Bulletia j Mr.