The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1920-12-02
UNIONS To
CONTINUE
BOYCOTT
Mayor at Meeting Brings
Out BY Question Only Is
sue in Business-Labor
Struggle.

Though the meeting OF representa-
tiyes of. the Hammond department
/ stores and the Trades Council. called
by Mayor Brown to see what the boy
cott situation was, brought no definite
results. il did clearly define the issue
before the public and left no doubt in
the minds of the people as 20 the real
bone Of contention.
There is only one radical point OF
difference between the department
, store proprietors and organized labor
and that is over the power Of organiz-
ed labor to monopolize employment in
department stores by denying the op-
portunity to work to those who do not
belong TO labor unions
This fact was brought out by Chair
man Mayor Brown in the following
dialogue taken from a transcript o:
the meeting by a stenograPher:
THE MAYORS QUESTION.
MAYOR BROWN-"Let's take Il
for granted that these gentlemen
do sign this contract and there
would be 500 of their employees
IN there now who would refuse to
join your organization what would
be the consequence
MR. CROAK THAT would
amount to this. they would have
to be discharged by the manage
ment, exactly to be candid about
It."
MAYOR BROwN-'tThat is what
want to get at
MR.. CROAK-"That is exactly
what il would mean"
CLOSED SHOP THE CRUx.
As neither wages nor working con-
ditions enter into the discussion which
was admittedly brought out at the
meeting, the department store pro-
prietors take the position that the
unions have no right to exercise the
above power and that the employers
and the public have no moral right to
consent TO the exercise of such power
by organized labor. They seek far
closer and more intimate touch with
their employees than when outsiders
negotiate the relations between en-
pioyers and employees. 1t IS pointed
out that they have no intention of op-
posing the unions, on the contrary
they believe in the right Of organiza-
tion but they refuse 20 discharge
faithful employees who have worked
for them for years, because they do
not see At 20 belong to labor organi-
zation.
USING DUREss.
They concede to every man and
woman the right to work for the legit-
innate interest Of the group 10 which
he belongs-the right 70 organize just
as they concede to every worker the
right not TO belong to an organization
IL he so elects. They do not deny the
right of any class of workers to strike
for their own protection but there Is
no strike here only a boycott which
seeks TO 1eopardiEe and destroy their
business and indame the minds OF the
public against them and force union
men under duress not to trade IN rnsse
establishments that are picketed.
1t IS exceedingly unfortunate that
this situation obtains in Hammond.
The city has so far been very fortu-
nate in escaping the depression which
is already being felt in other parts OF
the country and is growing in others.
II is too much 70 hope that the city
viii escape IL altogether. There are
signs that it Will not.
WHAT MAY HAPPEN
Many men are being laid off at vari-
Gus plants in the Calumet region and
local factories are cutting down a few
men here and a few men there. There
is little Stacking in business over
the country and when Il does hit Ham
mond it will be regrettable IL II does
not find business. industry and labor
all one happy family.