Evening journal., 1920-11-05
THE HIGH COST OF STRIKES
Striking for Monopoly Control bya Class of EDerybods Necesaes
of Life.

has been created which must amount
TO at least several hundred thousand
dollars a year with which TO perpet-
uate and extend their domination.
For the fact that half Of all cloth
ing workers are now walking the
streets as a result OF their strategy
these leaders can easily lay the blame
on the capitalistic system and use the
fact as an argument still further to
Increase their power. The fact that
you have TO pay $40 10 $50 more for
your clothes is good for you-you
are a bOurgeoise.
1t has long been a fundamental
union policy 10 work for a more and
more complete control of our big
basic industries. But while unionism
was under the control Of conserva-
tive leaders who had considerable
respect for the power Of public opin-
ion, its methods were usually to 20
slow and wait for favorable Opportu-
mites. 1t generally let the workers
themselves take the initiative, and II
a cause for which they were striking
was Just and was otherwise suscept-
ible, With the right kind OF presenta-
tlon, OF getting public sympathy, the
big amalgamated or federated unions
would come in as the champions of
the oppressed workers who were not
strong enough to fight their own
battles, and in that way build up
their power In that industry.
But for the radical labor leaders
who now dominate organized labor
or are in sufficiently powerful posi-
lions TO force conservative leaders
into radical policies in order TO keep
their Jobs this process is entirely too
slow.
Formerly, any group OF labor could
not be depended on to so Immediately
on strike because some outsider told
them 10 strike for some grievance
which they had never thought OF
themselves or for a union not yet in
existence. But today the strike cpl
demic has become so widespread that
great Glasses Of labor will stop work
on practically any pretext and on
practically anybody's say-so.
Moreover, radical leaders think they
have found out that the public will
stand for almost anything or at least
is not organized or united enough to
make its opinion count.
FINALLY, whereas, under the old
strategy OF waiting till the workers
had a real grievence and themselves
took the iniative in striking. it took
years to completely organize an in
dustry and TO build up the power and
the millions OF dollars income which
the organization OF great Industries
gives, radical labor leaders today do
not see why, with labor's willingness
to strike and the public's suplneness,
they cannot grab OF a whole industry
and make millions OF dollars il dues
available Immediately in one stroke.
In fQat tho Ida fnNr~tartafnrr n
the Imagination OF powerful labor
groups that they are today cOmpet-
ing with each other for the privilege
OF attempting to organize certain
great industries and are already fight
ing over the prospective spolls.
In lis secret session at Atlantic City
early in August, the executive council
Of the American Federation Of Labor
mapped out a tremendous campaign
TO unionize the great steel industry
next year. Several interesting facts
have already leaked out. Thirty
unions have been let in on the drive.
The Amalgamated Association OF Iron,
Steel and Tin Workers at first refused
to help such a movement unless IL
received 4 81 per cent. control OF the
organizing ommittee-which presum-
ably meant 81 per cent OF the power
and the income II the drive went
over. Whether this particular faction
succeeded in getting these demands
or not has not been announced.
There Is. OF course, 10 be large war
fund used OF which Secretary Nor
rison refused TO state the size. Nor
did he say how il had been sub
scribed, how it was to be used or
what promises had been made 10
those who subscribed it. Secretary
Morrison, however, most casually and
naively, did say 81 should not say
that strike Is contemplated. should
rather say that organization is the
objective"
In other words, the big steel indus
try, which Is almost as important to
the country as the coal industry, Is
mendous labor agitation, artincially
forced from outside. The men who
are forcing this agitation are not
! themselves connected with the steel
/ industry. nor have they been elected
or given any authority we know OF
| by the steel workers to represent
them. They certainly do not repre-
sent the users OF steel or the public
/ in general. These men in their pre-
liminary announcement, moreover,
make no mention Of any consideration
/ or puhliO interest. Iney make no
mention OF what IL Is proposed TO do
/ for the steel workers. They seem 10
be concerned chiefly with maneuver-
ing and iockeying with each other FOR
special preferred positions in a pro-
poSed night to increase their own
power.
The last steel strike cost the public
nearly s5OOOOOOO0. A bigger. better
organized steel strike would probably
cost the public far more than this.
But with, or perhaps without. a
strike7-it is admittedly merely a mat
ter Of strategy whether the public
must bear the cost OF a steel strike
or not-there is the chance that labor
leaders can get stranglehOld on an
other great basic American industry
through which they can still further
threaten or punish the whole people
as they have through their ooniro
Of the coal industry; there is a chance
that 10000 new members may bS
brought under their control whit
would paw about st0O00OO0 a veal
into treasuries they control. The pub
lie be damned.