Evening journal., 1920-11-04
Chapter X
By MARSHALL OLDS

untll To-Day Scnenlng ana Dgntlng ana I
maneuyering for the power Of The
PARTICULAR union by increasing us
membership and the income IL gets
from its members undoubtedly de-
mand a far larger part Of the averase
labor leaders skill and energy than
any relation between the union and
the employer. In fact, today strategic
moves merely to increase The power
and influence of one union or group
OF unions as against some other union
or group of unions is not only the
basic reason back ef % per cent OF all
strikes in the building trades and OF
very great proportion OF all strikes
in most other trades, but il has been
the cause OF some OF the most con-
sp ouous and costly strik for which
the American people lave been forced
TO pay. The great OUTLAW" railroad
strike itself, which cost the country
literally billions OF dollars, was per-
petrated and bitterly fought through
this last spring and summer simply
and solely TO determine which OF two
groups /of unions was to command the
membership and the tremendous in
come OF dues from certain great
classes OF railroad workers. IL does
not, OF course, make much difference
10 the ordinary worker whether he
belongs TO one particular union or
another. Nor does the average union
member get any special benefit from
or have any special interest In the
fact that his particular union has
100000 or 100000 members in the rest
of the country, or whether these
year into the general union treasury.
Except as he IS under the influence OF
the strike mania or the promise OF
big Increase in wages, he Will be most
reluctant TO strike merely for these
interuniOn rivalries. II Is undOubt tedly
because OF this fact that union leaders
are taking advantage Of the present
nationwide strike epidemic to fight
out as many as possible OF their 20
litical rivalries at this time, and why
they are dangling the lure OF so many
which do not and can not result in
corresponding increase in real earn
/ ings.
Moreover. as industry progressed
and the amount OF capital and power
I in the hands OF the. employer grew 1t
was necessary that labor Organiza-
tions sh ould become larger and better
organized, In order to have any
chance TO deal on equal terms with
the employer
As the power Of the unions grew.
the number and power Of the individ-
ual labor officials grew, and also the
amount OF money collected from
union members in dues grew. II Is
merely human nature that. with this
growth OF union power and union IN
come rivalries and iealOusies for the
control OF that power and that income
should grow with them
Take the case OF the. metal doors
with wood cores. Carpenters had al
DAYS hung doors, and II they cOntin-
ued to hang them they could continue
TO pay dues into the union.
But the job Of hanging metal doors
was one which could logically be
cleaned as a metal workers job. II
the metal workers union could en-
force such a claim, 1t would mean
that all men who have to hang doors
would have TO come In and pay dues
TO increase the power and income OF
the metal WOrkes' union.
But while the increase OF the power
and income Of this particular union
may not particularly interest the
average union member, It does offeI
big advantages to the union leaders
because it means a corresponding IN
crease m IN. own prestige and power
!, as The man who controls them. AnC
so the strikes over interuniOn rival
ries and jealousies go on, irrespective
Of their cost TO the public.
Moreover, The possibilities or power
and prestige which go with cOntro
over tens of thousands and hundred
OF thousands OF union members anC
: the immense sums OF dues result no
only in intense rlvalries betweel
unions but between individual leader
or groups OF leaders within a unioi
; for that control And these diValrie
3 also have been the cause Of our owl
e most costly strikes.
The bituminOus coal miners uniOl
has, for a good many years, colecte
7 minimum Of over Sit 100000 a yea
- members dues. How many Of thes
r tens OF millions Of dollars may stll
be in the treasury no one in the worl
/ but a few inside officials know.
2 4 law suit this summer betwee
a dival unions OF the Brotherhood @
- Railroad Trainmen has recent
r. brought to light the fact that ther
p is reserve fund OF si0O0O,00O in thi
r unions treasury.
n There arc a good many other pow
erful unions whose members also pa
o millions OF dollars and undOubtedl
n i'm some cases tens OF millions of do
G lars into the hands Of few officials
" Management which Is generally 81
y cret. and so far as the public know
IT Responsible 10 no out-ul Auuu Z
n siOOOO,OO0 a year, and perhaps Of eve
e greater sums in reserve; the tremei
s dous industrial and political powt
IS which their influence over hundred
Of thousands OF union members giv'
= to higher union officials; the opportl
s, nifty which present conditions give
IS high union officials OF publicly an
= cOnspicuOusly exercising their pOwe
u Of being able to nh coluRns Of new
'- paper space with their interviews an
s arguments with great corporate
IS presidents, Senators, Cabinet men
IS bers, and even the President of q
IT United States. all offer a tremenrOl
p temptation and incentive to lab1
leaders 20 scheme and maneuver an
" fight within the union with one al
'e other to obtain for themselves,
p hold Ngainst personal rivals, cOntr
u OF such financial and political ar
is conspicuously public power.
v The engineering Of big, conspicuoi
strikes, which, whatever their effe
a on the public or on labor, could I
is made TO bring a technical victory Il
l- the labor leaders who called or ha
m died the strikes, or the forcing
r. such big, conspicuous strikes with q
5, idea that they would be defeated al