The mirror., 1921-12-01
THE CLOSED SHOP
Continued from page y


tends to cause the ambitious employee to
over-exert himself, and injure his health
through such practices as piecework, pace
making, timework and competitive labor;
because through such conditions it causes
periods of over-production, which in turn
creates condition of unemployment; be-
cause it wishes to bring about these con-
ditions in order to take advantage of the
destructive competition of the vast num-
bers of unemployed, and because it does
not assure the employee security of his, or
her job.
l do not care what industry you may be
interested in, if it is operating under the
so-called American plan,-if you look
deep enough, you will find many despic-
able practices that operate in favor of
the employer, and against the employee.
What was the condition of the workers
in the Textile trades, before the white
light of publicity was thrown upon the
contemplate practices used by the en-
ployers? Or the clothing industry, with
its cursed sweatshop system? Or the
mining, and other industries with their
vicious child labor system?
Did these Open Shop operators do any
thing towards guarding the health of their
employees, or compensating them for in
juries received while on duty before they
were compelled to? Did they agree to
use safety appliances, previous to being
compelled to do so by law? Who will
deny that these very laws were brought
about through the actions of the unions,
and their advocates?
What is this so-caled American plan
doing for the smelter and steel mill en-
ployees? 1t forces them to toll twelve
lcng, weary hours, running their health,
degrading their morals, giving them no
time in which they may attend to their
educational, social or religious duties, al
lowing them no time with which they
might improve their living standards, or
their homes, homes of squalor, misery and
filth.
1t is possible to name industry after in
dustry where conditions are practically the
same as those just mentioned; but in
paper of this kind time, nor space does
rot permit.
The history of the Open Shop move
ment is one long continued proof that
where this system is in force, the en-
ployee is beaten and driven, until he is, at
last, forced to give up through i'll health
or some such cause.
One could go on and cite incident after
incident of employers taking advantage of
the employees, under this system which
does not permit its employees to indulge
in their natural and constitutional rights
Of collective bargaining, and the right to
organize; but insists on the right of the
employers to form organizations, or as
sociations, so that they might the more
easily conquer, control and crush the en-
ployee.
Labor history tells us that even in the
middle ages, these associations were
formed by employers, and during the
seventeenth century, their actions caused
laws to be passed, forbidding them from
using this method, and these laws were
not repealed till quarter of century
later.
AS far as l have been able to learn,
this system was not practiced in the U. S.
until about 1850, while forty years later
we find these associations being formed in
almost every town; it was not until about
twenty years ago, however, that any of
these associations were organized upon
national scale.
About 1908 the "Citizens Industrial As
sociation of America" was formed, this
was the first national organization of its
kind in America, and its avowed purpose