The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-05-14
HARRIS CHARGES
AGAINST. UNIONS
BUT PROP AGANDA
8,
Citizens Alliance Advertise.
nlents But Mere Repetition Of:
False Statements.
Continued from Page 1


Continued 1ro,. Page !:
argument into cooked hat" Mr..
Harris is merely quoting railroad pro-
paganda.
President Rea of the Pennsylvania
road has also made similar stateme nts
against his union shopmen for public
ity purposes, but when he was on the
stand and under oath he told an en-
tireiy different story to the l. c. C.
lowing to union restrictions, the
number of plumbers in Cleveland has
been reduced from 1900 to $50, &C
cording to q recent report made by
the Chamber of Commerce of that
| city," continues the Alliance adver-
| tisement.
! Good for Union Labor.
| That ought to be pretty good union.
| labor matter. We do not know any,
thing about the facts for we never
heard of such before, but If $50
union plumbers can do the work
which it formerly took 1900 plumb
ers to do. it would indicate that in
stead Of the union placing restrictions
on its members. it was encouraging
| them to speed up.
| The Inconsistency of the statements
is apparent. At the PENNSYLVANIA
shops it takes 127 men in a. union
shop to do the work that 100 men
once did in an "open shop" and $50
union plum ers are doing all the work
in Cleveland which formerly required
1000 plumbers to do. That is an un-
| 1v4Op nj mt tod o.
| labor.
Under rules prescribed by the
union plumbers of Birmingham, Ala,
In 1920 the use Of apprentices was
entirely forbidden, and unskilled labor
was not permitted to work on plumb
ing jobs, even where no skill was re-
quired," repeats the Alliance adyer-
| tisement.
Its An Old Story.
That is an old story. We woubt
very much if any union ':entirely for
bids" the use Of apprentices. It is
probably an anti-union employers way
of putting it. when a union attempts
to regulate their number and to pre-
vent apprentices from doing the work
Of }ourneymen before they have quail
fled as such.
1.-THE rules of the Painters union
require employers to use small sized
brushes in order to reduce the amount
OF work done,' charges the Alliance.
In such a charge 1.-The wish is father
to the thought" It is only made by
persons who have never used a. paint
brush. No employing painter who
has been practical man and; worked
by the day would make such a state
ment.
Why the Limit?
In Duluth the Painters union linn
its the size of the brush to five inches
in width. That limit is not put on to
reduce the amount Of work." but it is
put on to increase the efficiency Of
the man. Any practical painter. by
demonstration, can prove to the most
bitter anti-unionist. that more paint
can be put on, day in and day out,
with a brush varying from 3h to 5
inches in width than with a. brush of
greater width. and he can do a bet
ter job.
A well-soaked 5-inch brush will in
time weigh from six to seven pounds
Such weight tires the arm and wrist
before a days work is completed to
such an extent that the painter is
UNFIT for efficient service the next
day. The master painters, the prac-
teal ones at least, are not complaint
ing about the size Of the brush their
painters use. They know the differ
ence. It is only the whining anti-un-
ionists who complain, and it is about
the only charge they have been able
| tn lxo inc Do info mir
. What a foolish charge it is when the
known.
A Fqimsy Charge.
In fact all the other charges
against union labor are of the same
order. Space will not permit a COM
plete answer to them at this time,
but every one of them. is taken from
| brazen statements made by the paid
publicity agents of the professional
auti-unionists, and each can be sue
| cessfully refuted. ]
It is admitted that the unions have
, done things that We're not exactly
according to Hoyle. They have erred.
. Some have been arbitrary. Some
leaders have betrayed their trust
and have accepted brides, but taken
as a whole the American trade
unions need make no apology for their
conduct.
The things they have achieved for
!. the workers tell the whole story, and
it is because they have accomplished
, big things they are being attacked by
such employers as have been in the
habit of exploiting labor to the limit.
| 0-
ROAD HAS BANNER YEAR.
: CHICAGO, May 1.-THE Chicago
g st. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha rail-