Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-04-01
EFFICIENCY

President-elect Harding is becom-
ing liner" A week since he was
given all Masonic degrees from the
third to the thirty.third. and now we
are told by the staff correspondent
of the New York Tribune that few
nights ago Mr. Harding took the OBJ
legation as member of Marion Ty-
biographical Union No. 675, and he
will hereafter carry a union card.
OF course. nearly every one knows
Mr.. Harding Is an editor and news.
paper proprietor. IL may not be gen.
orally known, however, that in his
youth he also learned to set type and
has a very general knowledge of the
typographical art. At the meeting
of the Marion Star printers chapel
In the Star Office Mr.. Harding was
administered the typographical union
oath by F. f. Dennis, president of No.
675. Editor Lamber. OF the Marion
Tribune. the Stars rival, and who is
also n printer in good standing In
Marion Union, was presnt at the time.
In little talk afterward Mr.. Harding
told the printers he hoped they would
never go back to the old scale of
wages. and one way to avoid going
back Is by increased efficiency A la.
Dor union he declared, Is under obli-
cation to see that its members do
their full duty quite as much as it is
obliged to strive for better working
conditions, better wages and better
hours.--Scranton Times.
We quite agree with Brother" Har-
ding. Not that we think union men
as a rule are not hitting the ball to
the best of their ability; but we do
believe that the unions have been very
lax in the qualifications placed upon
applicants for membership, and that
in our anxiety to solidify or add to our
ranks, we have sacrificed in many
instances one OF the great principles
OF unionism--efficiency.
Time was when a man was spoken
OF as a union man. Ii was a foregone
conclusion that he was thorough
mechanic In his line; now his ability
is questioned until his performances
proves his worth.
The great cry of the employers of
today Is efficiency. and we believe
there is some justification in their
cry. The union man Is supposed to
pass rigid examination before he
can become a member. and the EN-.
ployer has a right 10 demand that all
men furnished by the union 20 fill po.
sitions are efficient workmen. II is
true, the union demands a minimum
SCALE and there is nothing to prevent
a first-class man from drawing over
the scale, but the fact still remains
that the scale is signed with the sup.
position that all men employed are
skilled workmen. and all are worth
the scale; but often We find men who
are not worth anywhere near the scale
OF wages working with men who are
producing twice as much work, and
both are receiving the same pay.
The causes of inefficient workmen
are many. During the war many
crept into the union movement through
the unprecedented demand for labor.
We know of several cases where EN-.
ployers have employed apprentices
whom anyone with any foresight at all
would know would make an inefficient
workmen, and then refuse to employ
them after these apprentices have be-
come union men. Often bright, intel.
ligent boys are employed. but they be.
come inefficient workers because their
employers are inefficient teachers.
Employers often employ country
trained workers. bring them TO the
cities and after they have Joined the
union and been fired for inefficiency,
they drift or 20 other places as in
efficient workers
Efficiency should be the slogan of
the union movement. The union
should have no place for the dub If
all union men were skilled workmen