The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-01-13
LABOR MAY FIGHT CAPITAL With
CAPITAL in ADOPTION new idea
May Combat Recent Legislative
and Legal Setbacks With
Norfolk Plan.
EXPERIMENT is DISCUSSED
Will Use Capital Assets TO Force
Employers to Meet Its
Demands.
tsy Associated Pressl

WASHINGTON, Jan 12.-Labor's
answer to recent legal and legislative
set-backs may be to fight capital with
capital itself
An experiment now called "the Nor
folk idea,' conducted by the Interna-
tional Association of Machinists, is
being much discussed and, it is said, is
about to be, repeated on the Pacific
coast. In brief, the Norfolk idea is
the use of capital assets and credit of
organized labor in the fight TO force
employers to meet its demands.
As explained by E. c. Dawson, Sec
retary of the machinists, there was a
strike in the Crescent Iron Works at
Norfolk. kate in 1920. The labor union
strategy was simple: The outstand-
ing obligation of the Crescent Iron
/ Workers Were bought up, and control
thus having been gained, support was
furnished, through extension of credit
and active cooperation of affiliated
branches of organized labor
Mr.. Dawson, who was one of the
originators of the idea, estimated to-
! day that his association saved more
/ than S2O0.0 900 cash in the contest. while
the savings to its members was prob
ably double that amount.
Instead of a long struggle in which
our members each drew IS. per week
in strike benefits he said. Eve sue
ceeded in keeping them all employed
at top wages. The industry in Norfolk
was saved an expensive period Of in
activity and the city was saved the
loss in trade which would have re-
suited"
When the Iron Masters Association
declared for an open shop in the sum
ner OF 1920, investigation disclosed
that there was an outstanding mort
gage of $40. 900 on the Crescent works
few days overdue. Mr. Dawson. act
ing for the union attempted Ia bnv an
the mortgage. but the bank holding ii
refused to sell. Further INQUIRIES dis
closing that many of the banks de-
posltors were members OF unions
steps We're taken which resulted in a
sudden decrease OF the institutions
deposits on hand. The offer to pur
chase the mortgage being then re-
neWed the bank consented to the sale
Mr.. Dawson explained
show down with the management
or the Crescent Iron Works followed
immediately, Dawson said. the out
coming being the reopening of that
plant as a strictly union shop.
The Crescent Shop had employed
forty machinists," Mr.. Dawson said.
but these were working overtime
We obtained the adoption of a sched-
ule which permitted the employment
of a force of sixty men on an eigbt
hour basis, and later to the use of
three shifts a day, BY Changing the
personnel so as to allow each en-
pioye to get in three days week, we
soon had this one plant giving work
to more than 360 men, all but 40 Of
whom would have been idle under the
old system"
Soon, however, according TO Mr.
Dawson. Norfolk bankers refused to
advance credit for current transac-
tions to the Crescent Works. and job
bers, he said, refused to sell it equip
ment. The union at once deposited
with a Norfolk bank sufficient cash
to cover needs and met the remaining
problem by arranging with out Of toxin
firms for the articles needed ta f0:ll-
plete the work at hand