The labor world., 1921-09-10
OPEN SHOP PR0PACANDISTC0uL
NOT CAM0UFL real AMERICAN
Visited Manufacturer Of Some ducaon and Some Sense and
Endeavored to Persuade Him TO Declare War on His Union
Employees; Put Questions U , to Professional Agent.

tiations with the firm. If they ap-
point outsiders, say officers of their
unions, see no reason why I should
not deal with the latter. My en-
ployes have the right to select their
own agents, and all T ask is that these
agents shall be competent, sensible
and businesslike.
A.: But they force you to deal with
outsiders, and you have no choice! Is
it manly to bow to such tyranny?
M: See here, when I act through
my lawyers, no one thinks I am ty-
rannical or arrogant. In many cases
lawyers represent the firm, and no one
dreams that this practice is ''un-
American" Have not Workmen the
same right to employ lawyers, or lay
neighbors, to represent them? Where
is the dictation, the reflection on my
dignity or the attack on my freedom?
No, no, my friend, your people are
either deluding themselves or else
they are the victims Of a class pro-
paganda of a very michievous and
dangerous character. I believe in
good will and in cooperation in in
dustry, and shall join no association
that heedlessly or deliberately sows
the seeds of class warfare and social
strife.
A.: (reduced to silence and confu-
sion). Well, I suppose even among
manufacturers and employers there
are bound to be some radicals!
M: Make no mistake. I am no
radical and no sentimentalist I am
business man and I try to think
straight. I am as desirous as any,
body Of making money legitimately.
but I dislike cant and humbug. If
your association ever changes it's pol
icy and becomes constructive and pro-
gressive, call again and I will gladly
join it.
A.: Sorry I can not make you see
eye to eye with us. But your position
seems very strange to me. Why, even
admitting much of what you say, for
the sake Of the argume ent, just con-
slder the railroad situation! 1t is
typical. Everybody knows that the
railroad employees are bleeding the
shippers and consumers white! Look
at the railroad wage scales and COM
pare them with the dividends passed
or reduced, the interest bonds that
can't be paid, the threatened insol-
vencies and receiverships! How can
you say in the teeth Of such notori-
GUS facts that union labor 5 fair and
moderate, and that friendly under
standing with it is possible and desir-
able?
M: Your railroad ILLUSTRATION
strikes me as most unfortunate. Have
you read the report of Walker D.
Hines, the predecessor of the present
administrator of railroads? Hines is
railroad lawyer and former rail-
road executive. What does he say
about the wages of the railroad men?
Why, he says that they were the last
to be raised and that at no time were
they higher than, or even as high as,
the wages of workmen in other indus
tries. The railroad workers are not
responsible for the railroad situation.
Rather have they been the victims of
injustice. They certainly have been
patient and reasonab BILE. Not to rec
ognize this is to be guilty of rank un-
fairness and blind prejudice.
The agent hastily puts on his hat,
mumbles something, says "good morn
ing" and departs. The manufac-
turer smiles.