The New York herald., 1921-01-16
OPEN SHOP HAS NO
CENTRAL CONTROL
Spontaneous Movement Which
Is Sweeping Country. j. p.
Bird Asserts.
ACCEPTED IN $50 CITIES
It's Justice and Necessity to
Public Analyzed by Manu-
facturers Official.
ACCEPTED IN $50 CITIES

The country wide movement for the
open shop. which is attracting attention
ss one of the most remarkable phe-
nomena in American. industrial history
is entirely spontaneous. with no central
control or authority of any kind, so 1t
was asserted yesterday by j. Philip
Bird, general manager of the National
Association OF Manufacturers.
More than 500 organizations in 200
cities have now indorsed the plan, said
Mr.. Bird. ''and prominent manufacturers
declare they could not stem the tide If
they wished
According to the resolution first
adopted by the National Association of
Manufacturers in 1908. the open shop
is one in which mo person should be
refused employment or in any way dis
eliminated against on account of MEM
bership or on-membershlp In any labor
organization The association also de-
clared 'it is unalterably opposed 10 boy
colts"
''The declarations mean exactly what
they say" Mr.. Bird declared yesterday
"It was stated that employees have the
right to contract for their services in 4
tive agreement shall forbid employment
TO those who. for any reason. refuse to
Join labor organization.
1.-THE present nationwide support of
the open shop principle comes from rec
ognition OF both its justice and neces-
sity by the general public. They realize
that it is just because it insures the
right OF employers to hire men without
requiring them TO belong to labor or
eanization and the right of worker to
take employment without asking II all
OF his fellow workers carry the union
card. The Winnipeg and Seattle general
strikes. the police strike in Boston, the
steel strike and the outlaw railroad
strike have brought conviction Of the
necessity of the open shop.
Suppression Not Aim.
''There Is no desire in this day and
age OF organization to suppress and
eliminate organizations of employees.
The great mass of union workers are
honest. God fearing and liberty loving
Americans. But. according to William
z. Foster OF steel strike fame. the unions
arc controlled by one per cent. OF their
total membership. IT is the actions and
policies of this one per cent. TO which
the employers object.
upon isolated instances. some large, but
most small, OF open shop advocates who
abuse the principle. 1t will be found in
most of the cases where employers dis
criminate against union men that such
discrimination is the result of policies
and actions of the unions with which
they would have to deal. For instance,
certain employers refuse absolutely to
deal with the Structural Iron Workers,
-. xl...s. IAN
fenced to prison few years ago for
DESTROYING the property Of employers.
Twenty-one OF these men were afterward
elected to local and national offices in
the union. which still belongs 10 the
American Federation OF Labor
Then again. many employers are un-
able in any case to employ union men
because of union rules forbidding their
working alongside independent workers.
1t Is a. fundamental policy OF closed
shop union rules to refuse to arbitrate
Tho question of the closed shop. The
general policy of the closed shopper Is
TO single out an individual case for at
tack, hoping the public viii forget the
principles involved and will fail TO con-
slider the thousands upon thousands OF
establishments all over the country VIII
ing and anxious to operate. where II
Is possible under real open shop condi-
tions.
Closed shop Rules.
"The closed shop declares that only
union men may be employed in an es-
tablishment and that the union rules
must prevail therein. The employer Is
asked to make contracts and agreements
with organizations which arc not legally
responsible for their fulfilmcnt. There
IN power without responsibility. and the
closed shop organizations bitterly op-
pose all efforts by the public to force
responsibility upon them. Restrictions
OF all kinds have been placed upon bust
ness in the last thirty years
"Thesc rules are made by men. ninety
five per cent. OF whom are not employed
In any one establishment. This means
that the working conditions In every
plant arc established by outside control
As matter OF fact, one per cent OF
the total union membership make the
rules.
"The nature OF these rules hamper:
Industry and raises prices. Union rules
specifically limit the number OF appren
tices that may be employed, thus pre-
venting many boys from learning skilled
trades and receiving higher wages. ai
well as reducing the number OF skilled
worlSmcn available for industry. The
employer would benefit likewise by the
greater buying power OF a large number
OF skilled workers.