The Holbrook news., 1921-01-28
NEWS REVIEWOF
 CURRENT EVENTS.
Organized Fight of Capital on the Closed Shop Becomes
 More Imminent.
ACTION BY MANUFACTURERS
Machinists Accuse the Railroad Com panies-Pian to Stop immigration Probably Killed - Harding ln- auGuration to Be Simple
 Affairs in Europe.
Rx EnwARp W. PIckARp.

American industries and American business generally are beginning to speed up" and the more optimistic, like Ebert H. Gary, chairman of the board of the United States Steel cor poration, declares there is nothing un- favorable to prosperity on the horizon. Prices of many commodities, including some lines of building materials, are coming down steadily, and in many plants wages are being reduced, in some instances the reduction being made by the employers and accepted by the men and in others being sug- gested by the. workers themselves in order that the plants may be enabled to continue in operation.
 All this Is quite satisfactory to the ordinary citizen, but there is one dark cloud, despite the assertions of the Op- timists. This Is the coming fight be- tween organized labor and capital over the open shop. There are many signs that the issue will be joined soon. Last Wednesday the representatives of twenty-two state manufacturers assO- citations, in conference in Chicago, adopted resolutions pledging support for the open shop movement. In the discussion many speakers declared they would not employ union labor in their factories and mills, but when the vote was taken it was made clear that the resolution did not propose any dis criminatiOn against the holder of a union card. In substance the resolu- ton was:
 'It is recognized as fundamental in this country that all law-abiding citi- zens or residents have the right to work when they please, for whom they please, and on whatever terms are mu- tually agreed upon between employee and employer and without interference or discrimination upon the part of others.
 "We hereby express our purpose to support these fundamental principles of American plan of employment by the maintenance of the open shop.
 we urge upon our members to se- cure by discussion and education the active support of workers, merchants, bankers and professional men and all other elements of their prospective communities in favor of American ideals and the open shop"
 Only a few days previously an at- tOrney for the International Associa- tion of Machlnists presented to the in- terstate commerce commission a peti- ton charging that the larger railroad companies have united in an open shop movement designed to disrupt uniOnism, and that they are this year milking the United States treasury to the tune of $75O,OOO,OOO through their car repair manipulation" The compa- nies, 1t Is asserted, are closing their repair shops and giving the work to outside concerns which charge exorbi- tant rates, and in this way more than 30,OO0 workers have been thrown out of employment According to the ma chinists, this drive on railroad shop workers is only one phase of a capi- talistic "open shop" movement devel- Oping throughout the country, which has for tits real object" disruption of ''all legitimate labor organizations and trade union agreements"