Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-02-18
Colby Debaters
Win Over u. of M.
in Annual Meet

COlDy COlleSe QeDaterS upheld the
question: Resolved. That the princi-
pie of the closed shop is for the best
/ interests of the American People,
successfully last evening against a
debating team from the University
of Maine. The debate was held in
the Colby chapel. The decision was
t. 81. President Arthur J. Roberts pre-
sided. The board of judges was COM
posed of the following men: Roland
r. Patten of Augusta: Harold f.
Weeks of Fairfield. The decision was
rendered after consideration.
George Wolstenholme was the
most powerful speaker and his
speech brought forth long applause
| Each speaker was allowed II min
utes for argument and five minutes
for rebuttal.
| About 300 people listened to the
arguments.
| Ashley Bickmore was the first
Ispeaker on the Affirmative. He
opened his argument by the state
, ment that he was speaking for five
and one-half million people. Note.
/
shop I mean union shop. Under the
oren shop system a union cannot en-
force their rules. After the Civil
War, the closed shop became of in
creasing importance. In 1901. one
F., third of the strikers were for closed
shop. Great construction companies
were being formed. Various open
! frc CT h0
closed shop. I. w. W.'s were held up
J as an example of unions. Why was
! labor willing to suffer want. precau-
, ton and Imprisonment for the closed
shop.
The closed shop has done three
things: First, it has stabilized labcr.
, At the beginning of the war the
miners in Pennsylvania kept to their
scale of wages even though they re-
ceived less than those outside. The
result is that they still have their
work and their wages are still kept
to the scale. Second they receive
larger share of the products.
The last thing in the improvement
of laboring conditions.
Take for example the printing in
dustry. At the time of invention of
work, but through the closed shop
! they soon rallied.
Edward Matthew Curran opened
the negative argument.
1--WE stand for no monopoly of
capital or of labor" said Mr.. Curran.
Cnder some conditions the closed
shop is benefit, but when
conditions are in harmony the
closed shop is not needed.
! In Fords shops, where the open
shop prevails, conditions are all
right. We admit that trade unionism
is beneficial to American people. but
we are not arguing about the closed
shop One of the most vital and
sinister things about the closed shop
is the decrease in efficiency.
A carpenter before the closed shop
came into effect would hang a door
an hour, now he considers four doors
a good days work.
Again a union card is often suf-
ficient for admission regardless of ef-
ficiency. These conditions would
nave " ptcNdiI II tic SAOSct SlOp
is to be enforced This would make
a monopoly and we do not stand for
monopoly.
Do we want to keep a good man
from working as hard as he wishes?
British industrial conditions are
cursed with the closed shop and
limited output and Germany with
omen shop has far outStrippcd her.
If efficiency be made the basis of
advancement the workers would be-
come the most important factor in
government OF the country.
We maintain that the principle OF
closed shop is not for the best in
tcrest of American people and should
not be adopted.
Samuel Pinonisky spoke second on
the affirmative.
as second speaker will show that
the closed shop is beneficial to the
employer and employee. I will say
there are three ways in which it
benefits: One. it thoroughly or
ganizes the labor supply. Under the
present conditions Maine may have
shortage of workers, while Pennsyl-
vania is swarming. The union acts
as a registry for every laborer.
Second. it greatly reduces labor
turnover. 1t is obvious that If a man
needs hundred men to run his busi-
l.