Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-07-07
open" SHOP IS
IMPOSSIBLE, SAYS
CHESTER R0WELL

Until a year or two ago Chester II.
Rowell was the owner and editor Of
the Fresno fCal.l Republican, and for
a number OF years had dealings with
the printing trade unions, members
of the different organizations being
employed in the mechanical depart
ments of his newspaper. Mr.. Rowell
is now chairman of the California
State Railroad Commission. Conse-
quently, one Of MS caliber is certain
ly able to discuss the question of the
open and closed shop with more
than an average degree of intelli-
genee. Mr. Rowell has done this In
one of the series of articles he has
written for the All Western Syndicate.
A chain of newspapers on the Pa
cife Coast are printing his articles
and the readers of those papers are
enjoying the privilege of knowing the
clear and concise opinions and the
reasons given by this foremost think
er among men in the state OF Cali
fornia. Mr.. Rowell says:
This "open" shop movement, just
now epidemic in certain reactionary
circles all over the country, and
spreading in California under the in
stigation of the Better American Fed
GRAFTON, is an interesting example of
the utter futility of putting your eyes
in the back of your head and thinking
you can see forward with them. OF
course, it can not succeed, and it
would do more harm than good to its
proponents if it did.
Even the New York Times, chief
organ of SNUG capitalism, says: ITO
- CHI
to take the place of the present union,
is as impossible as to unscramble
eggs and set them to hatch" Collec
tive bargaining is an unacceptable con-
sequence of the size and completely
of modern industry. You can no more
restore the individual bargain than
you can restore hand tool individual
production. And the workers are GO
ing to determine for themselves the
form of their own organization and
choose their own representatives. The
employers can not formulate it for
them, nor impose it on them. They
can merely form on their side also
such organization as they may choose,
to deal with such organizations as
the workers may choose to form or
join. And this organization will then
test itself by its adaptability to its
purposes.
SO far, most employers organiza-
tons have made the blunder of taking
the |. w. w. instead of the unions as
their model. This is, they have or
ganized as zone big union" of en-
ployers as class, instead of organ
ling by trades and industries and
celebrating these groups, Experience
has long since shown that the zone
big union" is efficient for fighting
and destruction, but misfit for bar
gaining and business.
If the purpose is to destroy cap
italism, the |. w. w. is the way. If
the purpose Is to do business with it,
the trades unions are the way. So,
if the purpose is to destroy unionism,
the general employers association 81
the way. If the purpose Is to do
business with it, the federated organ
ization by industries is the way.
The employers, like the employees,
have the right to choose either way.
But if they choose an organization
suitable only for fighting, and try to
do business with it, they must not be
surprised if the business effort fails
and breaks up in fight. Also, if
they fight the unions, they must not
be surprised if they raise up the |.
w. w. in their place. 1t would pay
better to deal with them.