The Connecticut labor news., 1922-07-07
Large Manufacturer Reveals Method Used By Open Shoppers Through League For Industrial Rights.

1HEOuSH ACdS ue N OI
 Industrial Rights. ton, Louisville, Ky, president of the Axton-Fisher Tobacco Co.,, large em- plovers of union labor, was invited to address the American Federation of Labor convention, and he had some thing worth while to tell the dele gates. The invitation was an honor conferred upon employers but few times in the history of the Federa- ton.
 Mr. Axton told about the League for Industrial Rights, which has it's headquarters at AZ Broadway, New York, and is composed of employers who put up money to influence court decisions and break down organized labor. He read letter received from Lawrence F. Sherman, executive sec retary of the league, asking MT. AK ton to make financial contribution to help in the work of the league, some of it's Achievements" being enumerated This letter and the re- ply of MT. AXton were read to the printed records. The letter of MT.
  is very enlightening. It reads:
 Axton-F Fisher Tobacco Co.
 Incorporated
 Louisville, Ky, June I7, 1922 Lawrence F. Sherman, Executive
 Secretary, League for Industrial
 Rights, AZ Broadway, New York,
 N Y:
 Dear Sir: Your favor of the 2d inst, handed me on my return to the city with the inclosed booklet outlin- ing the objects and accomplishments of the League for Industrial Rights during twenty years of it's existence Your letter is indeed interesting.
 In the third paragraph of your let ter you say:
 "The plan of organized labor to wipe out legal and constitutional ob- stacleS and to force the closed shop upon the country has been frustrated by our opposition to radical legisla- ton and by the court decisions ob- tained by us for our members at our expense"
 This paragraph is indeed astound- ing, especially the declaration that decisions of the court have been ob- tained by you at your expense. Did 1t ever occur to you that the tamper-
 
 the real incubator in this country of the widest kind of radicalsm? We have here in our city a few small-minded men who have gone to seed on the subject of labor, who de vote the greater part of their time in stirring up discontent between hon est employers and honest labor, and they have their secretary, who think he is the hero of industries by mis- representing the facts regarding or ganized labor, and as you say, frus trating legislation offered in favor of humanity in general.
 Few Employers Active.
 We hardly believe that any of our courts here have been corrupted by plore the day when such a thing would happen 1 am very gratihed indeed to have you say that your work is being carried on by a very small number of employers scattered throughout the country, because l am glad that very few men of this cOun- try want to engage in cOrrupting the courts of justice.
 I have a great deal of faith in the great number of employers who are engaged in business that are ,making headway by keeping on friendly terms with their employees and have not joined that class of busy-bodies who have but little ability to conduct their own business, but who would tell other men how to conduct their business.
 I do not believe that any honest employer would feel himself a debtor of your league, if your league stands for what your letter indicates it stands for.
 We have done some business with the Comas Machine Company and we do not know of anything in that transaction that would cause MT. Markley 10 believe that we would want to join a league such as you represent your league to be.
 We feel that the best thing for this country is for our legislators to be unbribed, for our courts to be uncor- rupted, and that employers under stand better the needs of their CO., workers and to stop as far as pos sible the discontent that is coming out of such organizations as you rep resent.
 We at least do not feel under any obligation to you or your kind and certainly will not be a contributor to the league.
 Very respectfully,
 WOOD F. ANTON, President
 Tn his letter the secretarE stated that "Mr. s C. Markley, president of +be Coroac Ci0arette Machine Go a