Show rp i g Communications of e 3 ff A TALK TALI ON LABOR Knowing that the labor question was up for debate only a few days ago in the society room loom of the University the writer confesses some timidity in calling the subject subject sub sub- sub 3 up again so soon in this locality But it is a very broad subject and will admit of many discussions yet I think without growing glowing particularly stale If pol political ical skirmishing and military parade have not lost their exciting powers powei s in the public mind labor and capital ought just now to tobe to be a topic of inex inexhaustible interest But leaving these general matters matteis for foi a thought hereafter I wish first fust to give a little attention to an affair of labor laboi home that it will not i require e for its just consideration any vast amount of political learning or sagacity In the Ogden Standard of February was published published published pub pub- a notice to its subscribers and patrons as follows The Standard closes down It fears t trat to rat its office and cannot pay union wages It bl blows ws in in its struggle f for r existence during the past three yea s. s Then follows follows' an explanation by the Standard business manager to the effect that the plant was was i running tinning behind at the rate of 1000 I per month and the paper could not long survive such a drain upon its capital capital that he had called the employees employees em em- together all responding except the compositors who were represented by bythe bythe the executive committee of the Ogden typographical union At this meeting upon the managers manager's statement of the case all the employees accepted a temporary r i reduction in their wages except the union committee acting for the compositors w vho o declined to do so Other negotiations followed folio wed between the union union committee Viand tand and the manager but to no purpose in effecting a reduction of the rate of com com- position So as a regular result of the conditions explained the Standard was duly closed down and the employees dis dis- missed There are some points of fact that appear in the managers manager's explanations which are quite necessary to a clear idea lof of the situation The scale of or prices for type setting exacted by the Ogden typographical typographical typographical typo typo- graphical union calls for the m maximum rate rate outside of mining towns and enables a a printer with av average rage industry to make from 25 to 35 per week according to his skill There is no other class of skilled or professional laborers who save through some special capacity or acquirement can demand these wages I am also informed that the Ogden typographical union nion through which this difficulty was vas precipitated precipitated precipitated has been in some measure under the control of traveling printers upon whom the self respecting members of the brotherhood brotherhood brotherhood broth broth- have bestowed the name of hobo In any case these migratory artisans swai swarm m perpetually on the U P. P and C. C P. P roads road and are not backward in rendering duel due l assistance in their line particular line principally t pally jaw-bone jaw service when service when rates railway railway railway rail rail- way or typographical are in discussion But whether this evil genius of the printers printer's print print- ers er's trade was conspicuous in the trouble in question I cannot say I speak of him himas himas as as a poss possible ble auxiliary simply who might do his share in n any mischief that should oC come me in his way I perceive that the tone of my remarks by y a very slight effort of the imagination might be construed into partisan motive and Nand I take this opportunity therefore to explain that having had a practical and more or less trying experience in about every very gradation of honorable labor if a partisan at all I should by force of burning burning burning burn burn- ing memories be found on the labor side Every laborer or friend of labor must deplore any transaction which makes the son of toil appear unmanly in the estimation estimation estimation estima estima- tion of the observing world who must eventually be the arbiter between him and his oppressors Whether the case in question is one of these each must must decide for himself I am told that several of the Standard printers who have families and homes in Ogden and expect to remain there thought that it was and therefore consented to the reduction but were overruled overruled overruled over over- ruled by numbers At all events whether the affair is a stroke of self-protection self or ora ora ora a little play at tyranny is made clear enough in the ultimatum If the financial statement of the manager is true rind I Iam Iam Iam am sure that no one familiar with journalism journal journal- ism is in Utah will doubt it then the case ca e turns fairly upon his his his' proposition that the paper cannot live and pay the maximum prices for type setting unless every other employee on the plant is willing to labor without pay To this this the Ogden u union ion i replies replie that its members shall not work for less than this maximum price and this maximum price not being paid it is perfectly perfectly perfectly per per- understood that a general boycott will follow This is the managers manager's meaning meaning meaning mean mean- ing ing- ingin in saying that he fears to rat the theoffice theoffice theoffice office or in other words to employ printers who are no not controlled by the union scale of prices The position of ot of that organization then thenis is simply this Some natured good-natured moneyed moneyed moneyed mon mon- eyed man must come forward and donate 1000 a month in order that its members may be employed at high water mark rates or else Ogden shall have no paper provided it has the power to prevent it In the mean time it appears that the manager manager manager man man- ager has concluded to rat the office and test his powers I have discussed the Ogden affair at 1 considerable length fir first t because it is near t. t at hand and S second beca because lse the National Typographical Union of which the Ogden Ogden Og- Og den union is a branch is the most powerful powerful powerful power power- ful ful- and most successful as well wen as the the old old oldest est cst labor organization in existence so far faras faras faras as I can learn Many 1 of the readers of this article may at some period of their lives become members if not of this probably of a similar organization an and l in inthe inthe the case I have ha thus described in detail are revealed some of the most repugnant features of unionism and therefore its worst drawbacks That the typographical union ha ha- succeeded in making its way up tap f to its present eminence of success I am am sure i is i. due clue to the most consummate wisdom wisdom wis wis- wis- wis wisdom dom in its chief departments Aside from F t the e hobo elem element nt which has always seemed to me an unnecessary disgrace 0 the organization is a wonder of strength and merit and well wen worthy the minute f study of f a student of political science a particularly in this day clay when the laborer Cl is all but holding the nation in awe r r This nation in my opinion can display sovereignty no more splendid emblem df of free sov sovereignty r- r than the banner of the successful laborer I should t t not want the principle t i I of unionism which has done much and J may do infinitely r more for his amelioration tt- tt Lr Hon tion to receive the he slightest reproach I through strictures of mine But the thew i if w I Ii laborer in pui pursuing suing his open antagonist must not overlook the enemy in hIs bib own j I ranks who wh the cry of war ar wart t upon capital will s so besmear his cause t At with di dishonor that his best frien friends s will I not know his face Lam Nobody No bo y ex expects peets that the man who has spent nearly the thc entire energies of a life J I in in plotting and arid contriving methods to in inI increase increase in- in f crease his gain will be metamorphosed r into an apostle of magnanimity through ii f J the acquisition of wealth Everybody iw I sees or expects p to o see in him the same ji bi G i iL aY 2 L withered ed shadow of a soul and the cam sanS sam narrow mind which was observed ed in da days day struggling in patched for past pants a an an advantage among treet street urchins Th The meanness that will exact ten minutes J of boy thought in acquiring a penny without 1 it will fret a rich earning poor man for a aday aday day and night or a week if necessary i ithe in inthe in inthe the invention of a scheme to rob a widow of her cow in a way that will not endanger ger his chances of repeating the operation with some o other her widow I 1 We have had this question evolved an and revolved in the recent tariff riff discussions discussions but i lio no o evidence has yet appeared that th thI the theman theman J man w whose I gains gams are in d' d direct proportion proportion to his facility for pinching an employee can be hired through any contrivance ye yet yet invented to refrain from pinching that that thai employee as viciously and persistently a athe as as the latter will endure This rule is not absolute but but it will h hold ld good in the may ma majority of cases 1 But the cause of labor is upon another basis The laborer stands upon justice and if justice will not win his battle for foj him his ca cause lse is hopeless He may con cOli conr conquer quer with fire and sword for a time b bet such a tr triumph is the worst possible d de j feat for it is sure to leave him a more mol impotent dependent than ever before But a victory which justice awards is L t. t legacy that will endure in some form formo fo ever |