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Show Organized Labor Attacks Open Shop Testimony In Relation to the Matter Given Before Federal Commission , Los Angeles, Sept. IT Open shop conditions hero have caused low, wages and long hours for labor and Inefficient work nnd increased financial finan-cial profits for employers' witnesses .for organized labor testified today before be-fore tho federal Industrial relations commission. Representatives of employers responded re-sponded that tho open shop policy had not only Increased their profits but had brought them a class of efficient, ef-ficient, contented workmen nnd rb ' moved all possibility of strlko troubles. trou-bles. Tho only conciliatory noto sounded during tho day came from Fred La Baker, president and mnnagor ot the Baker Iron works which employs both union and nonunion men, women bo declared that he hoped conditions would change so that employers may be able to deal wholly with union labor, la-bor, as he believed they had many advantageous things to offer. His, suggestion was that unions should be Incorporated and mado responsible and that tho government should fix a minimum wage which would make, it impossible for the unscrupulous em; ploycr to tako advantage ot labor. , Asked by Commissioner Wolnstock If It wero not to tho financial advantage advan-tage of, tho employer to employ nonunion non-union onen J, W. Buzzell, business agent ot the Metal Trades council quickly responded nfllrmatlvely. Tliero was no doubt, ho said, that tho Los Angeles employer! coul show greater earnings than the San Francisco employers who deal with tho unions. Mr. Buzzell Insisted, how-over, how-over, that tho product of San Francisco Fran-cisco labor would provo superior. II. W. Bryson, a building contractor, contrac-tor, said ho would not employ union labor because of tho dictation, domination, domi-nation, selfishness and utter disregard disre-gard of contracts existing In its ranks. Ho admitted that no organ Izatlon ever had broken a contract with hlm. . O. L. Grow, business agent ot tho International Association of Machinists, Machin-ists, testified that chaotic conditions prevail among machinists of Los Angeles An-geles due to their unorganized condition. con-dition. "The wages paid wot hers hero nie on nn average ot 23 par cent below tho union scale," he Ea 1. "Some men, especially In tho automobile In dustry, aro paid only for tho tlmo they actually aro at work. When there Is no work In tho shops competent compe-tent workmen sometimes stand, around idlo for from an hour to fivo hours and do uot earn a cent." A strlko was called among tho machinists here In 1910 and In August, Au-gust, 1912, It terminated without the men winning their contentions. Efforts, Ef-forts, still aro be,lng made to organize organ-ize tbo workers. A noto which Genenil Harrison Gray, Otis sent Chairman Wash" today advising him that James 11. McNn-mora, McNn-mora, who was convicted of placing 4 bomb under the Times building, was a union printer, was disputed t;-day t;-day by Charles SCott, ail orgnnlzor for tho International Typographical Union. An attempt to connect Iwra with an Indianapolis local failed, Mr. Scott told tho commission. - - i |
