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prffT MR MERCHANT Hintoitthe AS occttred to you that this paper goes homes of the best paid working* men in Duluth and surrounding territory? It is carefully perused by every adult mem ber of the household. There is no' better ad vertising-medium anywhere. ALLIANCE STILL TfiYING TO SWAY WIBL^WN Publishes Alleged Acts\^. justices by Labor Unions Col ored to Suit Their Purposes. The Citizens' Alliance continues in its paid newspaper campaign against union labor, in "which its writers "buikl men of straw" and tear them down in their own way as it suits their purpose. They still put up to the public state ments against labor unions writ ten in their own terms and they answer them in like manner! Here is a dandy they put out Sun day morning: Sisler, an electrical worker, was discharged by his New York employer on the demand of the business agent of the local union, of which Sisler was a member. Cause His Discharge. According to the Alliance version of it, Clark, the business agent, ad mitted under oath that he had causcd his discharge and gave as his only reason the fact that the executive committee of the local union did not like Sisler. The court, according to the Alli ance, gave Sisler judgment against of ficials of the local union in the sum of $600 damages. It is admitted that if Clark, the business agent, had no better reason for insisting upon the discharge for the reason "that the executive com mittee did not like Sisler," he waa dead wrong. That was not any rea son at all, but what seems strange to us is that Sisler would go into court when he stood a better chance by appealing to the international union. If-'he-was rlgiit he would have been awarded back pay and his union mem bership would have been restored to him, and no lawyer would have got ten all of his money. Never Heard of Case. We never heard of the case before, but we will get the facts soon, an*l we will wager they will be different from the Citizens' Alliance statement of the case- A member of a labor union has every right within the union that a business agent enjoys. Labor unions have constitutions an.i laws and they must be obeyed. The international unions require it. To have removed Sisler from his job it would be first necessary to file charges against him in the union, give him opportunity to reply, then to try him and if found guilty to vote the penalty. If Sisler believed that he did not get a square deal he has the right to appeal to the international union, which would review his case and see that he got justice. Men Got Justice. We had a similar instance in Du luth recently. Union carpenters were ordered off a job by vote of the local union. The men refused to leave the job, holding that the union was in error and it was calling an illegal strike. The union stood pat. Charges were filed against tho men who re fused to strike. They were found guilty and fined. The men appealed to the international officers. A sworn statement of the case was filed. Tlw action of the union was reversed and the fines of the men were ordered re mitted. They got justice and Sisler would if he had been of the right sort. Would Sisler be any more free in a non-union shop than he was in the union shop? Let us see- Supposing the situation was reversed and the non-union boss had taken a dislike for Sisler and discharged him, what redress would he then have? None at all. The courts have held that a boss cftn discharge an employe for any reason and for no reason. The Citizens' Alliance never attacks that form of sovietism in which the com missar boss has all to say about whom he shall employ or discharge. Age-Old Privilege. Anti-unionists jealously guard the privilege they have long enjoyed of discriminating against employes whom they dislike, but how they do shout for "individual rights" every time a labor union protests against the em ployment of an objectionable person. In the last analysis the individual stands a much better chance to have all his rights protected When there is a strong labor union behind him thin he wojuld have if the boss had his own sweet way about it, as he has in the ''open shop." The "open shop" is not contending lor the protection of personal rights at all. His cry for freedom is mere camouflage. He is fighting to con tinue in his mastery over man. Whei there is mastery there is precious lit-/ tl© regard for the personal liberty of the workers. The union shop protects the work ers in their rights. The non-union Slipp AdjKfiies the workers every seita blanceof liberty. That is the dif ference^ ky VOL.28 NO. 40. DULUTH AND SUPE Mn'i. Arraigns Conditions Relating to Enforcement of Federal and sjtate Anti-Trust Lavs. NEW YORK, June 21.—Samuel Untermyer, counsel for the state commission that is investigating the building: trust, has notified Attorney General Newton he wants to resign and that he will not attempt to se cure any more indictments under the' existing anti-trust laws. Mr. Untermyer's letter is a remark able arraignment of conditions re lating to the enforcement of federal and state anti-trust laws, which, he declares, have been so administered within the past few years as "to breed contempt for the law and support a powerful argument in the. hands of demagogues and enemies of or-, ganized society in favor of the claim that our criminal laws are not en forced against" the rich and power ful in the same spirit as against the' poor and lowly." To date the net result of the com mission's investigation has- been the jailing of one member of Organized labor and the fining of several busi ness men and corporations! The evi dence showed that business men fi nanced this convicted worker in or-, ganizing a dual union of painters to resist the wage demand of the reg ular painters' union. In his letter to the attorney gen eral, Mr. Untermyer declines to be a "collection agency" for gathering: fines. Unless legislation can be se cured which will insure imprison* ment of these offenders, he says, he can see no substantial usefulness in further convictions. When the worker was sentenced to the penitentiary the public press shrieked its praise. Since then 'other' subjects are being discussed. N. Y. CENTRAL OFFICIAL WASHINGTON, Juifct '2l—Aibert 'H, Smith, president of the NeVv York Central railroad, told the ^senate in terstate commerce committee that he favored a "scientific" readjustment of railroad rates. This is the first railroad official who has intimated: that railroad rates are too high, al though they are a unit in condemn ing "high" wages. All other railroad, officials have declared that rates are not high. Mr. Smith let it be under-stood that rate reductions must not be arbi trary, but must only be made after experiments on what charges will in crease traffic. In the case of wages, however, a sledge hammer is permissible to ac complish their reduction. MORE MOONEY AFFIDAVITS ARE PRESENTED IN COURT SAN FRANCISCO. June .2,—An other frameup affidavit has bee'n filed in the Mooney case. William Pyne, who was a watchr man at the Ellers building during the preparedness parade, now swears that the Mooneys were on the top of that building when the bomb ex ploded a mile and a quarter away. Mrs. Mooney has a music studio in the Ellers building and the Mooneys have insisted that they were on this building at a time when it was im possible to be at the scene of the ex plosion, as claimed by the prosecu tion. Several other affidavits have been secured in support of the watchman's affidavit and th«. Mooney alibi claim. REFUSE TO ARBITRATE. TOLEDO, Ohio, June 2.—Sheet metal contractors are attempting to enforce a wage reduction and have refused to consider the offer of em ployes that the question be arbi trated. BY PRESIDENT GOMPERS. Confession that the "open snop" campaign has proved a failure wa^ made public May 16 at th£ aiinyal convention of the national association' of manufacturers, held in New YorK. The committee on industrial better ment of that organization protested against the defensive position into which the members had been forced by labor, and plaintively declared: "A defensive battle is a lo&irig bat tle." The committee urged that an of fensive campaign be inaugurated and that the "open shop" movement ,be stimulated by plans for industrial rep resentation which would bridg about the following result: "If plans for its adoption are wiseiy introduced industrial representation should become, the most Approved method of dealing with labo& Such plans could be inaugurated where Builders' Exchange Galled tor Detaining Character of Paint ers' UniofrBusiness Agent. LABOR DEMANDSSEARCHIN6 INVESTIGATION OF CHARGE But "Open Shop" Secretary Dodges Question and Lays Blame to Master Painter. "The campaign of the anti unionists is 'fraught with dasher from every aspect. It kindles class hatred. It creates doubt, suspicion and envy. It disorgan izes society. It creates malice be tween men where there should be friendship. It interrupts produc tion and throws all industry off ite balance. It is most injurious ,to the city." The foregoing declaration is made by the' Federated Trades assembly against the Citizens' Alliance and the Builders' Exchange. In March the "Builders' Bulletin," which is pub lished by the Builders' Exchange, con tained an article charging that thai business agent of the Painters' union had, charged a certain master painter one dollar for every man furnished hinj. Assembly Takes Action. The Charge was called tq the .at tention of the "Federated Trades as sembly, which directed its executive committee to make a searching- inves tigation. The committed submitted its report to the regular meeting held last Friday evening. The delegates7 ordered that the report be published' In full in the papers." It is as foi lo'Hhs:"- 'Four executive committee, to which was referred a paragraph appearing in the Builders' Bulletin under date of March 28, 1921, which evidently was intended to reflect upon the in tegrity of the. business agent of the Painters' Union, begs to report that a communication was sent to Mr. F. W. Armstrong, secretary crt the Du luth Builders' Exchange, under date of April 9, asking for his co-opera tion to make an investigation of the charge made in the Bulletin. The' communication was as follows: Courts Co-Operation. "At a meeting of the. Federated Trades Assembly held last,evening, the attention of the Assembly was called to a paragraph appearing in 'The Builders* Bulletin' of March. 28, 1921, and under the title, 'Building Investi gation,' from which the following paragraph is quoted: 'In Duluth we have had only one report of a business agent trying to shake down an employer, that being •presented last fall by one of the mas ter painters, and we hope that there is no combination in Duruth whose operations would tend to question the-honesty of the building industry. If there is, same should be discov ered and set right at once, in order that the necessary building in Duluth may progress.' "This is taken as a direct attack upon one of our members, whoever it may be. There were only four business agents employed last year by the building trades unions. The Trades Assembly voted to cause an investigation to be made and the ex ecutive Committee was directed to do so- If there are any dishonest mem bers 'shaking down* employers we want to know it, in order that our ranks may be purged of them. Who Is the Man? "We, therefore, most respectfully call upon you to supply us with the name of the 'master painter' and of the business agent or any other mem ber of organized labor referred to in the paragraph above quoted. The' la bor unions of Duluth, we have al waysi believed, were pretty free from ANTI-UNIONISTS ARE COMPELLED TO CHANGE members of labor organizations us well as independent workers are .em ployed." Having failed by coercive tactics to force-, autocracy in industry upon the workers, the national association of manufacturers now propose to sil ence them by promising a few of their representatives seats on boards of di rector? of the: corporations. This' would be empty honor, indeed. The hopes and aspirations of labor cannot be satisfied by the patronizing act of patting the workers on the back. Sin cerity of purpose of employers, their whole-hearted interest. in their em ployes, can be best shown in the con tents of pay envelopes. When that is lacking there can be no encourage ment for the workers in having rep resentatives on boards of directors. Furthermore. such a/proposal is to ienbourage -the disorganisation of the organized-aiid prevent organization of AMERICAN LABOR WILL NOT BE OUTLAWED OR ENSLAVED Ml TRADES ASSEMLLY INVITES ENEMIES OF UNIONS TO COME OUT IN OPEN AND PUT UP FAIR FIGHT The tactics arc. those of the anti unionists in their campaign of mis representation, villificatlon, calum ny and abuse against union labor* Duluth unions are clean and they ask their opponents' to come out from the darkness and fight square and in the open. practices referred to in your article. We ask your co-operation in ferreting this thing out. May we not have the courtesy of.an early reply?" Under date of April 14, Mr. Arm strong replied to our letter, in which was made some vague statements as to how he came into possession of the alleged information^ and concluded by stating that "The Exchange is not interested in this proposition, and 1 presume the master painters are not* or you would" have heard from them before this The letter was as fol lows: "Replying to yours of April 9, wish to advise you'a gentleman called in this-office stating that he was a mas ter paifiter and thatf he had been charged $1.00 for eaclj- man, furnished him, and Avas inquiring if this was the regular practice around-town "This man did notkbelong to the Duluth Builders' Exchange- nor to the Master Painters' Cluybfend I referred the information- to thefpainters' Club, and recommended thatj^getin touch With them if he waftfed to be posted on what they were doing. A Strangle Precaution. "The article in our Bulletin, do^s not state that we have investigated this matter and, as above explained, we are interested only where our members are affected, and this was mentioned only as a word of precau tion and to give our members the opportunity to advise the Exchange if they had experienced a similar con dition, for such tactics certainly are a detriment to the employe as well as the employer, and, in fact, affect the entire building industry. "The Exchange is not interested in this proposition, and I presume the, master painters are not, or you would have heard from them before this." We were not satisfied with the evasive letter sent in reply to jour, communication by Mr. Armstrong. You will note that he did not mention the name of any master painter. He pretended to assume that there might be some basis of fact, to the abstract charge made, but it was evident that he learned he had burned his fingers and expressed in the concluding para graph that the Exchange and the Master Painters' Club were not in terested. Under date of April 21 we wrote him again, put the matter squarslv up to -*him, and demanded that he either "retract the article or give us the name of the master painter whom he alleges made the charge that he had been asked by a business agent to pay $1.00 for each man furnished. The letter is as follows: But Labor Is, Interested. "The receipt is acknowledged of your letter under date of April 14, in answer to mine of the 9th, relating to the article appearing in 'The BuiM-r ers' Bulletin' of March 28", which re flected upon Elling Munkeby, business agent for the Painters' Union for the past four years. Although no nam* was mentioned, the language of tho article was capable of no double mean ing and could be.applied to no busi ness agent but Mr. Munkeby. "You state that the 'Exchange is the yet unorganized. The humiliating confession of de feat of the- "open JUNE 4,1921. OF BUILDERS' EXCHANGE The Federated Trqjdes Assembly directed its executivej committee to investigate an insinuating charge against union labor ^itade by the boy secretary of the Builders' Ex change who failed tofproduce any evidence in substantiation. The committee, however, inde pendent of the Builders' Exchange, looked up the matte| and found the source of the allegid information. It was, without basis of fact, and the Exchange is .called upon to openly make rtraetiOn, which its officers have not the manhood to do. shop" campaign officially corroborates the statements heretofore made by labor that as the "open shop" campaign was an un American and illogical campaign con ducted to serve greed and special in terests it was impossible' for it to su*v ceed. This position has b^en. main tained by labor since the profiteering interests first launched their agitation to't- enslave .labor. The hue and cry for.the "open shop" also was intended as propaganda to influence legislation in the states- similar to that adoptel in Kansas to tie men tq their* jobs. But the propaganda proved unavail ing- Not -a/ single state followed th& ltead of disgraced Kansas. No. more abject admission of defeat for- an un worthy cause could be made than that contained III the report pf the com mittee on industrial betterm^ntr ts? the Anti-Uoionists Challenged to Let Public in on Secret Proceed ings of Their Meetings. THEY GURTAILIPRQDUGTIQN AND INTERRUPT INDUSTRY from Every Aspect Kindles Hatred Among the Classes. not interested in this proposition and I presume the painters are not, or you would have heard from them before this.' I assure you, however, that we are interested in the 'proposition,* whep you deliberately and wilfully publish an article reflecting upon one of our niembers, when you knew at the time there w^,s no basis of fact to it that you could substantiate. "We do not propose to let the mat-, ter drop as easily as you would wish. The painters' business agent must either be exonerated or his guilt proven. It is up to you, and it is hereby demanded that you either re tract the statement you made in 'The Builders' Bulletin' or give us the name of the master painter who. stated that .'He was charged $1.00 for each min furnished, and was inquiring if this was the reg:ular practice around town/ Asked to Come Clean. "Even in su'ch statement the 'mai-: ter painter' is not alleged by you. to have said that a business agent had charged him $1-00 for eaoh man. He may have been doing business with' a private employment agency.. jn this article in question, published in -'The Builders' Bulletin,' ypj» ,!il Duluth we have only one 'faftort a business a$ent trying to shake down An employer,* The thing for yoij. ro do is to come, clean qne&w.a£ orrtha4 other and help*: us clear our business agent's, name, of the stain you' havu placed upon it." No reply waa received to the above, letter, and under date of April 29 we addressed another letter to Mr. Arm strong, calling his attention to the fact that he had not recognized our letter of April 21. That letter is .is follows: "On April 21 I sent you an acknowl edgment of your letter to me of April 14, and up to the present time i^iave not heard from you,. As, you know, I am asking for important, informa tion, and realizing that the duluth Builders' Exchange is vitally inter ested in the matter to which ou former communication referred, I had expected to -have heard from you very promptly. "Permit me to ask if you intend to recognize my letter of the 21st as oC sufficient importance to warrant a reply." Is Still Evasive. Oij the following day, April 30, Mr. Armstrong sent us.'the following let ter: "This will acknowledge receipt of your communications of April 21 and 29, ayd, as advised in my previous communication, all the information I had I turned over to the maStur painters. "I 'have taken this matter up with them, and as soon as they give the information I will advise you the name of the painter who brought that mat ter to our attention." It will be noted that this latter letter is still' evasive arid certainly in dicates his desire to drop the whulfc matter. However, the situation re mains unchanged. The paragraph in the Builders' Bul letin referred to was printed for more or less public circulation and un doubtedly was read by a number of persons outside of the members of the Builders' Exchange. Communications passing' between your executive committee and Mi". Armstrong would be read only by the (Continued on page 2.) national association of manufacturers^ It is a-cry for help. But the answer will be the same as that which. haS, been made by the people to the unfile employers since the campaign began. The failurei of the campaign to- de stroy trade uniohs proves two things., which are: First, that the working/people want, trade union organization'and will nqt be driven from its protection, and Second, that trad* uniqnism: -is' fun damentally -right, that it is a Vital part of American democracy in action and that the logic and strength .of Its position are proof against successfr.l attack.- The opportunity seems fitting to say to the workers of America and' to fhe employers that the American Federa tion of Labor is about to begin, a greaf organizing^, campaign. Organization work continues -at 'all times, Next Convention to Re Second to None Held by the American The convention of the American Federation of Labor in Denver June 13 "will be of an importance second to none" in the history of organized labor, in the'opinion of Samuel Gom pers, president .of the federation. Here is the way Gompers lists the issues: The Issues. "The condition of unemployment, of which estimates run as high as 5,000,000,. "The un-American movement to crush labor and blast, its spirit through what is called with miser able regard for the truth the open shop movement. "The railroad problem, sufficient in ,itself to absorb the entire time of any great convention, involving the nation's chief means of transport. "The immigration problem, with its vital1 bearing on American stand ards of living and of citizenship. The Russian Problem. "The, problem of Russian affairs, the cancer that is eating at the vitals Of world civilization. "The problem of how best to meet conditions brought About by court de cisions, demanding more than unusual attention. "x It may well be that the future history of the, world will be written in accord with- what happen in American industry in the rext two or four.years," says Gompers. VI doubt whether, most Americans "have a true idea of what, is going oil. I dqiibt whether they fully urir dersta-nd the magnitude of the issues which are at stake and what it means to have the rights of man defeated." b^eja '. issued by the ekfecutives of the .five transportation railroad orgattiza tippis fpr a meeting of 600 general chairmen to, attend a joint conference at Chicago on Friday, J[uly 1, to con sider the w&ge' award "made by the tlnited States railroad labor board, ef fective on that date. The interested unions igre the^ loco riiotive engineers, firemen, conductors, trainman and switchmen. "For the information of -all con cerned," it is- stated, "this meeting has been called as: a result of a reso lution adopted., by the United States railroad labor board, as reported in the, public press." The board's announcement, said the amount, of the wage .decrease, effec tive July 1. will be" made public June. 1.. HARD AND SOFT COAL MINERS ACT T06ETHER NEW YORK, June 2.—At a con ference in this city anthracite and bituminous coal miners agreed to take joint action in negotiating, wage agreements. Heretofore the anthra cite miners, located in small sec tion of eastern Pehnsylvania, have negotiated their agreement indepen dent of the soft coal miners, who are: scattered throughout the coun try. The anthracite men will, post pone their wage convention until after the convention of the United Mine 'Workers, which will be held in In dianapolis Sept. 20. At that time de tails of the co-operative move will be worked out. TEACHERS WIN SUIT. POTTSVIL.LE. pa., June %.—Judge Bechtel. has vmred sir '. "iiaegW' w,-* Tpertaining that the Norwe gian township school board must pay the salaries in full of seven teachers and janitors Who were dismissed without cause last January, although they had a contract for a full term. sage of. trade-, unionism, will' be car ried tq .every corner of the land, to the limit of our', power: Its encour agement and protection will be'offered to the workers everywhere. Immediately following the Denver convention it is.my, purpose to visit a number of cities to eneourage the un organized to join our movement. American labor wants the value of organization .to be at the: service of the country, for the sake of the pro tection, of the workers and for the sake df the value of organization in the stimulation, encouragement ani facilitation of, production. 15ie confession of the national asso elation of manufacturers should be gOOd news to all thinking persons. Of jio. less value will be the redouble.'! reffortg tq broaden and strengthen the great'democratlc. constructlve, liberty Joying' organizations of American HIS if ybur paper. Republishes natter to your life. and iSveifare^ It wants and needs your support. It', cannot:: exist yithout it. Your cause would be" weak indeed without a' l«lorv paper to champion it. Become a reader a fid a subscriber. FIVE CENTS. TRICK OF ROADS TO FOOL PUBLIC Maoagers Put "Smoke Screen" About High Rates and Blame Trouble to High Wages, By CHARLES M. KELLEY. For nearly three weeks the sen ate committee on interstate com merce has listened with marvelous patience to recitals by railroad presidents affecting the conduct of railroads, without hearing any practical suggestion for the relief of what every witness has de scribed as a desperate and dan gerous situation. In its public announcements the committee has justified its inquiry on the ground that private ownership of transportation faces its gravest crisis and that something must tye done if the country is to be rescued from the consequences of a complete break down. Yet, in spite of this urgency, it is proceeding iq a leisurely manner in its Quest for information, devoting scarcely'nine hours a week to the ex amination of witnesses. Those who are' familiar with what is transpiring before the committee are beginning to entertain serious doubt as to the sin cerity pf the entire proceeding. To Haimmer. Down Wages. The impression is gaining strength that a great domestic problem, vitally affecting the welfare of the nation and involving in its varied ramifica tions every other industry and th« very: life of commerce, is being used by railroad managers, with the con nivance of Senator Cummins and hia committee, to hammer down' tlia wages of railroad employes. The Cummins investigation'* has taken the form of a hearing of big railroad managers, armed with g. bat tery "of. lawyers, and-supported 'bjr brigade of press agents, who are jho» 1 nopolizing the early weeks of the in-- -. quiry and destroying the, news, value of subsequent disclosures that will give the public a fair idea of what' has been done to them through mis management and manipulation of transportation property. All. at Washington. There. has been a triumphant pro cession^ of presidents before the com mittee reviewing stand, each testify ing to the wisdom and statesmanly foresight embodied in the Cummins Esch act .and the selfishness personi fied in railrpad labor. Each witness solemnly declares that railroad" wages must come down or the railroads win be bankrupt and private ownership will pome to an abrupt end. Worse things than that might hap pen to the nation, but development of that- idmr may be deferred until w« are nearer the event. What should interest the workers and all who aro open-minded on the subject of a de cent living wage is that now the Rail road- Labor Board is considering th» amount of the cut which it will im pose on the wages of the skilled and unskilled workers, and that tfye tes timony given before the Cirmmir.s committee is actually propaganda in tended to shape the.popular mind for what may happen. Want Rates Continued. Anojtker object the railroads hare in view is to prepare the public for the retention of existing high arid de structive transportation charges. Th* government, through a complaisant senatorial'committee, is being used as a medium for the dissemination of propaganda, and when this fact s: fully appreciated the harm intended -will have been done. Railroad rates are high, and the public, in a desire to protect itself as much as possible, has adopted other means of transport. The jnotor truck has taken a lot of freight, and soma is going through the Panama cana The national water course^, undevel oped because of the strangle-hold thq railroads have had on congress, are still further interfering with the rail road monopoly. High rates, then, hayq injured the railroads in two important particulars—they have diverted traf fic, reducing revenue, and have' broken down the monopoly so long enjoyed. They Want Monopoly. To re-establish its position th* transportation group now insist that congress shall place 'prohibitory to?ls on a'l commerce that is transported by other means than the railroad* thus restoring the monopoly and giv ing railway managers free opportun ity for ^their play of their talents for exploitation. In other twords*. this railway point of view is that the put-1 lie exists to serve the railroads, which.', is the other way 'round from fhe well-known economic theory that/the railroads exist solely to serve a~ pub lic need. With such absurd claims' and .de mands before it, congress must be fore long reach a conclusion that th» railroads are not worth saving at-such *a trice 'and do what should have been done a year ago-—put the rall-,j roads under government ownersh-'j*"^ 1 "I 1 W: