The Iron Age 1903-03-26: Vol 71 Iss 13

THE IRON.AGE omnitie wp A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery auc ueuos ara ‘rades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St., New York. Vol, 71: No. 13. New York, Thursday, March 26, 1903. $5.00 a Year, including Postage Single Copies, Ten Cents. Reading Matter Contents......... page 56 Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘* 17! Classified List of Advertisers... .. a Advertising and Subscription Rates “ Smokeless Powder Shot Shells are being continually improved to meet changing conditions. Dealers should carry a stock of the best loads of U. M.C. NITRO CLUB and ARROW shells to meet the increasing demand. U. M. C. products are half sold before they are offered by the retailer, This is due to their long standing reputation and the thorough advertising behind them. Bristol’s Patent Steel Belt Lacing, The Union Metallic Cartridge Co., SA VES Agency, 313 Broadway, BRIDGEPORT, me, Belts, New York City, N. Y. CONN. Money. GreatestStrength READY TO APPty = FimisHEDVOINT With Least Metal Send for Circulars and Free Samples. A SAMSON SPOT CORD CAHALL BOIL ALL BU LERS su ra io See Page 122, — Meee fata tee ENG , GR G SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. REGULAR PATTERN. r TURNBUCKLES. ae ——a| |: CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS: | Cleveland and City Roope end aa Cuveling, a ‘ NEW YORK, Branches 8 PORTLAND, ORE., : N See | i. PmilsseLrnia, BUFFALO, th 2 CHICAGO, DETROIT, BALTIMORE, A " ST. LOUIS, CINCINNATI, NEW ORLEANS, oKM 4 . BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, DENVER. p a = | |]3 THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY 3 * m SOFT COAL.|4 HARTFORD, coe ili Girard Building, Phila. PILLING & GRANE, fazerinse crys: | REGULAR PATTERS. ) Board of Trade, Boston Jenkins ’96 Packing. Makes perfect joint instantly ; does not have to be followed chs, Makes joint that wiil last for years on all pressures of acids, &c. Does not rot, burn, blow or —_— the ie behes award—Gold Medal—at the Pan-American Expo- “AN Genuine Stamped with Trade Mark. Iron and Steel Sheets JENKINS BROTHERS, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago. Black and Galvanized Pin and Painted THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING CO, “Vv Crim HOT AND COLD ROLLED Wuccesser te sme = STRIP STEEL. The WILMOT & HOBBS MFG. CO. oe MAGNOLIA METAL. American Sheet Stee] Company Battery Park Building New York Manufacturers of all varieties of Apollo Best Bloom Galvanized Sheets W. Dewees Wood Company’s Planished Iron Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery ae W. Dewees Wood Company’s Fac-Simite of Bar. — ~- 2 Refined Iron “ imitations. . . “Wey Wellsville Polished Steel Sheets : MAGNOLI A METAL C0. Owners and Sole Manufacturers, 6511-513 West [3th St., Sad Senseo, Bow oo Orle eama, Montreal. eal. Boston: Chicago, Fisher Bidg. NEW YORK. grades of Babbitt Motate at competieive prices. 2 THE IRON AGE. ANsonia Brass WATERBURY ARASS C0. THE PLUME & Atwood Mré, Co,, MANUFACTURERS OF » OPPER Oo. ESTABLISHED 1865. © Gere Si Co: Main Office and Mills at Waterbury, Conn. Sheet and Roll Brass N. Y. Store, No. 122 to No, 180 Centre St. AND BRASS AND COPPER ee a br ta St. WAT T R fz PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN oneness - Tobin Bronze wsscer, noo avo wine |" "i tere tamer tam Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. (TRADE-MaRK REGISTERED.) for Trimmings, &c. Condenser Plates,Pump Linings, Round, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Key Stock 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. Cutlery Metal 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. Seamless Tubes for Boilers wee audilie Electrical Purposes 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, 99 John Street, - - New York. Plated Ware senate ees penne THOMASTON, CONN. WATERBURY, CONN. also i, “Pope’s Istand White Metal” |f§ SCOVILL MFG. CO., Manufacturers of Randolph-Clowes Co., Main Office and Mill, for like uses when extra drawing BRA 8 8 WATERBURY, CONN. ant qgraming fo sequins. GERMAN 8s! LV ER anemeimnnen WRITE FOR SAMPLES. Ghote, Rolle, Wire, SHEET BRASS & COPPER. §| R-A-A-2-A-APAARARARRA AY Rods, Bolts and Tubes, Brass Shelis, Cups, Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Coods. SPECIAL BRASS GOODS TO ORDER BRAZED BRASS & COPPER @| © GENUINE No. 1 BABBITT. TUBES. Handiest Metal you can use, as there is rie SEAMLESS BRASS ; no shrink in it. ver tried Saves in every way—Time, & COPPER TUBES TO 36 IN. DIAM. Money and Patience. New York Office, 258 Broadway, Postal Factories, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: NEW YORK, CHICAGO, BOSTON. Nei Nake eke ele Nee ee eke "te Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze GREATEST DURABILITY. Telegraph Bldg., Room 715. and Metal Company, JOHN DAVOL & SONS, PROP PAA A AAA ae Nee Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bldg. Bridgeport, Conn. AGENTS FOR BOVwUee Re Neer eee S| Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co., DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY. 100 John Street, - New York. Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER Arthur T. Rutter AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. SUCCESSOR TO Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. WILLIAM S. FEARING Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. 256 Broadway, NEW YORK. Stove and Washboard Blanks. Small tubing in Brass, Copper, ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- man Silver. Copper, Brass and TT RM RMD COE AO csi a pat Copper and Brass Rod. Ssoe:74 West Monroe St., Chicago. | 99 ToS Gm SRO IPAM AE LOU LACUS eR TCM UUTHID DTI edhe bc a ” yearcl-Light BRASS, BRONZE and ALUMINUM CASTINGS. Founders, Finishers, oe Bicycle Lantems. PROPRIETURS OF Belleville Copper Send for Circulars and Electrotypec. THE Rolling Mills, |TH#® 5Ripceporr Brass co, oF Bridgeport, Conn. MANUF. , Murray 8t..N.Y. 17No.7ths Brazmiers’ Bolt and Sheathing » Sb 06 We Penal Si meee atotpite. COPPER, COPrPrER WiIiREB AND RIVETS. . Importers and Dealers in 5 Wheel, $3.25 ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. Guabenioal: 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. ' R.A.HART, BATTLE CREEK, MICH. No better counter made. “". Whecil, $3.00 HE IRON AGE TuHurspay, Marcu 26, 1903. Business Methods in Management of Public Works. William C. Redfield, Commissioner of Public Works, Borough of Brooklyn, and for many years a prominent official of J. H. Williams & Co., Brooklyn, manufacturers of drop forgings, made an admirable address before the Manufacturers’ Association of that city, March 16, on the “ Effectiveness of Business Methods in the Manage- ment of Public Works.” There was no trace of any po- litical flavor from beginning to finish, the purpose of the discourse being solely to contrast such business meth- ods as a capable individual manufacturer would seek to introduce and maintain in his plant, to get the best serv. ice for the least expenditure, as opposed to the tenets tracts for $900,000 worth of paving prepared by the en- gineering staff in 17 hours after the appropriation was made, to economize valuable time, thus showing what could be accomplished by employees with their hearts in the work. The address brought out clearly what is pos- sible with a businesslike organization of the departments working under methods that obtain in successful private enterprise, with such modifications as adapt them to the changed conditions. The Eagle Double Cylinder Marine Gasoline Engine, In the 10 horse-power double cylinder gasoline engine built by the Eagle Bicycle Mfg. Company of Torrington, THE EAGLE DOUBLE of the average politician in the different parties, many of whom sincerely believe it is proper for the municipality to employ all the help that appropriations can be ob- tained for, regardless of whether the help is necessary or any service is performed. The address related to such public work as street pav- ing, sewer building and cleaning, building of bridges spanning unnavigable streams, care of public buildings, sewage disposal plants, &c., laying of sidewalks, removal of encumbrances and kindred topics. To enhance the interest a great many stereopticon views graphically re- inforcing the speaker’s statements, not only pictured streets before and after paving, but threw on the screen comparative tables in compact form showing both in figures and by diagrams the ratio of progress under this administration, contrasted with work previously done. The results showed a larger volume at a lesser percent- age of cost. One exhibit was of an advertisement of con- CYLINDER ENGINE MARINE GASOLINE Conn., each cylinder is of the two-cycle type, in which there is an explosion of the gas mixture at every revo- lution of the engine or downward stroke of the piston. This construction imparts steadiness of motion to the boat, insures a compact design, and there is an entire ab- sence of the secondary shaft, with the valves, springs, reducing gears, &¢c., present in engines of the four-cycle type. There are no valves in the usual meaning of that term, the piston itself serving to open and close the gas passages formed in the cylinder. One of the most unique features of the engine is the method of speed control, which is at once simple and ef- ficient. The mechanism by which this is accomplished is placed in front of the engine, as shown in Fig. 1, and is entirely exposed, so that inspection is easy. Regula- tion is obtained by changing the time of the spark igni- tion and by regulating, by means of a throttle valve, the amount of mixture admitted into the explosion fas z THE chamber. There is an explosion in such cylinder at every revolution, as stated, but the time of the explosion, in relation to the movement of the piston, and its force, as governed by the quantity of gas mixture admitted by the throttle, can be instantly regulated. This pro- vides for the nice speed adjustment of the engine. Extending across the front of the engine is a shaft operated by gearing from the main shaft. At the center of this shaft is an eccentric operating a rod, whose upper end is attached to one end of a rocking lever. The other end of this lever is secured to a second lever, disposed horizontally and pivoted at its center to the case. It will now be understood that the movement of the eccentric imparts a rocking or seesaw motion to the upper or sec- ond lever. To each end of this lever is fastened a rod actuating the ignition device, one, of course, being pro- vided for each cylinder. This construction provides for alternate sparking, but at the same intervals of time, in IRON AGE. March 26, 1903 Squandering Coal. BY EGBERT P. WATSON. Americans are said to be most wasteful of their nat- ural resources, and this would seem to be true of coal, at least. During the last winter, even when it was very costly and hard to get at any price, it was wasted in manufacturing and domestic uses to an extraordinary degree. It was not uncommon to see coal that had never been touched by fire, green coal, so to call it, thrown into ash barrels as if it had been refuse. In plain sight on top of the rubbish good hard coal could be found all through the street, until some scavenger came along and transferred it to his bag. Similarly among the ashes carried out from factories and hotels plenty of good fuel could be found in a very short walk. If not always it was in a majority of cases half burned, green coal Fig. 2. THE EAGLE DOUBLE each cylinder. It is necessary, however, to change the time of ignition as regards the movement of the pistons. At the right hand end of the eccentric shaft is a vertical shaft provided with a handle at its top by which it may be turned. The construction is such that by turning this handle the time of the throw of the eccentric and conse- quently the time of the ignition can be regulated ac- cording to the speed desired. Ignition may be made to take place just before or just after complete compression or at any intermediate stage. ee The bituminous coal miners and operators, who have been in conference at Altoona, Pa., agreed on March 20 to adopt the following scale, to go into effect on Apri: 1 for one year: 1. The pick mining rate shall be increased 10 per cent. 2. That the price of machine mining, both loading and cutting, shall be advanced 12 per cent. 3. That eight hours of actual work at place of work shall constitute a day’s work for all labor inside of the mines, except pump men and monthly men, who are to continue on present conditions, with 10 per cent. ad- vance, at present wages now paid. CYLINDER MARINE —Rear View. GASOLINE ENGINE. through want of experience and knowledge how to use it. It seemed as though fires had been started, run for a short time, and then incontinently dumped out of the furnace and thrown away. Even now, when coal is much lower than it was six months ago, the same will- ful waste is manifest. Burning coal economically re- quires a person with a conscience, most who undertake it having none at all; the main object being to keep the fuel red hot with the direct dampers wide open. These last should be always closed, except when a new fire is started, or fresh fuel put on, and then for a few minutes only, or not at all, except when exigencies require heat as soon as possible, as in the case of a steam boiler furnace. Not only is heat allowed to go up the chimney as rapidly as it can be madeto do so, but the fuelis crammed into the fire box until it falls out when the doors are opened. No attention is paid to cleaning the fire and re- moving cinders, which obstruct the grates and prevent the fuel from getting oxygen as is needed for combus- tion; the only thing that burns, in the view of inexperi- enced persons, being the coal itself, and it is left to do that as best it may. March 26, 1908 THE LRON AGE, To burn coal properly so as to get the greatest amount of heat it is capable of giving out is such a simple thing that it is readily acquired by wholly uneducated persons who know nothing whatever of carbonic acid, monoxide, or constituent gases of combustion, but depend for ef- ticiency upon the color and the “ feel,’ if such a term can be used, of the heat radiated from the boiler. A skilled tireman will get more steam with less consump- tion of coal than a man who has theories of combustion committed to memory in abundance, for the reason that the practical manipulation of the coal to prpduce steam is as necessary as an ability to call gases by their proper names. The chief difficulty in the way of higher economy in the use of fuel, either in the factory or the househvld, is to get the man who pays the bills interested in saving it. It is a curious fact that it is very hard to do this. Growl he may and will at the price demanded, once the coal is dumped on his premises he takes no further heed of it, and whether it is burned, stolen, trodden under foot, scattered all over the premises by careless handling or exposed to the winds of heaven, it is of no concern to him. This aspect of the subject is well known to prac- tical engineers, and those who are wise in their day and generation know how futile it is to try to get any eco- nomical device adopted upon the plea that it will save fuel. I was present not long ago at an interview be- tween the owner of a large factory and an agent for an engine which had a high reputation for economy. The engine in the factory was an old fashioned slide valve engine, which had outlived its usefulness but was still grinding away as it had been for 25 years last past. The proposition made the owner was to install the new en- gine alongside the old one, make all the connections to the boiler and shafting and run it on trial for 90 days. If at the end of that time the present owner of the fac tory said it was not satisfactory the new engine would be taken away and no questions asked or bills presented. All the owner was required to do was to pay for the fuel while he was using the engine. The deal was not made, and it is safe to say that the old engine is still at work. A large publishing house in this city had an old fash- ioned engine to run its plant, and an old fashioned en gineer to stay by it while it ran itself. This engine used 6 tons of coal weekly to run the machinery, an extrava- gant amount for the power it delivered, but no one com- plained of the coal bills. In the fullness of time the old engineer was discharged (not for burning too much coal, however) and a new one hired. This man, after two days’ firing the boiler, came to the conclusion that “ something was rotten in Denmark,’ and began to investigate. There was a cut off valve on the back of the main valve and in manipulating this he found that it made no differ- ence where the valve was set the engine used just as much steam. Then he looked inside the steam chest and found that there were no cut off valves in it. Just at this juncture the old engineer came in to see how the new man was getting on, and turning to him the new man asked him where the cut off valves were? ‘‘ You mean them blocks that was in there? I took ’em out; they stopped up the ports so the steam couldn’t get in; they’re in the bottom of the closet somewhere, I guess.”” When this worthy had departed the engineer hunted up the “ blocks,” and that night restored them to their proper place. Immediately the steam consumption was greatly reduced and the engineer expected that the gain in economy would be noticed. To his chagrin nothing was said about it, so after a few weeks he called the super- intendent’s attention to the subject, adding that there were other repairs needed which would result in still higher efficiency. The superintendent did not seem to care whether 6 tons of coal or 3 were used per week, but wanted to know what the overhauling would cost. When he was told that $250 would cover it he imme- diately replied that the other engineer never asked for any repairs, adding that the new man must have been very careless to let the engine get into such a condition in the short time he had been there. This is a true account of an actual occurrence, and it has been narrated as corroborative evidence of the indif- ference of some persons in charge of steam machinery and their recklessness in squandering coal. There is no doubt but that there are many similar instances. Aside from gross neglect, however, there are cases where coa is wasted by using the wrong sizes. For many years a certain firm had been using the highest priced coal in the market, when but a few doors off another firm had been using the cheapest. As in the case mentioned previous ly, a new engineer, knowing that his employer’s interest was also his interest, asked to have pea coal supplied in lieu of stove size. The superintendent “smiled su perior” at this suggestion and said that it was of no use; they had tried it before and it wouldn’t make any steam, ‘clogged all up on the grates.” The new engineer as serted that it would burn all right and said there was no sense in paying $2 a ton extra for coal when the lowesi priced would answer even better. ‘“‘ You shove in 5 tons of it and just watch me burn it” he said. It was done. and, as experienced men know, the pea coal gave ever) satisfaction. It did clinker to some extent, but this was no bar to its use, the clinker being easily sliced free from the grate and lifted bodily out as occasion required. The rapidity with which it ignited and was readily maintained alive was a great point in its favor; it not only made steam quickly and was cheaper in first cost but less of it was used. There was nothing but fine cinder in the ash pit, where previously, with the stove coal, there had been quantities of incombustible, palpabl stone with which the coal had been loaded. The only change required was a new set of grate bars to suit the size of coal burned, the natural draft being ample. I have myself used pea coal in both ranges and house heaters, even with grates, %4-inch bar and 14-inch air space, where I formerly burned stove coal, resulting in far greater econoiny with no disadvantages of any kind Pea coal suits slow combustion as well as quick combus tion, and fires can be left to smoulder for hours until they are black on top and come to life again immediately) so soon as doors are closed and dampers opened. If there are persons who have difficulty in using pea coal! it is not by reason of the fuel itself, but through some other conditions which are unfavorable to its use. One of these is poor draft, either through dirty chimneys or possibly surrounding buildings recently erected, which create a down draft by baffling currents. On some steamers out of New York, a number in fact, pea coal is used in lieu of steamboat size, so called, but they employ forced draft; this is manifestly impossible in household service, but it could be used in factories if needed, where the natural draft is insufficient. ‘* Willful waste makes woeful want,” says the adage, and it applies especially to the squandering of one of the chief items of cost in maintenance. A certain quantity of fuel represents a certain number of dollars, and it is literally the fact that when it is shoveled into a furnace the result is the same to the pocket as if absolute cash was used. A man who bas a small hole in his pocket which is likely to leak money hastens to repair it without delay, but when he burns coal, the equivalent of money or money’s worth. he takes no thought of its cost, or whether it is wasted or not. sinc sacioeiia satis Another Hudson River tunnel is projected. The in- corporation is announced from Albany, N. Y., under date of March 20, of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Company of New York City, with a capital of $3,000,000, to construct a tunnel approximately 1 mile long, from Broadway through Cortlandt street, underground in New York City, and under the Hudson River to the boundary line of New Jersey, there to connect with a railroad of a New Jersey corporation. The directors are George P. Bester of Bloomfield, N. J.; Howard Slade and William H. Siegel of New York, Clinton Graham of Flushing, Robert Maroney, Charles H. Aron, James Davidson and A. F. Richter of Brooklyn, and A. B. Proctor, Jr., of Boonton, N. J. The Mississippi River has been swollen by heavy rains beyond anything previously experienced. Levees have been broken at various points and great damage has ensued to all classes of property, railroads being among the heavy sufferers. The river at New Orleans has reached a higher stage than during the great flood of 1897. + gee pirates * ee et eee ie w= i Hi 4 THE IRON AGE. The Anthracite Commission. The report on the awards of the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission is a lengthy document, which neces- sarily deals in detail and exhaustively with the special conditions relating to the anthracite mining industry, and as such does not possess a direct interest for those engaged in the iron, metal and allied trades. The Com- mission, however, discusses some subjects in a manner which will be studied with interest by all who are con- fronted with labor questions at the present time. One burning question was that of the recognition of the anion. This demand by the miners was refused by the Commission, on the ground that it was expressly stipu- lated that Mr. Mitchell appeared before the Commission as the representative of the anthracite coal mine work- ers and not in his official capacity as president of the United Mine Workers of America. ‘“‘ Nor does the Com- mission consider that the question of the recognition of the United Mine Workers of America is within the scope of the jurisdiction conferred upon it by the sub- mission.”” The report continues: In the days when the employer had but few em- ployees, personal acquaintance and direct contact of the employer and the employee resulted in mutual knowl- edge of the surrounding conditions and the desires of each. The development of the employers into large corporations has rendered such personal contact and acquaintance between the responsible employer and the individual employee no longer possible in the old sense. The tendency toward peace and good fellowship which grows out of personal acquaintance or direct contact should not, however, be lost through this evolution to greater combinations. There seems to be no medium through which to preserve it. so natural and efficient as that of an organization of employees governed by rules which represent the will of a properly constituted ma- jority of its members, and officered by members selected for that purpose, and in whom authority to administer the rules and affairs of the union and its members is vested. The men employed in a certain line of work or branch of industry have similar feelings, aspirations and convic- tions, the natural outgrowth of their common work and common trend or application of mind. The union, repre- senting their community of interests, is the logical result of their community of thought. It encourages calm and intelligent consideration of matters of common interest. In the absence of a union, the extremist gets a ready hearing for incendiary appeals to prejudice or passion, when a grievance, real or fancied, of a general nature, presents itself for consideration. The claim of the worker that he has the same right to join with his fellows in forming an organization, through which to be represented, that the stockholder of the corporation has to join others in forming the cor- poration, and to be represented by its directors and other officers, seems to be thoroughly well founded, not only in ethics, but under economic considerations. Some employers say to their employees: “‘ We do not object to your joining the union, but we will not recognize your union nor deal with it as representing you.” If the union is to be rendered impotent, and its usefulness is to be nullified by refusing to permit it to perform the functions for which it is created, and for which alone it exists, permission to join it may well be considered as a privilege of doubtful value. Trades unionism is rapidly becoming a matter of business, and that employer who fails to give the same careful attention to the question of his relation to his labor or his employees which he gives to the other fac- tors which enter into the conduct of his business makes a mistake, which sooner or later he will be obliged to correct. In this, as in other things, it is much better to start right than to make mistakes in starting, which necessitate returning to correct them. Experience shows that the more full the recognition given to a trades union the more businesslike and responsible it becomes. Through dealing with business men in busi- ness matters its more intelligent, conservative and re- sponsible members come to the front and gain general control and direction of its affairs. If the energy of. March 26, 1903 the employer is directed to discouragement and repres- sion of the union, he need not be surprised if the more radically inclined members are the ones most frequently heard. The Commission agrees that a plan, under which all questions of difference between the employer and his employees shall first be considered in conference be- tween the employer or his official representative and a committee, chosen by his employees from their own ranks, is most likely to produce satisfactory results and harmonious. relations, and at such conference the em- ployees should have the right to call to their assistance such representatives or agents as they may choose, and to have them recognized as such. In order to be entitled to such recognition the labor organization or union must give the same recognition to the rights of the employer and of others which it demands for itself and for its members. The worker has the right to quit or to strike in conjunction with his fellows, when by so doing he does not violate a contract made by or for him. He has neither right nor license to destroy or to damage the property of the employer; neither has he any right or license to intimi- date or to use violence against the man who chooses to exercise his right to work, nor to interfere with those who do not feel that the union offers the best method for adjusting grievances. The Bights of the Nonunion Man. The union must not undertake to assume, or to inter- fere with, the management of the business of the em- ployer. It should strive to make membership in it so valuable as to attract all who are eligible, but in its efforts to build itself up it must not lose sight of the fact that those who may think differently have certain rights guaranteed them by our free Government. How- ever irritating it may be to see a man enjoy benefits to the securing of which he refuses to contribute, either morally, or physically, or financially, the fact that he has a right to dispose of his personal services as he chooses cannot be ignored. The nonunion man assumes the whole responsibility which results from his being such, but his right and privilege of being a nonunion man are sanctioned in law and morals. The rights and privileges of nonunion men are as sacred to them as the rights and privileges of unionists. The contention that a majority of the employees in an industry, by voluntarily associating themselves in a union, acquire authority over those who do not so associate them- selves is untenable. Those who voluntarily associate themselves believe that in their efforts to improve conditions they are working as much in the interest of the unorganized as in their own, and out of this grows the contention that when a nonunion man works during a strike he violates the rights and privileges of those associated in efforts to better the general condition and in aspirations to a higher standard of living. The nonunion man who does not believe that the union can accomplish these things insists with equal sincerity that the union destroys his efforts to secure a better standard of living and inter- feres with his aspirations for improvement. The fal- lacy of such argument lies in the use of the analogy of State government, under which the minority acquiesces in the rule of the majority; but government is the result of organic law, within the scope of which no other government can assume authority to control the minor- itv. In all acts of government the minority takes part, and when it is defeated the government becomes the agency of all, not simply of the majority. The Union Subordinate to the Laws of the Land. It should be remembered that the trade union is a voluntary social organization, and, like any other organi- zation, is subordinate to the laws of the land and can- not make rules or regulations in contravention thereof. Yet it at times seeks to set itself up as a separate and distinct governing agency, and to control those who have refused to join its ranks and to consent to its government, and to deny to them the personal liberties which are guaranteed to every citizen by the constitu- tion and laws of the land. The analogy, therefore, is unsound and does not apply. Abraham Lincoln said: March 26, 1903 “No man is good enough to govern another man with- out that other’s consent.” This is as true in trade unions as elsewhere, and not until those which fail to recognize this truth abandon their attitude toward nonunion men, to follow the suggestion made above—that is, to make their work and their membership so valuable and at- tractive that all who are eligible to membership will come under their rule—will they secure that firm and constant sympathy of the public which their general purposes seem to demand. We believe it is unwise and impolitic to permit boys of immature age and judgment to participate in deciding the policy and actions of a labor union. We think that no one should have such voice in the affairs of a union until he has reached his legal majority. Those affairs are momentous and are of growing importance. They should be directed by men who have a realizing sense of the responsibilities of life, both as to family, as to associates and as to society. This does not mean, of course, that minors should not belong to the union, but they should not act as, nor vote for, delegates to con- ventions which consider or determine strikes. Objectionable Features of Miners? Union. The present constitution of the United Mine Workers of America does not present the most inviting induce- ments to the operators to enter into contractual rela- tions with it. Minors are represented in conventions called for the consideration of strikes; while boys do not go as delegates, only one case having been noted, they send delegates to such conventions; and as the boys in the union in the anthracite region constitute about 20 per cent. of the membership, it is easily seen that their representatives, who may be obliged to act on instruc- tions, may have the balance of power, and thus carry a vote for a strike when the more conservative and experi- enced members might be opposed to it. Under the recently amended constitution of the United Mine Workers of America, strikes must originate with the locals or districts; but before final action is taken by any district upon questions that directly or indirectly affect the interests of the mine workers of another district, or that require a strike to determine such questions, the president and secretary of the ag- grieved district must jointly prepare, sign and forward to the national president a written statement setting forth the grievance complained of, the action contem- plated by the district and the reasons therefor; and the national president must, within five days after the re- ceipt of such statement, either approve or disapprove of the action contemplated by the aggrieved district, such approval or disapproval to be made in writing and a copy forwarded to the secretary of the complaining district. If the national president approve, the district is free to act; but should he disapprove the contemplated strike the district may appeal to the national Executive Board, which must be convened to consider such appeal within five days after its receipt. Until the national president has approved or the national Executive Board has sustained the appeal, no district is free to enter upon a strike, unless it be general or national, ordered by a national convention. These provisions give the districts in the anthracite region quite independent powers relative to the initia- tion of a strike, and their powers are in a measure safe- guarded by the necessity of first securing the approval of the national president, or, in case of his disapproval, of the national Executive Board. The difficulty does not lie so much in the method now pursued as in the fact that a strike may be undertaken by a majority vote of the members of a district convention called for the pur- pose of considering the strike. This is considered a weakness in the present method. Instead of a majority vote there should be at least a two-thirds vote of all the delegates in the convention considering the question of a strike. The vote should be by ballot, and not by voice or show of hands. An amendment to the consti- tution, making such provisions as those just indicated, and creating a separate anthracite department, so far as strikes are concerned, would remove some of the serious objections that have been urged by the oper- ators. THE IRON AGE. 5 An independent and autonomous organization of the anthracite mine workers of Pennsylvania, however affiliated, in which the objectionable features above al- luded to should be absent, would deserve the recom- snendation of this Commission, and were it within the scope of its jurisdiction, the said fourth demand of the statement of claim, for collective bargaining and a trade agreement, might then be reasonably granted. From another part of the report of the Commission we take the following, which bears on matters over which the managers of other industries are deeply stirred up: Disorder and Lawlessness. Although some reflections on the general subject have been made, no discussion of the conditions prevailing in the anthracite region during the continuance of the late strike would be adequate that did not fully deal with the disorder and lawlessness which existed to some ex- tent over the whole region and throughout the whole period. It is admitted that this disorder and lawlessness was incident to the strike. Its history is stained with a record of riot and bloodshed, culminating in three mur- ders, unprovoked save by the fact that two of the vic- tims were asserting their right to work, and another, as an officer of the law, was performing his duty, in at- tempting to preserve the peace. Men who chose to be employed, or who remained at work, were assailed and threatened, and they and their families terrorized and intimidated. In several instances the houses of such workmen were dynamited, or otherwise assaulted, and the lives of unoffending women and children put in jeopardy. The armed guards, employed to protect the collieries and the men who worked them, appear not to have been an unnecessary precaution, and the Governor of the State was, as the evidence before the Commission shows, justified in calling out the citizen soldiery of the Commonwealth to preserve its peace and vindicate its laws. The resentment expressed by many persons connected with the strike at the presence of the armed guards and militia of the State does not argue well for the peace- able character or purposes of such persons. No peace- able or law abiding citizen has reason to fear or resent the presence of either. It is true that exaggerated accounts of the disturb- ances were published, and there was testimony from reputable witnesses, tending to minimize them, and vouching for the good order of the communities in which such witnesses lived; but these were mainly in the lo- calities where the operators made no attempt to work the collieries. It is also true, and justice requires the statement, that the leaders of the organization which be- gan and conducted the strike, and notably its president, condemned all violence, and exhorted their followers to sobriety and moderation. It would seem, however, that the subordinate local organizations and their lead- ers were not 8o amenable to such counsels as to prevent the regrettable occurrences to which reference has been made. In making this arraignment, we are not unmindful of what appears to be the fact, that the mine workers of the anthracite region are, in the main, well disposed and good citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and that it is in the power of a minority of the less re- sponsible men and boys, together with the idle and vicious, unless properly restrained, to destroy the peace and good order of any community. Absence of protest and of active resistance on the part of the better ele- ment means encouragement and license to the class above described. It has been declared by some persons that this state of things is no more than was to be ex- pected in communities where such large numbers of men and boys were idle for so long a time. If this be so, and it is not necessary for our present purpose to trav- erse the truth of this statement, it affects seriously the responsibility of those leaders of a labor movement who are, in the main, responsible for the inauguration and conduct of a strike. There can be no doubt that without threats, intimi- dation and violence toward those who would otherwise be willing to remain at work, or take the places of those ore — 4 oa +4 a | ; 6 THE IRON AGE. who had ceased to work, the coercion of employers, which a strike always contemplates, would be less po- tent in compelling acquiescence in its demands. This is the danger point of the whole matter. The law, which governs all citizens of a free country alike, can make no exceptions. The beneficence of labor unions is acknowl- edged. Their development, as we view it, has been one of real, though of slow and intermittent, progress to the betterment of labor conditions and to improvement in the relations between employer and employed. All com- binations of men, however, to achieve a common pur- pose have potencies for evil. Such combinations are more than mere aggregations of the rights and powers of the individuals composing them. They become new and powerful entities, and factors for good or ill, accord- ing to the wisdom or unwisdom with which they are managed and controlled. The strike ordered by a trade union, which compasses no more than the enforcement of demands previously made, for the supposed benefit of its members, by the cessation from work in the event that those demands are not complied with, transgresses no law of a free society, and, whether wise or unwise in inception and purpose, is an exercise of no more than the legal rights that belong collectively or individually to its members. It is true that the stress thus placed upon employers may constitute a kind of coercion, resulting, in some cases, in an enforced compliance with the demands of the association or union. Such coercion, however, is not illegal and does not come within the condemnation of the law. It is the indirect consequence of the legal ex- ercise of the right to work, or to cease to work. belong- ing to all men. But a strike set on foot with the view to the accom- plishment of its purpose by intimidation or violence, ex- ercised against those who choose to remain at work, vio- lates the law from the beginning. Where, however, the strike itself is separable from the illegal violence and in- timidation, which in many cases accompany it, the legal liability for such violence and intimidation rests alone upon the individuals who commit the act and those who aid, encourage and abet them. Though no illegality of purpose is imputable to those inaugurating a strike, its existence, if it involve large numbers of men in a single community, tends, of itself, to produce disorder and law- lessness. As has been said, the idle and vicious, who are in no way connected with the purpose or object of the strike. often unite with the less orderly of the strikers them- selves in creating the deplorable scenes of violence and terror which have all too often characterized the other- wise laudable efforts of organized labor to improve its conditions. Surely this tendency to disorder and viola- tion of law imposes upon the organization which be- zips and conducts a movement of such importance a srave responsibility. It has, by its voluntary act, cre- ated dangers, and should therefore be Vigilant in avert- ing them. It has, by the concerted action of many, aroused passions which, uncontrolled, threaten the pub- lic peace; it therefore owes society the duty of exert- ing its power to check and confine these passions with- in the bounds of reason and of law. Such organizations should be the powerful coadjutors of government in maintaining the peace and upholding the law. Only so can they deserve and attain the respect due to good citi- zenship, and only so can they accomplish the beneficent ends which for the most part they were created to at- tain. A labor or other organization whose purpose can only be accomplished by the violation of law and order of so- ciety has no right to exist. The Right to Remain at Work. The right to remain at work where others have ceased to work, or to engage anew in work which others have abandoned, is part of the personal liberty of a citi- zen, that can never be surrendered, and every infringe- ment thereof merits, and should receive the stern de- nouncement of the law. All government implies re- Straint, and it is not less, but more, necessary in self governed communities than in others to compel re- straint of the passions of men which make for disorder March 26, 1903 and lawlessness. Our language is the language of a free people, and fails to furnish any form of speech by which the right of a citizen to work when he pleases, for whom he pleases, and on what terms he pleases, can be suc- cessfully denied. The common sense of our people, as well as the common law, forbids that this right should be assailed with impunity. It is vain to say that the man who remains at work while others cease to work, or takes the place of one who has abandoned his work, helps to defeat the aspirations of men who seek to ob- tain better recompense for their labor and better condi- tions of life. Approval of the object of a strike, or per suasion that its purpose is high and noble, cannot sanc tion an attempt to destroy the right of others to a dif ferent opinion in this respect, or to interfere with their conduct in choosing to work upon what terms and at what time and for whom it may please them so to do. The right thus to work cannot be made to depend upon the approval or disapproval of the personal char- acter and conduct of those who claim to exercise this right. If this were otherwise, then those who remain at work might, if they were in the majority, have both the right and power to prevent others, who choose to cease to work, from so doing. This all seems too plain for argument. Common sense and common law alike denounce the conduct of those who interfere with this fundamental right of the citizen. The assertion of the right seems trite and com monplace, but that land is blessed where the maxims of liberty are commonplaces. The Boycott. It also becomes our duty to condemn another less vio lent, but not less reprehensible, form of attack upon those rights and liberties of the citizen which the pub- lic opinion of civilized countries recognizes and protects. The right and liberty to pursue a lawful calling and to lead a peaceable life, free from molestation or attack. concerns the comfort and happiness of all men, and the denial of them means destruction of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of the benefits which the social or- ganization confers. What is popularly known as the boycott (a word of evil omen and unhappy origin) is a form of coercion by which a combination of many per- sons seek to work their will upon a single person, or upon a few persons, by compelling others to abstain from social or beneficial business intercourse with such person or persons. Carried to the extent sometimes practiced in aid of a strike, and as was in some instances practiced in connection with the late anthracite strike. it is a cruel weapon of aggression, and its use immoral and anti-social. To say this is not to deny the legal right of any man or set of men voluntarily to refrain from social inter- course or business relations with any persons whom he or they, with or without good reason, dislike. This may sometimes be unchristian, but it is not illegal. But when it is 2 concerted purpose of a number of persons not only to abstain themselves from such intercourse, but to render the life of their victim miserable by per- suading and intimidating others so to refrain, such pur- pose is a malicious one, and the concerted attempt to accomplish it is a conspiracy at common law, and mer- its and should receive the punishment due to such a crime. Examples of such “secondary boycotts” are not wanting in the record of the case before the Commis- sion. A young schoolmistress, of intelligence, charac- ter and attainments, was so boycotted, and her dismissal from employment compelled for no other reason than that a brother, not living in her immediate family, chose to work contrary to the wishes and will of the striking miners. A lad, about 15 years old, employed in a drug store, was discharged, owing to threats made to his em- ployer by a delegation of the strikers, on behalf of their organization, for the reason that his father had chosen to return to work before the strike was ended. In sev- eral instances tradesmen were threatened with a boy- cott—that is, that all connected with the strikers would withhold from them their custom and pursuade others to do so—if they continued to furnish the necessaries of life to the families of certain workmen who had come March 26, 1903 THE IRON AGE. 7 under the ban of the displeasure of the striking organi- zations. This was carrying the boycott to an extent which was condemned by Mr. Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers of America, in his testimony be- fore the Commission, and which certainly deserves the reprobation of all thoughtful and law abiding citizens. Many other instances of boycott are disclosed in the rec- ord of this case. In social disturbances of the kind with which we are dealing, the temptation to resort to this weapon often- times becomes strong, but is none the less to be resisted. It is an attempt of many, by concerted action, to work their will upon another who has exercised his legal right to differ with them in opinion and in conduct. It is tyranny, pure and simple, and as such is hateful, no matter whether attempted to be exercised by few or by many, by operators or by workmen, and no society that tolerates or condones it can justly call itself free. Some weak attempt was made at the hearings to jus- tify the boycotts we have been describing, by confusing them with what might be called, for convenience sake. the primary boycott, which consists merely in the vol- untary abstention of one or many persons from social or business relations with one whom they dislike. This indeed might amount to a conspiracy at law, if the in- gredient of malicious purpose and concerted action to accomplish it were present, but whether.this be so or not, the practical distinction between such a boycott and the one we have been reprobating is clear. It was attempted to defend the boycott, by calling the contest between employers and employees a war be- tween capital and labor, and pursuing the analogies of the word. to justify thereby the cruelty and illegality of conduct on the part of those conducting a strike. The analogy is not apt, and the argument founded upon it is fallacious. There is only one war making power recognized by our institutions, and that is the Govern- ment of the United States, and of the States in subordi- nation thereto, when repell