Presto

10
PRESTO
October 16, 1920.
AN ILLUMINATING DOCUMENT
PROSPEROUS CONDITION OF
BUSH & LANE PIANO CO.
(Continued from page 8.)
employer is not possessed with any deep regard for
sacrificing their very lives and the lives of those near
humanity. It shows that his first and only concern
and dear to them, something must be radically
is gold—even though men, women, human beings,
wrong. It again shows the human interest the em-
must be sacrificed.
ployer has in his employe. The fight in New York
did not terminate as successfully as we desired, but
A like wage for like work wherever the same may
it did one thing, and that one thing speaks volumes
be performed should be our motto. We should set
for
the future. It solidified the piano workers as
a minimum wage—a wage which will permit the
they were never solidified before. It spurred them
worker and his family to live in comfort, to live as
on to greater things, and instead of becoming de-
an American worker ought to live.
moralized, the organization grew and is now again
Strikes.
ready to wage battle with the employer for just con-
On repeated occasions I have made myself clear on
sideration and treatment. Both New York City and
the subject of strikes. I detest strikes and I know
Chicago have decided to demand $1 and $1.25 per
of no human being who would go further to avoid
hour wage, respectively, with a 44-hour working
strike? than your humble servant. While I detest
week to take effect October 1, 1920. We do not
strikes and seek with all my power to avoid them
want to strike. We would rather do anything else
I would not hesitate to advise strikes and aid a
than strike; but. if I mistake not the temper of the
strike with all the power and resources available
men, strfke it will be, unless the right of the worker
when human life or the interests of human beings
to take care of his own interests is assured. It will
are at stake, and when all efforts at honorable adjust-
be strike, and strike to the finish. In connection
ment have failed. Our organization is opposed to with
this, I might state that the cost to the employer
strikes and declares that no strikes shall be recog-
of last fall's New York contest, as taken from the
nized unless arbitration shall first have been offered
official figures published in the trade press, reached
to and refused by the employer. It will, therefore,
the enormous sum of twenty million dollars. Twenty
be seen that whatever strikes may occur in the musi-
million dollars would have paid the wages asked for
cal instrument industry, they are not the making of
by the men for many years, but rather than give
the employe but of the employer.
health, comfort and pleasure to their employes the
During the past nine years but three movements
employers were willing to squander twenty million
might be considered of serious and far reaching im-
dollars. Who of the thousands of workers of our
portance—the prolonged strike at the factory of a
country still believes that the interests of the em-
Chicago piano manufacturer, for which the under-
ployer and employe are identical, and, if they are,
signed and five other men of our organization were
whether they are considered as such by the em-
penalized by jail sentence and fine; the strike in a
ployer?
prominent Boston piano factory, which is still on,
Political Action.
and the uprising of the piano workers of New York
I do not know whether I am transgressing on the
City last fall.
duties laid down to me as International President or
The Chicago Strike.
not when I call to your attention the need of the
The strike in the Chicago factory above alluded
workers for political as well as industrial unity.
to was caused by the refusal of the firm to heed the
Personally I disagree with the American Federa-
request for modification in wages, which at that time
tion of Labor policy. I have always disagreed with
ranged from 22 to 38 cents per hour. The contest
the policy which meant to select labor's friends from
was of long- duration and was bitterly fought on both
the ranks of labor's enemies. I have no faith in
sides, and is still being fought. The finale of this
friends of labor parading as members of and pledg-
strike will only be recorded as a victory for the em- ing fealty to either the Democratic or Republican
ployes—-the extermination of the company or else
party, parties of big interest. I am content to rest
the extermination of the piano workers' union. The my political faith in labor itself. I bring this sub-
union will live, no matter what may happen. The
ject to your attention so as to make the attitude of
company wants to live, but to live they must treat
our International Union clear to the organized labor
their employes as human beings, and not as so much
Avorld. We are part of the American Federation of
cattle. This is the present status of this strike. I
Labor. The A. F of L is an industrial organization.
am not hesitating to prophesy that when the final
Industrially, we are in duty bound to follow its man-
chapter in this strike is written, it will be there
dates. Politically, the American Federation of La-
recorded that the union emerged victorious.
bor has in our opinion no right to dictate. Polit-
ically, our organization has a right to do what its
The strike in the Boston factory was caused by
own and the general interests of the Labor move-
the same arrogance as displayed by the Chicago
ment as they view it prompts it to do. If you deem
company—the bosses' contention to rule in a des-
it advisable to make any declaration on this subject,
potic manner. The employes were organized and
I would suggest that in order to clarify the situation
fully realized what it meant to place dictatorship
and place vour officers in a proper light before or-
into the hands of the employer. Hence, when the
ganized labor that vou do so now and at this con-
firm in an effort to get rid of the union employes
vention. I believe it is the only manly thing to do
discharged one of their spokesmen, and after being
refused reinstatement, they all laid down their tools for our organization.
and struck. The bosses made no bones of their
The Wareroom Man.
attitude in this situation. They clearly stated, if not
Of late we have been fortunate to add to the list
in so many words, then by inference, that they in-
of our organization various locals composed exclu-
tended to get rid of employes with independent
sively of wareroom men. This is a healthy and most
thought—union men—and that in future they would
welcome acquisition.
rur their concern without regard for the interest of
The wareroom man, like the worker of the fac-
the worker. The strike is still on. It should be
tory, has through his failure to organize into a mili-
prosecuted until justice is done.
tant organization been made the footstool of the
The New York Strike.
employer's whims. His wages, his hours of work,
his conditions of work have been more than abom-
The uprising last fall in New York City was a
inable. This has had the result of the best mechan-
material demonstration of the discontent and unrest
ics either leaving the trade entirely or branching out
prevailing in that city among musical instrument
in an effort to do business for themselves. The suc-
workers. When men and women who for years suf-
cess of our International Union lies in a complete
fered patiently, spasmodically, without organization,
organization of all the workers of the musical instru-
combine with but one thought in mind, that of
ment industry, factory or wareroom.
securing a living wage and humane hours of work,
The bosses realize what the solidifying of these
lay down their tools for twelve weeks and more,
All the Activities of the Holland, Mich,, Manufac-
turers Add to Increase of Factory Output.
BJDR BROS. CO.
ESTABLISHED 1987
Makers of
Pianos and Players of Quality
Manufacturer! of Ejur Bret. Fiancs
705-717 WHITLOCK AVENUE. NEW YORK
The Sign of
The Bush & Lane Piano Co., Holland, Mich., has
just declared a dividend on its common stock. In
the past the earnings have gone into the development
of the plant and the establishing of company stores
about the country extending from coast to coast.
The earnings converted into a larger plant and ex-
tensive business interests elsewhere, have added ma-
terially to the worth of the stock. Every year adds
to the worth of the stock.
Recently the company built an addition of three
stories valued at $100,000, which was erected just be-
fore the prohibitive period of high building prices
came.
The company has been doing an extensive business
in Bush & Lane pianos and playerpianos and has
added the phonograph to the other lines with the re-
sult that this new departure in the activities of the
company has vastly increased the output of the Bush
& Lane Piano Co.'s products.
various interests will mean to them. They realize if
this is accomplished the workers of the factory can-
not be used to intimidate the workers of the ware-
room, and vice versa. They realize that a compact
solidified organization of musical instrument work-
ers of all branches will sound the death knell of their
exploitations. The bosses are using with might and
main every resource at their disposal, to thwart the
efforts of the workers. By all manner of means they
are trying to keep them divided. Our utmost should
be done to offset this effort. I would, therefore,
recommend that provisions be made that will permit
the commissioning of a special organizer say, for a.
period of not less than six months, whose duty it
will be to devote his entire time in an effort to
organize the wareroom worker.
One Big Union.
"One Big Union," is the cry we hear on every
hand. Even our employers have realized the wis-
dom of forming a One Big LTnion. The employer,
as usual, is far ahead of the worker in this respect.
They have already brought into close understanding
the various elements that go to make up the bosses'
interest in the musical instrument industry. Can
anyone doubt the object of this bosses' One Big
Union? If there is doubt in the minds of any of our
fellow workers all they will have to do to dispel this
uncertainty is 1o read some of the resolutions passed
at their periodical meetings and conventions.
The bosses have organized into One Big Union in
order to stop the ever increasing power of our Inter-
national Union. They are preparing for a battle
royal with the workers, a final battle, a battle that
will either mean future independence and freedom
to the worker or abject slavery. The boss is staking
his all on this one cast of the die. The workers
cannot afford to remain idle in this emergency. We
must be up and doing. We must organize, continue
to organize until the last mother's son or daughter
employed in our industry has become part of our
organization. We must not spare any expense, and
if the money to organize is not readily forthcoming,
we must make the necessary financial sacrifice by
digging deep into our pockets so One Big Union of
the workers may become an established fact, a union
able and ready to take up the gauntlet thrown down
by the employer. Let the contest be between the
One Big Union of the employer, standing for exploi-
tation and disregard of human interests, as against
One Big Union of the employe, standing for justice,
equity and right. Between the two I fear not the
outcome.
CHAS. DOLD.
C
T\
HONEST
PIANOS
WESER BaOSJnc.
HALLET & DAVIS
Grand
^_
Small Grand
Upright
^ J I A lVT | \
A^ JL ^ ^ L A ^ l ^ ^
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Handled by the
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««o«t «ucce»»ful
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HOME OFFICE, 146 Boylston St., Boston
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