Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

Whilst demanding and getting protection from products of substandard countries insofar as labor was concerned, they themselves invaded the textile centers of these very countries and imported this labor into this country, paying them wages that enabled them to live at about the same standard they lived under in the country of their birth. After these workers became adapted to our American standards, and demanded sufficient wages to sustain them, new sources of foreign labor were tapped. The records will show that while these employers wanted protection against the goods of these cheap-labor countries, they consistently fought for the letting down of the barriers for the importation of this cheap labor into America.

As the barrier against immigration was gradually thrown up, culminating in quotas being set for the various countries, after the war, and this source of cheap labor was cut off, they looked about for another source of workers to exploit, and, because of the 48 divisions of the Government in this Nation, they began to migrate from one section to another in their quest. Their desire to set themselves up as feudal barons led them to move from one State to another and, with the introduction and perfection of hydroelectric power into remote districts, and better. highways and the automobile coming into being, this migration became more and more pronounced.

I do not mean to infer that we are strictly opposed to the decentralization of industry, provided it is motivated from a social viewpoint. The proper way to decentralize industry from urban to suburban areas would be to take as many of the workers as might migrate with the industry to the new locality and not to leave them stranded after developing a certain amount of skill in the given line of industry. This has not been the policy of the employers in the textile industry. Their movements have been actuated by only one motive and that was to seek a source of cheap and contented labor.

Small chambers of commerce and civic clubs have been responsible to a great extent for the deplorable condition existing in the textile industry by their method of subsidizing the chiseler in one way or another either by advocating land grants in their communities, tax abatements over a period of years, or advertising that their communities were not affected by union organization. Today they are adding still more inducements-they will even raise money to pay for the removal of the machinery and the housing of the same in their community.

Of course, the employer who takes advantage of these subsidies is invariably the more vicious and exploiting type. He may be in the minority, as has been stated by those in control of the several institutes and by our President. It may be true that this type is in the minority, but, it is likewise true that the N. R. A. was successful to a certain extent in checking the disruptive activities of this minority and since the N. R. A. has been invalidated, this minority has gone back to its old methods of operation. It is true also that the groups who were instrumental in formulating the codes for the industry to protect themselves from this minority of chiselers were, in the main, equally as opposed to unionization of the workers in the industry as are these chiselers, despite the fact that the union is the one agency that can help correct the abuses and bring the stability of the industry, which the employers say they so ardently desire.

The leaders of the industry are here today, as I understand from the public press, to oppose H. R. 9072, the National Textile Act, which will, to a certain extent, eliminate the evils they complained about some 2 years ago when they were anxious to have some governmental agency restrict the obstreperous minority of chiselers. If they are interested in the stabilization of the industry, their action 2 years ago should have shown them the necessity for national regulation. Regulation by the several States has proven to be highly unsatisfactory. The State that passes strict regulatory laws to protect the workers and consumers finds itself at the mercy of the States which refuse to do so. Immediately a campaign of proselytization is launched by the chambers of commerce in the States refusing to pass such legislation in order to lure industry out of the fair State.

It is laudable for any group of men to advance the interest of their own community. But, when they do so at the expense of some other community, then they cease to be the "good neighbor" to whom our great President often refers. Surely, the last 5 years have taught all of us that no subdivision or section, or section of this country can prosper at the expense of its neighboring section. Then again, the migration of industry from one place to another is surely a terrific strain on the financial reserve of that industry and someone must pay for it and, as is usually the case, the worker is the one who pays. It is my opinion that if accurate statistical information could be estimated, it would show that sufficient money is expended in moving these plants from one place to another to pay a fair return on the initial investment in the industry. Another thing, after the process of migration has reached its saturation point, it will be noted that the employers are all again in the same relative position and the process must begin all over again.

We believe that if H. R. 9072 is enacted into law it will have a tendency to correct to a certain degree the evils besetting the textile industry. In itself, the bill will act as a tariff barrier against goods moving over State boundaries from States that refuse to adopt decent American standards. Surely, the employers, through their spokesmen in the various industries, should have no objection to protection of the industry by means of tariff walls, as they have been advocates of this ever since their inception in the textile industry of this country. I cannot conceivably understand their opposing some such legislation and I wonder if these bodies do speak for the vast majority of employers in the industry. I know from my own experience in dealing with employers in all divisions of the textile industry that there are few of them who attempt to defend their wage structures, but always they use the excuse in their arguments that they must lower standards in order to meet competition in the low-paid areas of the country. I can understand why some of the large mill chains do oppose any such national regulation of the industry, as many of them own mills in various parts of the country and, in practically all instances, they have machinery in place in excess of their sales volume requirements but, of course, they expect a return on the idle capital invested in this equipment. This must be borne by the workers and in order to make them bear it, these employers play one group of workers against another in different sections of the country. For example, if workers in one of the plants demand better wage standards or if they strike to

obtain them, the company invariably starves them into submission by leaving the machinery idle in the plant on strike and starting up its machinery in another of its plants, long enough to starve the strikers out and then resume operation on their own terms. In this way they can bring wages down to the lowest possible level while reaping the temporary benefits that accrue to them.

Yet, this system invariably has the effect of destroying not only the living standards of the workers but also the invested capital which, in many cases, is not the capital of the managers of the business. (The data referred to is as follows:)

Code violations, York, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Cumberland Counties, Pa.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Code violations, York, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Cumberland Counties, Pa.-Contd. COATESVILLE, PA.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Samwill Silk Co...
Lieberman Silk Co..

Baer Silk Co....

Sunset Silk Co..

Mauch Chunk Silk Co......

Kent Manufacturing Co.

322

HAZLETON, PA.

40-hour week.

do...
do.

Maintaining wages and hours Increased work load.
of code.

FREELAND, PA.

40-hour work week.

Includes from 4 to 6 looms.

This plant closed due to workers' refusal to accept wage reduction, amounting to 22 percent.

BERWICK, PA.

7 days per week work much
more than 40 hours per
week. Case in hands of
National Labor Board.

Plant has slashed wages so low that workers are forced to work up to 90 hours per week in order to average wages paid under the N. R. A.

MAUNCH CHUNK-NESQUEHONING

15 40-hour work week.

CLIFTON HEIGHTS

48 hours per week.

CHESTER, PA.

[blocks in formation]

Wages throughout the entire Hazleton-Wilkes-Barre-Scranton district are from $11 per week downward. on broad silk weaving.

elp.

Code violations, York, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Cumberland Counties, Pa.-Contd.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« ÎnapoiContinuă »