R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

Winston-Salem, N.C.

June 30th, 1919.

To the Governor,
Hon. T. W. Bickett,
Raleigh, N.C.

My dear Sir:-

I have been much interested in your public statements dealing with labor troubles in various sections of the State. Your open-shop policy is the correct one, because the closed-shop, either against union or non-union men, is unjust and any far-reaching economic plan that is inherently unjust will fail.

This is no new position for R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. We have long operated upon that basis and our future policy was announced in a circular letter of May 1st in which it was stated over my signature that "our factories are open shops and we will continue to operate them as such."

You are perhaps aware that there is right much labor agitation here at Winston-Salem on account of efforts now being made to organize tobacco workers and laborers in other lines. As might be expected, a great many wild statements are being made and circulated by irresponsible persons who prefer the disorder that follows discontent to the orderly affairs of life. Yet, such statements, because made with much vigor and apparent earnestness, are likely to mislead.

I understand that a statement to the effect that R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company has discharged fifty-two men because they were members of the union is being more or less widely circulated. For your personal information, should such a statement or rumor reach you, I want to say that it is without foundation in fact. We have never refused to employ a man nor have we ever discharged one simply because he was a union man.

You will readily understand that with, say, 12,000 employees it becomes absolutely necessary to discharge some of them from time to time. Otherwise, we could not run this business. Some of those discharged may have been, probably were, members of the union. But in many instances we do not know their status in that respect and it would have no bearing on the case if we did. When a man is discharged, it is for good cause and not for the reason that he is either affiliated or not affiliated with some labor organization. That is his personal affair.

In view of conditions now prevailing in this State, I hope you will not consider this confidential statement from me an imposition upon your valuable time.

Very cordially yours,

Wm. N. Reynolds
President.