San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-08-04
LAUNDRYMEN's ASSOCIATION.
The Clothes WrIngers are Organ.
tZed for Mutual ProtectIOn-

| iZed for Mutual Protection
State Organization Proposed.
1t has been rumored on the streets
that some of the steam laundries OF
the city have com bined aud formed an
| association called the San Antonio
Laundrymen's association, the object
! being for protective purposes 1t was
! learned by the reporter that the rules
| of the concern are that no employer
can employ a hand unless he, the
| hand, has Il written dischar9e from his
former employe thus preventing any
good workman from being induced to
90 to other places; that one price
should be paid by ali firms interested
In the association, each capacity being
specified in the agreement and sala.
ries set opposite; that no charges
should be made other than what is
specified on the price lists, which are
| printed alike for each laundry, etc.
| In order to ascertain some points
relative to the workings of the COM
pany, which, by the way, has never
been incorporated, a reporter for the
| LIGHT called on several of the steam
laundry proprietors of the city this
morning and obtained the following
| -tstements:
Chas. Ochse, manager of the new
Palace laundry, and who was former
ly owner OF the Texas Steam laundry,
! said:
II am not member Of any such
association, and this laundry, IS long
I as I am connected with 1t, will never
| be either. When 1 was at the Texas
Laundry they tried to get me TO con-
sent to such thing and would not
do it. 1t lie nothing but trust COM
pany and think it's object is to run
out the laundries not united with
them; but you bet they can't do it."
| Mr.. J. P. Lovelady, manager OF the
White Star Laundry, was then APP
preached on the subject. He seemed
very averse to giving auy information
TO the reporter for the benefit of the
! public, saying that what he knew
about that was his own business and
ne didn't think the public had any
thing to do with It, The reporter
used mis- persuasive powers to some
extent, and after many questions put
in a round about way, he ELECTED the
following information, about the
matter:
| II know nothing about any combi-
nation or any association. The laun-
drymen of this city have none to my
knowledge. We have, that is, the
| three older lauDdries. an understand
ing with each other, that when man
leaves US we give him discharge
Because, II he be a good man we think
he deserves one. On the other hand
| If he be a no account workman he
does not deserve discharge, and we
do not give him one. The reason we
give good men discharges is so they
may get work elsewhere If they desire.
Generally man without discharge
is not employed by either OF US,
as we haven't got the time
to waste it ON poor workmen,
for we know if he be q good
| workman he will have the necessary
papers. This is not a written agree
ment between US, simply an under
standing, and Ii 1t Is broken, which
was the case recently, there is no for
felt to be paid. 1t is no com bination
against the men, whatever, but Ia
simply to save us trouble and to keep
good men at work. Our prices, think,
are about alike"
! Reporter-"Well, Mr.. Lovelady,
| you say that there Is no such combi-
nation. How do you suppose this
rumor started; or do you know how it
| started? You seemed to have heard of
! it,"
The manager.-'I don't know as
| have heard of 1t, but it was no doubt
started by a man named Hobbs, whom
I fred some time ago.. and as did
not consider him q good workman,
did not give him any papers, and he
could not get a job. The Excelsior
needed man the other day aud gave
him a JOB, to fill in. He, expect,
started the rumor."
| Mr.. NJ. T. Newton, one of the
| proprietors of the Excelsior steam
laundry, met the reporter very cor
daily, when he dropped in there to
| find out what they knew about this
talked of combine. He was most
| agreeable and pleasant during the
whole interview, at the end of which
| he took the reporter through the
work room and showed him how they
"hiled shirts" The conversation,
! eliminating q few unnecessary ques-
| tiOns, between the scribe and laun-
| dryman, was as follows.
Reporter-"Mr. Newton, there is q
rumor, and very big one too, at1oat
in this city, to the effect that you
boss laundrymen had formed q com.
binatlon for the purpose of protecting
yourselves in prices, regulating
wages. espionage of your men, etc. Is
| it true?"
Mr.. Newton-"Well. If there is.
have not heard of 1t, and think 1
| should have heard of it If there were
such an organization, 1 am pretty
sure of that fact. tell you what we
have got though. We have what Is
| known as the San Antonio Laundry