The morning call., 1892-03-21
WINDOW CLEANERS
A BOmbshell Thrown Into Their
Camp by a Circular.
Or. Betz, Master Polishsr, Invsjghs Against
the Foreign klsmeHt In the Bust
MESA Rebound.

A white labor" circular has just been
Issued by firm on Polk lane which threat
ems 10 produce clash Of races. physically
as well as from business point of view.
The circular is issued by William Be,Z,
and II seeks to rescue the misunderstanding
business from the hands of the foreign ele-
ment as well as from eolored natives.
He says: being actuated with a spirit
OF enterprise, as consequential frcm sugges-
lions and promising support Of many lead
Ing merchants, we finally concluded TO con-
slder rather seriously the critical state of
affairs as regards the Window Cleaning En-
tetprise, now mbitiously and avarieiously
controlled by the high-prieed foreign Nation
atty"
EXCERPTS FROM THE CIRCULAR
Though the construction Of the sentence
shows that the writer must be better
wlndow-cleaner than a circular writer, he
has. nevertheless. attracted considerable at
tention by this stroke of his pen. In the
pursuance OF his theme, he declares that II
sucn state OF affairs as exists now con-
tlnues, 1t will have a tendency to encourage
foreign migration, which our noble Govern
ment is trying SO hard tosuppress. He also.
IN feeling terms, refers 10 the "cruel cOurte-
sizes accorded our American boys by the for
elgn contingent in foreign countries, where
all cruel barbartles are practiced upon
them"
With these few filings and explanatory
observations the master windOw-cleaner
proposes 10 mOnOpOliZe all the unskilled
white labor OF men, women, boys and girls
and 10 utilize them in polishing piate-glasS
at rates 70 per cent cheaper than Is being
done by his hated rivals He closes his ap-
peal in this way: LET not your show-win-
dows be decorated with the Italian and
negro element, both very unat-
tIacllve hgureS IN your show-windows. Tor
IL does not meet the approval OF the public.
THE DOCUMENT DISCUSSED.
When this circular was thrown on the
market Dir. BetZ did not know what
bombsfell he had dropped. The noise of
us discussion has reSOunded from NORTH
Beach 10 BerGal Heights, and from the
waters of Mission Bay 10 the PTestdio, while
numerous letters OF warning have been
written to him, telling him 10 "come off the
| perch" and mildly threatening him for his
un American ideas
i Sam Blower, the dusky cleaner from
/ Vallejo street, has already seen Angelo
/ Pardini, the artistic polisher of Pinckey
/ place, with a view of calling a mass meeting
/ OF window artists who are opposed to Mr..
! Belts cut IN wages and his sentiments
| against the foreign element. This may re-
SUIT IN the organ ZatIOn OF a wiDdOw-clean-
ers' union, as 10 Brown, a kearny-street
| col0red artisan. informed a CALL reporter.
| Talk about the business being uuskilied,
| he exclaimed, as he was putting the finishing
| touches on one of the big windows of the
| Thnrlow Block, 'the man that says that
don't know what he's talking about.
| CLEANING AS AN ART.
! you Just put tyro on this big $3.50 boy
| pointing 10 the splendid plate he was ell
| gagged on), and he will never get it clean,
/ while the chances are ten 10 one that he
will ruin it by scratching its polished sur
! face. And. don't you see, these windows
| are only insured against being DrOken-nOt
| against injuries OF that kind. This puts
! the pTOprieiOrs on our side"
! How much do YOU make a day at your
! work, Mr.. BrOSn?" the reporter asked.
| what, me? | always make So day,
| and sometimes more, because I'm pretty
fast. Anyhow l viii average So day and
| that is as good as what a hCdcarrier
/ makes"
Then a reduction OF - per cent would
enable You t. make but IS cents day?"
| That's ALL" said Mr.. Brown, medita-
lively, 'and that would not feed my wife
| and seven little ones"
| ANOTHER SKILLED LABOR
In reference to the skill required in bur-
nishing up polished surfaces Brown spoke.
| By way Of comparison. of what he termed
| ''boss carriage They were paid
| be declared, So Il day. because very few
! age skilled in this class of work. and q man
| unaccustomed to handling the sponges
| might in few minutes destroy hundreds of
| dollars worth OF property.
| The rugged worker was glad. however,
| That the matter had been agitated, as is
would bring class OF labor 10 the front
/ which had hitherto been practically I'M
| known and cement them in the bonds of
unity"
In the meanwhile the opposition is
making vigorous strides in getting business.