The sun., 1894-03-10
HIGH-PRTCED TAILORING.
HHAF IT Gusts TO ulKE a ElsB-
IOE<BLE sLRMEEE

Il Iney E@we Ne Net ENeeeM - EeE OenN--
Ths Thrssteses strike OF Ssur-eyrsa
The iourneymsn tAIiors Of this city viii
| probably not 20 on strike tonight even II the
Merchant Tailors' Association persists in its
demand that they accept q reduced rate oi
wages The reduction OF 10 per cent which
the Merchant Tailors' Association proposed
Was not an ultlmatum. They are said 10 b
| willing TO compromise on . reduction Of ~
| per cent.
On behalf OF the tailors II is said that most Of
them are willing to accept this reduction.
Their earnings have been less during the past
year than ever before. They know that their
employers have felt the effect Of the hard
| times. although some OF them say that this
proposal to reduce their pay has come from
merchant tailors who draw their patronage
from people who are not Affected By any tenn
porary depression In business The Merchant
Tailors' Association includes about thirty five
tailors in this city. They have rooms at PAL
Fifth avenue and are among the best known
tailors In New York.
Whsther or not there is q strike OF the men
employed In the fashions bic tailors' shops, the
present trouble will give the outside world an
unusual insight into the methods and customs
OF the men who make high priced clothes It
must be borne In mind that the men who are
nov proposing TO strike are only those who
bcW khTmtulS NHty nave peon cut ana
Httsd and finish them OF. They arc not the
cutters. These gentlemen are artists. The
other workers are simply the instruments
through which their conceptions are realized.
Their salaries range from 500 week
down. dependent OF course on the
establishment in which they are en- ployed
The men whose wages it Is now proposed to
reduce sew the parts OF q garment together
ft In the Innings. sew on the buttons and the
braid. and do everything that makes a finished
garment OF the parts the cutter gives to them.
These men and the small number Of women
who do the same work are paid By the piece.
Each garment costs a nxed price to make.
Both sides in the present contest agree that
the wages Of the average tailor do not much
exceed SIG week. There are some employed
In the fashionable shops in Fifth avenue that
make as much as $40 q week during the whole
year. But these cases are go exceptions al that
they have practically no bearing on the pres
ent question
ASUS reporter talked yesterday with num-
Der Of the best known tailors on Fifth avenue.
James W. Bell OF 172 Fifth avenue. who has
been for many years. along with Matthew Rock
OF 3l5 Fifth avenue. among the best known OF
the New York tailors. told the reporter that he
was not . member OF the Merchant Tailors'
Association. and that his best men averaged
$50 week.
%Th. srea. thing about our nrm," said Mr..
the highest priced taiI9rs In the world. OF
or London. and our charge. range from 80 to
90 per cent more than those OF any other
our clothes have the satisfaction OF knowing
that they are wearing the n ost expensive gar
and our own psrticular cuts Ba. the the special i
charaeteristie OF our firm is that We are high
n q M talt ~ IN Arp, fn
adopt until the reporter had talked with some
Other her tsil9rs aL' som. Of then we're indignant
per Gent cent. higher than !h.iI owh.
charge on the aysrss. S % suit more ore dSssn tSsn
do; 81 course he charges more than such
tfm. .hieh 10 Usually ineiSdsd sno1ea anon9 Ii:
most high priced In town. But they do . |
iss .,s g. 5 TS, Insy make :u
sI1ss 81 ,.r. ,'oae YS9 won. iind Any p us willing
suit for that. II he wants ,cltawsy coat he |
waisteost cost sos. and an orercost @ about
$50 Dress suits are never under 500, and |
The cost Of the work tailors do on every gar
ment is fixed: The sewing, and making Q:
cost In the hrs: place si4 HitsS T is ha. ta Ssss
Sq or Sasd cost. %sr G6dso the sss vdi .h
IL ar .snS on e The s cost. the nd TS.
goat goat costs sI4 10 make in the first place and
The 4 additional work costs from s. to 81.
brings them up These OF course. are the
;. 1T is no, true said one Of these Yesterday.
eH ss g:sd sG Gs,S %
SsIa II hse shs and have
ter yards TO make a coat. Satin Innings. BUT
Ions, and the rest OF the trim innings amount to
are about 20 per cent net. They men that
patronize us are not the wealthiest in New
rom Ave to ten thousand year. 1 have some
customers whom dress for $500 year. and
hey II, A look < better dressed than others that pay
one OF the reasons which the Merchant Tall
DTS Association has given for demanding the
,lothes went up with the Mckinley bin. the
wages oitailors went up at the same time. Some
,nisf The Operation Of tie Wilson tili, and
hey ll believe that the tai!o5s pay should be
,ifth avenue all told the reporter yesterday
hat they had no idea ot rsdusing their prices
ailoEs went on strike last winter. is a member
y the Merchant Tailors' Association. He said
sT!oasy intsGiers with the sprins ing trade. aosi
u the houses rely on the men who have been
M SIth them he n Tor long time, and 4 would be i'm
John B. Lennon who Is the Secretary of the |
iationa JOuTpeImsn T Iailors' Union. said that
he men would strike II the 8 per cent reduc- |
ion was demanded BY the Merchant Tailors'
Issociation. lie would not say what they
Iouid do in case reduction OF only 10 per
ent WAS asked.
The thirty-nye tailors who are asking for
he reduction are not OF the sort that are az |
eeted by the hard times. although business |
as been duller OF late. one reason of this Is |
hat New York Is no longer the only city in the |
nuntry which has good tAiloTs Men in other |
tiles o longer have to send here for clothes |
his has diminished the trade Of the Fifth ave-
ue talors more than snYthing else"
The National JournsymAn allors' Union az |
snds al! over the [ nited States and has 25.UOO
iemhers There was meeting Of the men
Ist night In the Lycsum Opera House In Fast |
hiTty fourth street. and Ii was decide that
o action should be taken until next week.
n Monday,