The evening world., 1894-09-24
SWEATER SHOPS IDLE
Most of Gear" Reiss's Shirt
makers Join the Strikers.
Picket Charles Weinberg Fined SIS
on His Complaint.
Three Thousand Hands Refuse to
Work for Starvation Wages.

The shirtmakers' strike began in grim
earnest this morning. II Is a battle royal
against starvation wages ana long hours
of overwork in unhealthy. pent-up shops
Wdlhalla Hall. As Orhard street. re-
sounded with babel of voices this morn
ing, ana Hoods famous Song of the
Shirt" was more popular with the east
side women, who fully appreciate 1t, than
ever before
Walhalla Hall is the general rem
devious for the male contingent OF the
strikers, at SO East Broadway. the
headquarters OF the Shirtmakers' Union
is reserved for the women and girls and
the Executive Committee of the organi-
cation.
There are 5000 shirtmaksrs in this city,
and about 5000 of them, who are now on
strike, have labored for the men known
as sweaters" or Contractors-me who
bargain with wholesale dealers and job
bers to furnish stocks OF shirts OF any
style and then make their own profits
out OF men and women who toll twelve
and fourteen hours a day at sewing ma
chimes for a pittance that does not aver
age 81 "A week each.
The largest of these sweater" con-
tractors are thus enabled TO clear a
profit of s75 and even 800 a week, and
the smallest are content to make from
$50 to $50 "A week each.
The main object OF attack this morn
ing on the part of the strikers was the
! shop of Elias Reiss. 800 Monroe street,
where $50 hands were employed until to-
day, when all but twenty of them
struck. 1t is one of the largest. II not
the largest. sweater" shops in the
city.
Mr.. Reiss is known as the Gear
among the strikers because of the eX-
tremely strict rules he enforces In his
shop and the system of espionage which
he places upon his employees FOR fear,
1t is alleged they will join the union
and nd force him to pay higher wages,
| have hitherto not been organized, but
| starvation wages, oyerwork and bad
surroundings are said by his employees
to he the cause for the almost general
stampede that took place from his shop
| to-day
The Union committee sent Charles
Weinberg to pipe on" Reisss shop this
morning and report the movements OF
| iteiSs in securing new hands. and to OBJ
| tain such other information as he could
| gather. Weinberg was instructed TO be
peace, for the Union proposes TO win the
night on peaceful and law-abiding lines
when Weinberg walked quietly past
keiss,s shop The latter tis saw him Refs.
street station 'of the strike, and five
| buccoats were standing about the build
ing. Reiss called one Of the patrol
men and demanded Welnberg's arrest
The picket de Jared he was not break
ing the law, and he and ReisS engaged
| in an angry argument. Then Weinberl
| demanded Rciss's arrest, and both wert
| taken to the station-house and theme,
to the Essex Market Court, where Reis
was discharged and Wcir berg was fineo
S. without. his friends allcge full
| hearing OF his side
He paid his fine and returned &c
picket duty. His treatment made the
strikers very indignant against Reiss
the police and the police justice who
fined him. The strikers from ReiSs'.
shop had much to say about the matter
when they held "A meeting at SO East
| Broadway shortly afterward.
II was charged that the building
| where Relss has his shop is dangerou.
| in case OF fire, and that there are No
adequate cunvcniences for the workers
| The shops Of Louis & Son. Al Broad
| way, 80 hands; Citren, in East Thir,
! street, near Lewis. 10 hands, and Mrs
| }ecks, 3lS and 800 East Houston street
| - hands, are among the largest affeote,
by the strike. Nearly all the uthe
shops employ from ten to twenty-nV
hands each,
Ten years ago n quick, skilled shirt
maker could earn so week, but now h.
or she can make but s. a week, and tn
large majority not over 81,