New-York tribune., 1896-07-23
THE TAILORs' STRIKE IS ON.
NEARLY EIGHT THOUSAND WORKMEN
SAID TO HAVE LEFT THE SHOPS.
CONTRACTORS SAY THAT REDUCTIONS IN PRIcEt
BY MANUFACTURERS HAVE COMPELLED

BY MANUFACTURERS HAVE COMPELLED
LONG HOURS AND SMALL PAY.
A stranger in the neghborhood Of walhalla
Hall ir Orchard-st.. between Grand and Hester
sts. yesterday would have thought that all the
inhabitants of the East Side had assembled
there. The streets in that locality are usually
crowded in the hot weather but yesterday they
were simply packed with a swaying mass Of
perspirng human beings all gesticulating
wildly and talking loudly. So dense was the
crowd that it was with difficulty that passage
way could be made through it. The cause OF
all the unusual commotion was the strike Of
the tailors, which was ordered on Tuesday and
which went into effect yesterday morning.
Committees were sent around early in the
morning to call out the taiors from the various
shops, and by noon about 5000 had stopped
work. AS fast the strikers left the shops
they were told to report at walhala Hall, and
they marched there In procession. Crowds OF
excited Hebrews followed them. and there was
much excitement
The confusion was only apparent, however. to
tie unntiated the East Side is used to
such scenes, a strike Of the tailors having oc-
Cured every year about this time with almost
unbroken regularity. The strange feature Of
/
as it was officially stated few days ago that
there would be no strike. But the taors were
not to be disappointed They had made up
their minds to strike, and at last the leaders
gave way, ami the strike was ordered The
strikers stood about enjoying their cigarettes.
which they smoke necessarily. and discussed
the situation from every standpoint. Their
numbers grew as the day went on, and nearly
= pnn no hafo iohf foIt
was also received that 1900 were on strike in
Brownsville. a suburb Of Brooklyn and about
1000 in the latter city. Among the strikers
are about 1000 women and girls. who en-
ployed in making coats in this city. All the
strikers are coat-makers. and they are divided
into branches as follows: Operators, basters. fin
ishers pressers and bushellers.
POLICE PRECAUTIONS UNNECESSARY.
There was no disorder during the day, al
though the police had taken all proper precau-
tions Ten policemen, under command OF Cap
tain Allare. Of the City Hall Squad, did duty in
the neighborhood of Walhalla Hall There were
also men out from the Edridge-st station. All
the police Of the lower East Side We're in charge
Of Acting Inspector O'Keefe. The only diff
Guilty the police had. however. was to keep a
passageway open for pedestrians through the
|
none Of the owners Of tailor shops had applied
to him for protection yesterday. Mark Simon,
who has q shop in Water-st., caused the arrest
Of four Of the strikers committeeman, whom he
charged with invading his place and ordering his
men to go on strike. The arrested men were
Louis and Harris Applebaum. of No. 146 East
Broadway; l. Llskel, OF No. 1872 Broome-st.. and
Elias Bierman, Of No II Chrystie-st. They were
arraigned before Magistrate Kudlich, in the
Essex Market Court. The tailors in Simon's
shop denied that the prisoners had made dis
turbance, and they were discharged.
Meyer Shoenfed. the leader Of the Brother
hood Of Tailors was at WalhalIa Hall throughout
the day. and received the reports of the pickets.
He said that as the strike was now on, 1t was
thought best to make ii complete one, as by so
doing the strikers were more likely to gain their
demands He said that the full demands which
it was proposed to include In next years agree
ment with the contractors would not be formu-
lated until Tomorrow The probable minimum
scale Of wages demanded, however, will be as
follows: Operators. SIS week; basters. $l3;
pressers and bushellers $40, and hnishers, 80.
A days work shall be ten hours 1t will also
be demanded that operators basters and bushel-
lers work in teams. as Of late the contractors
have been hiring boys at S. week TO do some
ployment The Brotherhood Of Tailors will also
demand that the contractors make cash de-
post Of $50 for each team they employ. This Is
to insure that the provisions of the agreement
will be lived up to.
The women and girl strikers held a meeting
in the afternoon at the headquarters OF Local
Union No g. at No III East Broadway
The members of the Clothing Contractors AS
sociation met at No. 200 East Broadway. Ben
jamin Dresen. chairman OF the Executive Com
mittee, said that the strike was a great sur
prise He said that IT was too early TO talk
about the probable outcome Of IT. The con-
tractors can do nothing until they hear from the
wholesale clothing manufacturers from whom
they get their contracts.
ADMITTED THE WAGES WERE LOW.
Albert Hochstadter Of Alfred Benjamin Co,
In Lafayette Place. is president Of the Clothing
Contractors Association. He said that there
was not much to say at present, as no question
Of wages had been presented to the contractors.
He admitted that the wages Of the tailors were
low, but said that the contractors could not help
1t, as business had been extremely dull. Con-
tractors had to bid low to get the contracts He
said also that the manufacturers didn't care
anything about the present strike, as they had
little work to give out. He said that there was
a tendency toward cheap clothing this season.
The contractors met again in the evening to dis
cuss the situation. but said that they had moth
ing further to give out. One OF them said that
they had not expected the strlKe 10 take place
before Sunday.
Walhalla Hall again packed with fully
. 900 strikers last night, but nobody appeared 10
mind the sitting heat or the haZy, heavy atmos-
phere Pale and consumptive-looking as the
Hebrew tailors Of the East Side are, they
stand some things much better than any other
class of people earth There much push
ing and jostling but no ill-humor was displayed.
and If the strike lasts day or two longer dane
ing will doubtless start up In the hall. and the
whole time day and night, will seem like
continual ball
At the meeting last night the men were
sured that by o'clock this afternoon all the
union men to the number of 1000, would be In
the ranks Of the strikers. Max Cohnfeld ex-
planed to the taiors the conditions which led up
TO the strike and informed them OF the progress
already made. The men were enthusiastic when
told Of the number who had already quit work,