The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-21
QUARREL AT A
LABOR MEETING
Clerks Union Charged with Being an
Employers Organization.
1T WAS BRIEF BUT SPIRITED
r. J. Thomas, of the Carpenters
Union, Made the Charge, and NJ. J.
X. Levy, of the Clerks Union,
Threatened Physical Satisfaction.
Trouble Started with the Assertion
That n Scranton Firm Is Selling the
Product of sweatshop Labor.


That n Scranton Firm Is Selling the
Product of Sweatshop Labor.
There was a war of words last night
among some of the delegates at a meet
ing i'm A. o. u. w. hall addressed by
Michael Raphael, of New York city,
agent of the United Garment workers
Of that city.
Mr.. Raphael had concluded an ad-
dress concerning sweat-shops and their
product, and in approval of his sug-
gestion a committee was being ap-
pointed to investigate a belief that
two prominent Scranton clothing firms
were selling sweat-shop goods. Among
those appointed by President NJ. d.
Flaherty, of the Central Labor union,
were Nelson G. Teets, NJ. j. X. Levy
and J. Abrahams, of the Clerks union.
Mr.. Teets and Mr.. Levy declined to
serve on the ground that the busi-
ness of the committees investigation
wGg some thing in which they were
personally interested. Mr.. Levy had
questioned Mr.. Raphael's statement
about one Scranton firm, and asked
him to retract and made a further
clined to serve on the committee.
Z. j. Thomas excitedly exclaimed:
"That's another proof that what I've
said before is true-the clerks are not
organized labor: they're organized for
only the purposes of the employers they
represent"
You take that back" exclaimed
Levy, shaking his fist at Thomas. who
sat some distance away from him.
"You take that back, or III knock it
back"
You'd better not-it will cost you
something" replied Thomas.
Yes, it will cost me twenty, and
I'll pay it," shouted Levy.
CALLS FOR ORDER.
There were calls for order when Mr.
Abrahams, the third member of the
Clerks union, named for the commit
tee, arose and in refutation of Mr..
Thomas charge said, mentioning the
name of the firm he represented: This
is false on its face. If it were true
my firm would not now be short of the
cheaper grades of overals through its
determination to stand by labor and
not buy the product of a non-union
factory. My firm has stood by labor
in this case, and 1t has cost us money,
too"
Debate was finally cut off by Presi-
dent Flaherty. who said that any fur
ther differences must be aired in Sec
ret session. All those present, three
reporters excepted, were members of
the various local trades unions, ana
nearly all were delegates, chosen to
hear Mr.. Raphaels address, and re-
no hot
tions.
Mr.. Raphaels speech consumed over
an hours time and was designed to in
fiuence the trades union members to
boycott firms that sell other than
union-made clothing. He introduced
his speech by giving particular atten-
tion to organized labor and the reforms
it could accomplish. The time had
passed, he said, when unions would not
associate themselves in common OBJ
ject. The brotherhood disposition of
the present day, he hoped, would stop
the practice of some Scranton firms in
selling goods made for starvation
wages, by unnaturalized labor and
amid surroundings reeking with filth
and disease.
DIFFICULTY NOT SETTLED.
He said the recent differences be-
tween the United Garment Workers
and manufacturers of sweat-shop goods
in New York city had not been settled.
Vast quantities of clothing is daily be-
ing produced in dens of pauperism and
filth for sub-contractors who turn the
product over to contractors and they
in turn to manufacturers.
Mr.. Raphael offered vivid descrip-
tions of sweat shops in New York ana
other cities and quoted freely from a
report by Miss O'Reilly to the conven-
tion of factory inspectors at Philadel-
phia. In New York legislative enact
ments and factory inspections We're in
adequate Tenement factories were
not abolished, but where there was an
occasional enforcement of law the re-
suit was only to drive the affected
sweat shops to other cities.
1t was constantly being proved that
legislation was futile. The only re-
course, he said, was for organized labor
TO boycott the cheap product. 1t would
be humane object and would lessen
the growth in the criminal, insane and
pauper population. In this connection
he made plea against tenement child
labor.
Iedu III d recent issue or one of
your own Scranton papers," said Mr..
Raphael, some reference 10 the num-
Der of immoral places in your city. Do
you know one of the starting points of
that condition? / am not going to tell
you explicitly, but can you not guess
when girl operatives in one of your
clothing manufactures recently had
their wages reduced below the SO and
"a per week that they had been work.
ing from to 10 hours day to earn?"
REPORTED IN NEW YORK.
II had been reported at the United
Garment headquarters in New York
city that two Scranton retail firlus
were selling clothing purchased from
two well known New York firms whose
goods were the product of sweat
shops. The names of the firms, both
in Scranton and New York were men
tioued by the speaker He said the
matter had been investigated since his
arrival In Scranton and it was found
orc firm sold only Union-made cloth
inG. The other firm, Mr.. Raphael be-
lieved, was guilty of the practice
charged against them.
The speaker then urged the mem
bers of trades unions to purchase only
such ready made clothing as contained
the union label. Printed matter bear
ing a fac-simile of the label has been
distributed.
When Mr.. Raphael concluded his
speech he was asked by Mr.. Levy TO
retract his statement concerning one
Scranton firm. He said he bad moth