Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-16

Laundrymcn Combine fin n Protective
Association.


Association.
A new protective association as vet not
affiliated with the knights of Labor the
Central Labor Union, has been formed in
Washington. 1t is the Chop Hing Tong
Laundry Association and is made up of
the boss Chinese laundrymen of the Dis
trict, who have allied themselves for the
purpose of establishing a uniform scale Of
prices and preventing rate cutting. This
is the latest stage of the Chinese laun-
drymen's war which has been raging at
intervals for the past three years. The
association has but recently been formed,
and the new schedule of prices went into
effect yesterday.
The organization as yet has no elaborate
ceremony for the initiation of new men,
bers. 1t is, in fact, organization in
name only, no meetings have been held.
Each Chinaman has simply been invited
by walking delegate to adopt scale of
prices, and on the assurance that all the
laundrymen in the city would join. Few of
the laundrymen have declined. BY paying
% cents for large printed rate card,
which fee also covers the expense Of the
walking delegate, the laundrynan becomes
member in full standing. BY this card he
agrees to wash and iron linen shirts for
10 cents each. Collars are to be uniformly
taxed at the rate of cents apiece.
Cuffs are 4 cents pair Handkerchief
are cents, and socks 3 cents a pair.
Shirts with fancy bosoms are II cents,
While the duty on shirts with standing
collars attached is Il or j. cents. accord
ing as the collar is erect or 'lay-over.
This scale of prices replaces several vary
ing scales in force at various laundries.
Half a dozen laundrymen. who Were not
getting rich as fast as they wished to,
started to cut rates some three years ago.
The movement started down in Chinatown,
and attained much notoriety on account
of the ethodS adnpfe6 hv 10
laundrymen to drive the cutters out of
business. The feud lasted for some months
and landed half Of Chinatown in the Po-
lice Court one morning Since then the
rate cutting has been going on quietly until
some of the local laundries have washed
shirts for cents apiece in order to take
trade from an opposition laundry. Collars
were washed for as low as 1 cent and
cuffs at cents pair. With such low
prices the laundrymen were rapidly be-
coming demoraliZed. and the steam laun-
new Chop Hing Tong Association has been
eagerly Joined by those laundrymen who
are tired of rate cutting and who long to
make money more rapidly.
The name Chop Hing Tong means ac-
cording to Mr.. Kan Lee, an impressario
OF the ironing board. something similar to
the English mutual protection" The word
Tong means Association" Mr.. Lee
stopped ironing for few moments this
morning to smile knowingly and chuckle
that now Cinnamon would be able to
make money at their trade. since the
wicked rate cutters had either been enticed
into the Tong or else would be driven out
of the business. He said that all of the
best laundrymen were in the movement
and that they intended to make all of the
rate cutters either adopt their scale or
else they would be black-listed in every
way by the local celestials. He seemed
confident that none of them would dare
hold out against the strong Tong, but
intinated that if they did try to play the
scab' swift retribution would oyertake
them.
1t is not anticipated. however that any
more rate cutting will take place, for most
of the laundrymen have already Joined
There is little danger of another laundry
mems war.