Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-05
Mr.. Perkins Testimony Before the
Industrial Commission.
BENEFIT OF THEIR UNION
Large Amounts Paid Out to Mem
bers for Different Purposes.
DISPUTES GROWING LESS

| Mr.. George w. Perkins of Chicago pres
| ident of the Cigarmakers' International
| Union of America, today before the
| industrial commission to give his testimony.
| Mr.. Perkins has been president of the in
| ternatfonal union since 1891. and previous
| to that for six years was vice president of
| the organization. He had been connected
with the cigar trade for twenty-five years
| The international union has - 900 men,
| bers.
| Mr.. Perkins explained the financial sys-
| tenn Of the International Cigarmakers'
| Union, which is claimed to be the most
| intricate and the most successful financial
! arrangement in the world. The union col
| lects annually from its members about
| 100000, which money is kept in the hands
| or the local unions, no bond being required
of any officer handling the funds. although
| some of the local treasurers have as much
| as S35,p" In their hands at one time AL
| though this confidence is imposed in mem
| bers OF the union, the losses from defal-
cation do not exceed over 500 a wear An
| unusual feature of the union is the fact
that 1t has no law for the government of
| local unions in the discipline of members
| A local union can do anything, but its ac-
| ton goes before higher bodies in the assoc
cation for approval. A great variety of
| benefits are provided for in the union in
Guiding death. sick, out-of-work strike
ana others. In nineteen years they paid
| out 81. 100000 in benefits.
Paid Out for Strike Benefits.
In one year-1Ss4-j-S2D5.0 900 was paid out
| for strike benefits. The great strike of Gin
clnnat occurred that year, and while it was
| lost yet 1t was in its results a great vic
| tory. The cigar trade was driven from
! Cincinnati, the manufacturers were brought
| to realization of the power of unions and
/ the union itself found the weakness in their
strike laws. Their strike in Binghamton,
N. Y, in 1890 had taken place when there
were 5000 ctgarmakers there. The strike
was long and hard-fought. and today there
are but SO" cigarmakers in that city.
Mr.. Perkins said there are in this country
about 5000 cigarmakers, more than one
third of whom are in the union. They are
thoroughly organized everywhere except in
New York city, where there are 20, 900 cigar
| makers. The Cubans of Florida. he said.
are not in the union, and they the most
difficult Of all nationalities to organize.
He did not believe the suggestion that the
cigarmakers might take hold of the bust
ness of cigarmaking and drive the manu-
facturers out of business was practical. The
total annual output of cigars in this coun-
| try he said. is sl29 600 600 in value. and the
wages paid amount to over Sio.Go9.H0.
Benefit of Organized Labor.
| He believed organized labor was a great
| factor for good in this country.
Had it not been for organized labor"
| Sdlu MI feThlES, 1nlCdSo might nave
been laid in ashes during the last indus
| trial depression"
| He described the condition reigning in
| Chicago when there were great meetings
| of men not belonging to organized labor
| on the lake front. He had satisfied himself
| that these meetings held during the days of
| excitement there were by unorganiZe6 Ia
Dor. Free lunches Were provided for these
men. On the part Of labor organizations
meetings were held in a peaceabie way in
| their own places, and they were able to
! talk over their troubles. To talk over his
| trouble was for man what it had been
| SAID IT was for woman to weep. 1t re-
| lieved him. Then. his own union paid out
! in that year of great excitement in Chi
cago SlI1eD in the form of benefits to
| men out of work and $112,oto as sick bene-
! fits. They had Influenced the community
| for good by relieving distress and guiding
| men from the danger of disorder into peace
! full efforts for a betterment of their con-
| dition
The idea that labor organizations take
! away the personal liberty of members of
| unions was combated. for the reason that
| the worker could only get real liberty of
contract through organization, for the rea-
| son that the individual worker was so much
| weaker than the employer that he could
| not have part in the fixing OF the terms
! of his employment.
Few Disputes Over Wages
| The cgarmakers' union has been so sue
| cessful that since 1896 only 1854 members
! had been involved in any dispute over their
wages. In 1897 only four men were in
| volved in such disputes.
! Speaking OF the eight-hour working day,
he said it had resulted in greatly imDrov-
| ing the moral condition of cigarmakers The
habit of going on <sprees had been abau-
doned. and he believed. 100. these workers
are today physically improved by the
change. The working day had been re-
duced by organized labor from ten to eight
hours, as it was regarded that - per cent
of the working men in the country when
the movement was inaugurated were out of
employment. and il was believed that the
reduction Of the hours would cause this
surplus labor to be employed. In Eng
land. where the carpenters had reduced
their hours of labor to eight, it had been
shown that the health of their wives was
greatly improved for the reason that 1t i'm
proved their home conditions in the regu-
lation of Homework
At l O'Clock the commission took a recess
for hour.
The commission reassembled a. 3 O'Clock
and continued the taking of Testimony