The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-06
MIGHT REMOVE TO SAVANNAH.
MAYOR MYERS TALKS OF A CIGAR
FACTORY HERE.

Labor Conditions i'm Tampa Very
Unsatisfactory because of Unrea-
sOnabIeness of the Cuban Cigar
makers-Another Strik~ Now on at
Eel MOdeIO and Other Large Fac
tOries-If Labor COuId-Be Obtained
the Factory Would Certainly BE
Removed Hcre-Tnmpa's Street
Railway, of Which Mr.. George j.
Baldwin Is President, Has Also
Been Enjoying n Strike.
Mayor Myers returned yesterday from
Tampa. where he spent Saturday, having
been called there by the troubles which
have broken out afresh between the cigar
makers and the manufacturers. El
Modelo factory. of which Mayor Myers is
president, is one of the factories concerned.
A meeting was to have been held yes
terday between the strikers and, the heads
of the factories, and Mayor Myers hopes
to hear to-day that a settlement has been
reached. He is very much dissatisfied
however on account of the continually re-
curing troubles between the operatives
and the manufacturers.
Il shall at once take the matter under
consideration" said he, of removing one
of our factories either to some point in
New York state or to Savannah. If there
were any assurance of a supply of labor
here, I would at once make arrangements
for a cigar factory. l shall look into the
situation anyway"
The situation at Tampa, Mayor Myers
explained, is somewhat complicated. The
cigar makers seem to be ready to accept
Of any excuse for a strike, and the recent
trouble between the Tampa STREET Railway
and its employees aroused this humor in
their blood. The cigarmakers engaged In
a sympathetic boycott against the street
railway, refusing to patronize the line and
riding in busses and other vehicles This
probably encouraged the operatives in
several of the larger cigar factories to re-
new some of their grievances which were
thought to have been settled by the re-
cent compromise
THE cigarmakers are a difficult class
of people 10 get along with" said Mayor
Myers. "They are all Cubans, and their
methods of reasoning appear to be en-
tirely the opposite of the American work
ingman's. They insist upon number of
condition as to the various prices for the
different sizes and grades of cigars fur
nished, the amount of tobacco to be fur
nished them, hours of work, and, in fact,
upon number of privileges unheard or
in other manufacturing industries. Just
at present they know that there is a heavy
demand for goods and they seize the OPP
portunity to harass their employers by
making demands which they think the en-
ployers will be compelled to accede to be-
cause of the state of the trade"
The result of these continued troubles
with the operatives" said Mayor Myers
lis that the factories will eventually leave
Ton nj ole I, l-a
labor conditions are different. There Is
no reason to believe that the American
consumers will not be just as well salts
fed with a cigar made by American or
German or Bohemian or some other labor
as that made by Cuban labor, provided
just as good quality of tobacco is used.
Notwithstanding that the cigar factories
are the chief industry of Tampa, the peo-
pie there seem to take little interest in
the Walfare of the factories, and rather
encourage the operatives in their conduct
than othrwise."
The Ell Modelo Cigar Company has al
ways seemed like a Savannah institution
because of the fact that Savannah brains
and CAPT al have been esponsibfe for its
success. Its product has always been in
favor here and if Mayor Myers can see
his way clear to transferring II 10 this
point he will meet with hearty encourage
ment in Savannah.
Mr.. George j. BALDWIN, VINO IS the pres
ident of the Edison Company which con-
trolls Tampa's electric light pant and
street railway system, returned Friday
after spending several days in Tampa
where he brought about a partial adjust
ment of the differences between the com
pany and the street railway employees
When asked for a statement of the diff
ferences there Mr. Baldwin said that an
employee of the street railway was dis
charged for incOn7Daf ency The union of
which the employee was a member declar-
ed a strike and succeeded in enlis ing the
sympathies of other labor unions. When
it was explained TO the leaders of the
strike, however, that the man was dis
charged for incompetency and not for 9TH
er causes the strikers declared themselves
satisfied