The evening times., 1899-09-25
VICTIMS OF THE TRUST
The Tobacco Workers Secretary
Opposed TO Combines.
He Declares Before the Industrial
Commission That Small Southern
Manufacturers Have Been Wiped
0us-a Lower Rate of Wages Pre-
yniIs-Condifions i'm the shops.

At the session of the Industrial Commits
sion today f. Lewis Evans, secretary of the
Tobacco Workers National Union, refuted
the testimony hitherto given before the
Commission by the trust witnesses 10 the
effect that combines had been good thing
for the producer, wage-earnar, and con-
sumner.
Mr.. Evans said his headquarters were es
tablished at Louisville, KY. His union
contained 4,G0o members. They were all
considered tobacco makers, and handled the
weed in every form except cigars, cigarettes,
and snuf. The union was chartered by and
affiliated with the American Federation OF
Labor. About 80 per cent of the members
are women Children are admitted after
reaching fifteen years of age. The factories
under the jurisdiction of the union, employ
both white and colored laborers. The un-
ion is rapidly spreading north and south and
west Of Missouri.
Mr. Evans said that the effect of the
combines or trusts in the tobacco business
has been to throw a large number of tobacco
makers out of employment He cited the
closing of the ST. Charles factory, employ
ing 200: the Browns plant, employing about
2O0. and the ST. Louis Butler plant, employ
ing about 200, as caused by the trusts.
one hundred Of these hands more or less
found places elsewhere. They were all
skilled workmen- The trusts had also af-
feeted wages in connection with machinery.
There had been some reductions since the
formation of the trusts. The Drummond
factory had been paying as high as S2-25 per
day Seven and eight dollars week is
the maximum paid by some factories now.
The reduction had been arbitrary.
Prior TO the advent Of the trusts and
combinations there had been no overpro-
duction in the tobacco business The COM
binations have thrown hundreds of tobacco
workers out of employment. This has
been accomplished by the introduction OF
machinery and concentration OF the work.
The combine today controls so per cent OF
the plug tobacco manufactures. The to-
bacco combine embraces only the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company and the Continental
Tobacco Company. Both companies are
under one president. The combine was
made ostensibly TO separate the plug from
the smoking tobacco manufacture.
Mr. Evans said that the present social
ed era OF prosperity had no apparent effec
on the plug tobacco business The only
way il could benefit the business was Il
increase the purchasing power of smokers
goods which did not affect the branch o
business he represented. The factorie=
work s, 8. 10, and 10 1-2 hours per day
The 10 1-2 workday is confined to tn
South. where there are no sweatshops
There is no longer opportunity for poo
men TO manufacture plug tobacco, becaus
of the cost Of production without the All
OF machinery. The only opportunity is af
forded in the twist articles, because i
can be formed without the aid Of machin
cry There were hundreds of small manu-
facturers in the South before the grea
combine.
The intermingling of the sexes in tn
factories makes no material difference, an
the women take as much interest as tn
men in the union. They hold offices in III
union. The economic and moral condi
tions, except in the South, where colore
people are employed, have been maintaine
among the workers through the union
Since the combination Of capital in tobacc
manufacture the tax has been doubled, an
small manufacturers have not been able Il
stand ii.
The Commission took a recess until DC
tober 9. No testimony viii be taken, how
ever, until October 3.