Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-09
FACTS ABOUT CIGAR MAKERS.
Views of President Strasser of the
International Union.

| Mr.. Adolph Strasser from September,
| 1877. to January. 1892. president of the
Cigar Makers International Union of
| America, continued his testimony before
! the industrial commission yesterday after
noon, after The Stars report was closed
Mr. Strasser became president of the In
| ternational Union when but 1928 was in its
| treasury, while today its annual income is
| over $500 900, and there are hundreds of
| thousands Of dollars on hand at all times.
Mr.. Strasser said the great strike of Gin
| cinnati a few years ago. which affected
! 1900 cigar makers, was really a mistake in
| Its ordering, but 1t had been followed by
beneficial effects. He said that one mans
/ wages were reduced and the local unions
\ at that time had power to order q strike
| They did so, and a long-fou strike drove
| the cigar trade from that city. Both sides
| were hurt The next year they demanded
| the eight-hour law and got IT. and he did
not think they could have done so had it
| not been for the show of strength during
| the strike. After the strike the Interna-
| tlona! Union mad changed Its law to pro-
| vide that local union could not be sup
| ported financially by the general union un-
| less the strike was ordered by the higher
| body. Since that law had been adopted
| there had been no reckless strike
The union was not so strong in New York
| as it might be, for the reason that many of
the cigar makers there are sociallsticaIy
inclined and look to political rather than in
/ union work In order to improve conditions
These men believed in what they called the
! cooperative commonwealth. They left the
| union IN lSS2 and called themselves progress
| slVe cigar makers. They are now In the
| International Union, but there is still some
| lack of unity between these men and other
| cigar makers in New York on account of
| their difference in views in regard 10 the
! course they should pursue. In New York
one union has 1000 women in It, and they
| pay the same dues and receive the same
benefits as the men.
The Cuban cigar makers at TIA and
| Key West, Fla, are not generally In the
| International Union and work for 10 per
| cent less wages than those that are paid
| In New York city.
| He believed in the beneficial features of
labor organizations and said he thought
| they added stability TO the union. Unions
! were something like pigeon houses; the
members were coming and going all the
time The beneficial features provide
| something that the members lose when they
| leave the union and the effect of that IS
| that they hesitate leaving
The funds of a union are to the union
what ammunition is to an army. II we lose
| our funds we lose our ammunition" he
| said.
| He believed in keeping a large fund.
| which the union could use in case of neces-
| sity.
| CO-Operative Factories Unsuccessful.
| Cooperative cigar factories had not been
| successful. The experience was that men
| conducting them finally branch off, run
! shops of their own, and join the manu-
| facturers and have to be fought in turn
| by the union. That had been the ease in
/ Boston, San Francisco and other places.
| Those who had run them finally became
| very active in the employers association
| against the union
He did not believe in Incorporation of
| trade unions. He was afraid their funds
might be jeopardized by such action.
We can't expect justice at the hands of
he Ia 1ea,I al Il
| in which he thought the courts had shown
| prejudice against the unions.
There was adulteration of tobacco in
| the cigar trade for the reason that cheap
| grades of tobacco could be bought for )
! cents pound 1t was about cheap as
paper.
The eight-hou day had been a great ad-
vantage, socially and morally, to the cigar
| makers Formerly when they worked long
| hours they lived near the factories and
! they were IN the habit of drinking hard at
! times. Now they hive in many instances in
| the suburbs. spend more time with their
| families. have gardens and leisure for read
| ing. These things had largely changed the
same men and had made them better citi-
zens.
Union Membership as a Test.
Mr.. Strasser thought that If Congress de-
sired to have some test for immigrants it
| might provide that in the case of mechan-
| les coming to this country only those with
| union cards should be admitted. The union
| in this country has agreements with cigar
| makers in every civilized nation on the face
| OF the globe, card from any other ma
| TONS union admits the holder to work be-
| side union man here. In reply to spe-
| cific questions. whether the admission of
| trade unionists from another country and
| the limitation of apprenticeship in this
country would not be wrong to the Amer
| lean the witness replied:
"a trade union has broader aspects than
| citizenship of country. 1t embraces work
| ers of the whole globe and the union OPP
poses the idea of antagonism to other coun-
| tries"
| He also believed in an educational quail
| fication for immigrants for the reason that
| intelligent men were better to reason with