The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-05-04
Nine Steam LanndrieS
Close Chinese at
Once Raise Prices
The Situation Would b,
LudicrOuS Were 1t Not
Really Serious. the Old
WaShbOard TOO Slow


where the end will be. or when. no
one can foresee The latest phase
came Saturday night, when the
trouble in the laundries eliminated
in n lockout A Portland paper
sums up the situation thus:
The nine largo steam laundrfes OF
Portland shut down Saturday night
for an indefinite time. The Laundry
Workers Union has been locked out
solled collars and shirts will here
after be the fashion.
The reason given by the proprie
tors OF the establishments for their
lockout is that they cannot guarantee
their customers prompt return OF
packages. Pending a settlement Of
the threatened strike the union could
guarantee only that It's members
would work until last evening. The
troubles Of the union have In the
meantime been taken up In the
Federated Trades Council. and the
grievance committee visited the laun.
dries yesterday morning
The employers. who comprise the
Portland Laundrymens Association,
apparently had little faith IN the pow.
or OF the committee from the council
TO settle all difficulties. and yester.
day a notice was posted In the vari.
GUS laundrlcs announcing that they
would be shut down at the end Of the
day.
Tho notice was the result OF a
meeting Of tho Portland Laundry.
mems Association at noon yesterday
Representatives OF the nine steam
laundrIes, comprlsipg the association.
were present, aud the following of.
nclal announcement was prepared:
The Employers Statement.
The Portland Laundry Association
has been compelled TO issue the
notice because a week ego today we
asked our employees that thoy should
work until tonight May "a. On thcir
part they requested as to give them
written guarantee to that effect
which we did. aud in return we re.
qucsted that this written guarantee
would be signed by those having au.
thorlty To sign for the Laundry Work.
ors' Union They refused to sign the
agreement, but the president OF the
Laundry Workers Union guaranteed
10 us that they would work until to-
night but would not guarantee 10
work any longer
Under the existing conditions we
did not feel at liberty to make any
promises to our customers and pat.
rons guaranteeing them that We could
receive and deliver their laundry az,
ter that date, and We were compelled
TO notify our patrons to that effect.
"ln regard 10 the controversy be.
tween ourselves and our employees.
we have used every honorable method
20 have this adjusted. and have of.
fered to meet our employees more than
halt way In their demands AZ 10
o'clock this morning MIR Gurr. OF the
Federated Trades. called upon ms aud
stated that arrangements could be
made To guarantee thai our employees
would work one week longer Il was
Impossible for ms 20 change our plans,
as the notice reached us entirely too
late TO give us time 10 protect our
customers and trade
Immediately after the workers In
the dinerent laundrles were aston,
ished to see the following notice
posted conspiouously upon the walls
In each establishment;
"Notice-owing 60 our inability Ia
guarantee To our patrons prompt de-
livery of work intrusted TO MS. we
have decided 10 close our plants sat.
urday evening, May 2d for an indea-
mite time"
why. that means that we will be
locked out tonight" was the chorus
from the laundry girls who gath.
cred about the notice, which meant
so much 20 them.
The officers OF the union were aa
much surprised as any one one of
the prominent men of the union was
asked Friday evening after the meet.
ing Of the Federated Trades Council
as TO the truth OF the report that tho
iaundries were about 10 shut down.
There Is 20 more In Il than IN the
rumor that We win strike tomorrow. {"
said he emphatically
THAT the weeks work could be
hnlshed and delivered to the custom.
ers an the laundries affected ran fun
blast unlil a late hour last evening