The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-01


TO organized labor II IA used by every
class OF society, ny churches, and " al
sorts or ORGANIZATIONS as well az traaes
unions. Manufacturers nre often boy
cotted BY other manufacturers and by
jobbers ami Retailers. The retailers are
often boycottcd W the manufacturers.
Certain firms are boScotted by banks
and certain hanks nrc boycotted by the
general p,bllt. In the b,islhess world
men Of all kinds boycott for certain rea-
sons, and why should not the trades
Unions do tho snlncY There Is nosdo,ibt
about tho legal right to boycott. No one,
can compel John Smith TO buy goods OF
John Brown. No one can compel him
10 travel In the Same car, sit In tho same
church or eat at the satno table.
think, however that the boycott should,
be open and above board. MIA that tho
linan to be boycottcd should have tho
right to BIO heard before tho boycott Is
enforced. I don't believe that the boy
colt should be Incorporate or Unjust. J
don't think, FOR Instance. that u Is right
to dismiss a school teacher because her
father worked during a strike nor 70 az
low the children OF union workmen IN
school to boycott the children Of non
union workman. 1t would bo tnjrstifi-
able to refuse the last services to dS-
inr man. whatever his past record has
bcen, and would dlsapprove OF any
boycott which should In any way dis-
tnrb the burial OF such a man.
The Leader OF Ten Thousand
Hatters.
| Speaking about the hatters' label hhd
an interesting talk In New York the otllcr
day with John Phillips the secretary OF
| Il m 81.
who number 10000, an army MS large as
that which Ncncphon led on his march
to the sea- Mr. Philips has been sccrc-
tary Of tho TIatters' Union for masy
| wears, and he knows all about hats ana
| the mon who make them. Referring 10
the ,,non label he said:
1--WE give our labels to tho union shops
and they are put inside Of every union
made hat Many men will not buy
! hat without 1t has our label. ana We
lind that the label greatly helps the
union. AS It Is now nearly the Whoie
| trade belongs to the union, and some OF
the factories keep the closed shop
Silk Hats and Derbys.
"In the first place. Mr.. Phillips, tell
me something about the men engaged IN
your trade. Who are they and what
kind Of hats do they maker
!
/ tie secretary OF the matters, although
there are some foreigners Thcro are two
1, hatters unions. one has to do With SIX
hats or plugs and the other with soft
hats and derbys. These different class
ses of hats are generally made In differ
ont factories and each sort has Its own
union
where are tho chief hntmaking CEN
tcrs?" asked.
"rhcy are In the east" replied Mr..
4 Phillips There are more In New YORK
/ and Brooklyn than anywhere else, but
you ind hat factories also In Newark.
and Orange, NJ. j.. and in Philadelphia.
+, Boston, and in and about Danhury Conn.
\ Danbury lives off the hatmakers There
/ was n lockout there some years ago and
1.-the retail merchants had to carry the
linen on their books or stop business All
4 their trade came from the hatters.
How about the west, are there no
! hats made there?'
mot many" was the reply. There
\ are few factories in Chicago and ST.
Louis, and quite a large one at Wabash.
lind The Wabash factory was started
4 by a Jew livery stablckeeper. IGc makes
his hats out OF the fur Of Belgian hares
and has hare farm associated with It
to supply the fur, All tho best OF the
4 soft hats and derbys arc made out Of fur
or down of rabbits, hares or comics
A Union Hatters and Strikes.
Does your union do good?" ! asked.
Il "Yes, 1T s,"ureplicd Mr.. Phillips.
eve have not had a strike for years.
and we have raised our wages and short
ened the hours. When there Is any trou-
BILE the employers come to us. We talk
the matter over together and try to
avoid strike By making mutual con-
i cessions."
what advantage is the union to Its
menbers?'I asked.
"It is Of great advantage" replied Mr..
Phillips Suppose I am a workman
in a union shop and 4 union man comes
there and wants a job. When the man
comes in he does not apply to the en-
ployer or the boss, but comes up to one
of the men, me for instance, and lays
down his union card, saying: How is
shop?'
even II we have not much work I
will reply: oh, Just fair. DO you want
to take turn?
VI "I would not mind no says.
And thcreupon | take his card to the
boss and tell him there is a union man
here who would like turn, that u.s..
something to do. If there is any work
the boss gives him n trial, and II he Is
a good man he keeps him
"TIow about apprentlccs?'
eve allow one to every ten men. The
apprentice works for the first two or
u, three months for nothing, his earnings
going to the halter who breaks llimn In.
After that the apprentice receives the
regular prices for piece work, except that
" 10 per cent. Is deducted for the employer
on account of his being green hand.
Il A place as an apprentice Is In as much
demand among us as n cadetshlp at
Annapolis or West Point Is among the
Z general public. We want our own sons
or friends to have the places and they
Ircvcr go begging,
Non-Union Hatters.
"You say that most of the matters use
union mon, Mr., Phillips. | happen to
know that the Stetsons do not, ana have
a Dunlap hat here which bears no union
, label
You are right about the stetsons," was
the reply. John Stctson won't have a
union man In his factory. went over his
establishment once. met the old man.
and when told him l was secretary OF