The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-12-17

staunch and consid crate friends 81
conservative organized labor. IL. .# s.s=
UNION or TAILoRs IN GERMANY.

Is among the the most prosperous |
labor organizations Of the European |
continent. As the reports Of the Of
ficers Of the union to the tailors' con-
vention' recently held at the city OF
Dresden show, many,'good results were
achieved during the last two; years.
The antagonism ,of the employing class
against organized labor caused ::.trou4
bles ire a: number Of cities; they were,
in the majority Off, cases, ended ;, in
favor Of the wage-earners.: The Union
of TallOrs proved to be means for
improving the conditions Of workpeo-
pie in every part Of the empire; thus
it can be truly said, if: there was ever
a just and righteous cause, and one
that will surely live and prosper, it. is
the trade union movement. The. organ
ization has Won the place it occupies
today by Sacrifices by striking, by
sufferings of men and their families.
There are at present in Germany
85,931 men and 124,52S women employed
in tailoring and garment making; of
the men 2o,795, or about one-fourth,
are members of the Union. The: union
list represent the most skilled among
| all workers and: generally said, the
| non-unionists share into the benefits
obtained by organized labor. Among
the women workers In the, tailoring
| and kindred trades unionis1n is but
slowly making progress; there are only
| $50 female members Of the union. In
some branches of the trade women
Wage-earners form the majority Of all
workers, because employers obtain
their services cheaper than those Of
men; but the prevalence of cheap
women labor tends to a reduction of
the wages Of male employees also.
There are numerous reasons given for
the employment of women in factories
and workshops: but for the best inter-
ests OF the family it would seem bet
ter to do what we can to keep the
women at home in all cases in which
their entering the industrial field is not
absolutely necessary.
Most non-unionists among German
tailors and tailoresses were found in
thirty-one cities of more than 100000
inha bitant (46,226 male and 103011 fe-
male non-unionists); in thirty-four
cities, having $4,000 to 100000 inhabit-
ant each there were 22,626 non-uion-
lists (among them 12,4S3 women).
| AT VIC VI 4o0t tucIc were
only 9,2O3 members of the German
Union Of Tailors, at the end of 1903,
21,716 members, gain Of about 1876
per cent. Notwithstanding the favor
able results achieved in recent years
there is still a large amount of or
ganizing in the trade within the ranks
Of unionism. The relatively low stand
ard of living of the tailor is in some
respects hinderance Of progress. Ger
man workers, as a rule, are not lack
ing intelligence; but their peculiar
education, the traditions of the olden
times are, on the other hand among
the causes preventing more rapid
progress Of organized labor.
There are now PSI local unions in
different parts Of the country. From
October, 1902. to March, 1904, the in
come. Of the German Union of Tailors
Il amounted to $114 ,266, for sick benefit
$4,000, for travelling benefit $4,000, etc;
the cost Of printing and publishing Of
the weekly journal of the union
("Fachzeitung'') amounted to $685.
The union was founded on the prin-
ciple that all men and women following
the tailoring and garment making
trades should be common impulse join
hands for the purpose of elevating
their trade and to improve their con-
ditions in every respect. It must be
regretted that many journeymen tail
ors do not know the fact that only in
unity there is strength. Besides the
Union of Tailors' overland der
Schneider, etc., with headquarters at
Berlin, there are some other organiza-
} 6tions of workmen in the tailoring
trade in existence; but those unions are
only small and Of minor Or no i'm
portance at all.
H. FEHLINGER,