The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-11
TAILORS BADLY HAMpERED.
Joker Law HITS MERCHANTS,
VORKERS AND FLAT OWNERS.
Many Dressmakers, Too. In q Bad Fix
Evils Of the Back Shop Forced on
Trade-Many Industries AFFECTED
Law Covers Even Jersey Made Goods.

Evils OF the Back Shop" Forced on
Trade-NIsny Industries AFFECTED
Law Covers Even Jersey Made Goods.
The merchant tailors Of the city are In
something Of a quandary over the amend
ment TO the labor law concerning work
done in fats and tenements, which goes
into effect on Oct. /. AS told In yesterdays
sun, this amendment was quietly slipped
through the Legislature last winter without
attracting the notice OF the Albany repre-
sentative of the Merchant Tailors' Protec-
tive Association. The members never
heard Of it until they were notified last week
OF its provisions by Labor Commissioner
McMakin.
The notice came like bombshell to the
talors, who felt sure that the existing law
concerning work in tenements was salts
factory to all concerned and that 1t would
continue in force for years TO come. Under
Its provisions the individuals who do the
work in tenements or fats are licensed.
The amendment transfers the responsibility
10 the owner of the house in which the work
is done. He is required to take out a
license and display it. framed in the public
hall on the ground floor.
The design OF the amendment is I'm
questionably to aid the unions by driving
all workers on clothing and the ike into
back" shops again. So long as they work
in their homes they can regulate their own
hours and avoid contact with organizers
or walking delegates. In shops they are
constantly at the mercy of those officials,
and must either join the union or suffer a
life Of persecution. Then, too, in the shops
they can work only stated number OF hours
a day-even in the busiest Of seasons, and
their output is thus greatly restricted.
The Tailors Protective Association has
not yet finally decided whether it will
fight the new law. At a recent meet
ing the question OF the constitutionality
Of the amendment was raised. Counsel
for the association gave an informal opinion
to the effect that it would probably be sus-
tanned by the courts He promised, how
ever, to look more thoroughly into the
natter and his final opinion will decide
whether the association will contest
the constitutionality Of the measure. As
it was passed there are several minor
flaws in the text. In one place the
word land" appears instead Of "a; in
another the word "of" Is omitted These,
however, do not alter vitality the sense OF
the text.
The amendment not only applies to the
manufacture OF mems clothing, but to hats,
caps, suspenders, underwear, neckwear,
furs, fur trimmings, fur garments, aprons,
purses. pocketbooks, slippers, paper boxes,
paper bags, dresses, waists, skirts, shirts,
feathers, artificial flowers, cigarettes. cigars
and umbrellas. For the purposes OF the
act tenement is any building in which
three or more families live, 30 it applies to
every fat or apartment house In New York
Some of the merchant tailors said yester-
day that the strongest objection to the
terms OF the law would come from the
workmen themselves and the owners OF the
houses in which they reside. The bulk OF the
garment workers do not look with favor
upon the back" shop. BY them it is always
considered burden Of dissension and hard
feelings. Generally speaking, each worker
wants a seat near the window and other
conveniences which all cannot have.
An instance was cited yesterday Of q
merchant tailor uptown who fitted up
back" shop in the most comfortable and
modern fashion. There were high ceilings,
broad windows and the best of sanitary
satisfied, and one by one they dropped
of and took up their work at home again.
The disintegration Of the force was pre-
coded by much pickering concerning pre-
IeTTeO lOCaUlOIb III UIle TOOIuS anu ny IuCIl
grumbling among the men over the limit
necessarily put upon their working time.
As practically all these tailors work by
the piece, it makes considerable difference
to them If they are hampered as to hours
OF labor.
The provision that the house shall be
licensed instead of the workman is relied
upon more than any other by the unions to
break UP the system Of work at home. 1t
is thought that property owners VIII refuse
-. T. ~
other workers rather than assume the re-
sponsibility imposed upon them by the law.
The fact that the license will have to be dis
played conspicuously in the main hall
will also be great drawback In all but the
tenements OF the East Side. The
who have their establishments in the flats
in which they live as we'll as to the humble |
garment workers OF the Ghetto.
Some Of the merchant tailors whose es. |
tsblishments are In business and financial
The rent most Of them pay now is very |
quarters fc: shack" shops. the increase
10 expenses will be serious matter for |
them. Some OF them are so located that
they cannot get additional room In the
buildings in which they are now doing
business.
1t was suggested yesterday that g'Irment
makers who wished to continue working
az nome colld move 10 Jersey Cl.y OF no
boken IL no landlord here wor.j take them
in, and thus escape the provisions Of the
new law. merchant tailor pointed out
however. that the State labor authorities
could reach them, no matter where they
resided, IL the clothes they worked on
were brought into New York. The law
provides for an inspection OF garments
and materials used in them, and goods
made / n New Jersey could thus be tagged
as uns anitary or swe atshop made, which
would have the effect of rendering them
unstable.