Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-03
BARBER SHOPS
THROWN open"
Three Refuse Longer to Abide by
Regulations of the Local
Union.
CRISIS SUDDENLY REACHED
Both Sides Issue Statements Up
holding Their Position in the
Contest.

Because the Rock Island BARRIERS
union demanded that the working hours
begin at s o'clock, instead of in the
morning, L. A. Schmidt, w H. LANCE
and A. H. Lamp. prOprietors, have de-
cided to run open shops, and will re-
ceive BARRIERS from Chicago to fill the
places of the union journeymen who
have been employed in their shops.
The shop of Iglehart & Vermere may
follow the others in the matter.
This decision TO keep open shop was
reached last evening when the jour
neymen struck at the three shops first
named on account of the refusal of the
prOpTietoTs 10 voluntarily give up their
union cards and abide by the rule the
| journeymen sought to enforce. The
crisis, while expected eventually as
stated in yesterdays Argus. came TO
head with surprising suddenness.
At a recent meeting it was decided
by the BARRIERS that action be taken to
make the opening hour at s instead of
I o'clock. The new order was to go
into effect generally yesterday morn
ing, and the proprietors complied, with
the exception of four shops. Ira Mil
Ter. secretary of the union, then took
steps to have the union cards removed
from these shops.
Officer Asks to BE Excused.
| Constable Eckhart was selected as the
officer to replevin the cards but he de-
clined to serve the notices, or take
any action in the matter. owing to the.
effect it might have on the results of
the coming election. in which he is a
candidate for reelection to the Office
of coroner.
When il was found impossible, on
account of political policy, to secure a
| local constable, Constable Schmidt. of
South Rock Island was called upon,
and he visited three shops and served
the papers, no objection being offered.
| The three shops which refused to con-
tinue under the orders of the union,
employed nine men.
The proprietors claim that they do
| not approve of the recent order set
| ting the price of shave and a neck
shave at 30 cents on Sundays and hol-
Iidays, instead of the original price of
I15 cents. They will in the future
charge the old rate of 10 cents. They
had agreed to charge according to the
new order, but since the trouble has
arisen over the working hours, they
will also ignore the order in regard
to prices.
| Statement of Boss BARRIERS.
To an Argus representative one of
| the boss BARRIERS said: we have been
forced into the position we have taken
| by what we claim is an unjust discrim-
Iination against the boss BARRIERS who
employ help. Under the union rules, if
| | employ help | cannot be member of
1.-The union, while a boss barber in a
small shop who employs no help is al
lowed membership. In consequence of
| this the boss BARRIERS of the, one-man
shops make the rules for the rest of
us to operate under, and in this in
stance they have made rules that
forces the trade to their shops in the
outlying districts and cuts off ours in
the center of town. We are allowed
no voice in the matter of fixing the
Iprices We charge our customers. which
certainly cannot be considered just by
a fair-minded public. We have tried
in every way to be friendly with the
union, but whom the union rules are so
operated as to discriminate against
Those who cannot join by reason of
giving employment TO union labor. we
reach the parting of the ways. and in
Justice TO oUrcelvcs must take this
stand, which we think will not seem
unreasonable % fair-minded people"
BARRIERS Make Statement.
This afternoon officers of the bar
bcrs' union handed the following state.
ment to The Argus:
Editor Argus: Hoping you will ac-
cord us little space in your valuable
paper. we desire to draw attention to
the statement of Messrs. \. G. Lamp
/. y. Schmidt and W. II. Lange. oper-
ators of three prominent barber shops
IN this city. in which they set forth
their grievances against the BARRIERS
local union of Rock Island.
In the first place this statement
asserts that the shop operated by Yer
mere & MOtz on Seventeenth street
anticipated surrendering their card to-
day which we are informed by Mr.. We
mere 10 be a statement contrary to
their intentions, as the prOprietoTs in
tend remaining with the union.
In the second place they assert that
f
ious designs by the members of the
smaller shops. this present instance
being one of them. Again the truth is
/ perverted. The resolution in favor of
) o'clock opening found its origin in
one of these three shops and was sign
/ ed by members from two of said shops
. Heretofore all legislation in regard to
the shortening of hours. enacted by
the local union. has been. if against
the interest of anyone, against that of
the smaller shops
There is no legislation made by eth
er state or union that is not Injurious
10 some ones interest. but the good
ofttimes accomplished more than Off
/ sets the necessary evil
On Neck Shaves.
/ The third and last question raised is