The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-25
jjl(ORGANIZED|
E||EI| y LABOR
tions Of the workmen. This circular
Plead for Their Jobs.

: ! 3 !. Il 1
eve are not manufacturers-sim-
ply the hired man, with no ak to grind;
organized workers, simply seeking to
protect the best interests Of our only
means Of making livelihood, with no
promises to offer and no threats to
make.
After stating that the first cigars
made by the wife Of Connecticut far,
mer, and that the first cigar factory
was established at East Windsor, Conn,
the circular goes into statistics, show
ing the growth Of the cigar-making
business in this country in the half Gen.
fury it has been business.
"For the fiscal year ended June 30,
1904 reads the circular, eve paid a
revenue to the government of 2O,498,-
711.S4, while every cent Of the tariff
now raised on cigars imported to- this
country from the Philippine islands is
turned into the treasury Of the islands
for the purpose Of supporting the gov
eminent. ~
Wages Are Low.
ga bulletin of the department of la
Dor shows that there are employed, all
told, in the cigar industry Of the Philip
pine Islands, about 10000 people at
an average Of $l0.21 a month. The rate
Of wages for cigarmakers, as near as
can be learned, is 371a cents day,
while the government census Of 1900
shows that the average wage Of the
workers in this country was about $500
year, or about $l.36 day.
E'The total value Of the output for
cigares and cibarets, as stated in the
foregoing, was $16O,223,l52. The CAPT
tai invested was $67,706,439 in lands,
buildings, machinery, tools, implements,
cash and sundries; the salary paid Of
ficials, clerks, ETC., was $S,95l ,534; sal.
airy paid to wage-earners was $49, S52,.
484; miscellaneous expenses, $79,495,.
1872; cost Of materials used, $l07, 182, 1856
"a good cigar can be bought in Ma.
pila for l cent, or from S. to $40 g
thousand. The home produced cigar
sells for cents, 10 cents and Is cents
apiece, or from 500 to $50 thousand
generally, and from that up for espec
tally fine cigars. "
'FUnder the proposed reduction, 8
cheaper grade Of cigars could be laii
down at San Francisco for $17.62 {
thousand, and the higher grades from
50 to Sc above this price. Give thi.
oriental cheap labor market in Thu
country, and the results will be ruinou
to the great industry we represent
Business Is Important.
Mr.. Perkins places the cigar industr,
as twelfth in commercial and industrial
Importance In the United States, ant
questions the economic, political O
moral wisdom of striking q crushin,
blow at this important industry thru
the proposed bill. -
s1stF The Filipino is, indeed, the child O
nature" he declares, "who, owing t.
climate and the bounties Of nature, ca,
live without work. Expensive clothin,
is a burden; no expensive rent is paid
With food growing in abundance, h
was never better off in his life thai
now. He would probably be happy /
we let him alone. -.
We, on the other hand, must bu,
fuel, pay high rents, buy expensiv
clothing and food, with the cost O
sustaining life always equal to our in
come. We protest against being pitte
against oriental labor in our ,struggl
for existence. We hold that no amour
Of legislation on the part Of congress
can or ever will lift up this people t
\ our standard, and that the act proposed
and against which we respectfully pre-
test. will have a tendency to and vii
drag us down to nearer their level.' I