The sun., 1906-12-27
WAR OF THE BARRIERS UNIONS
MAKES EAST SIDE SHOPS GEN.
TRES OF DISTURBANCE.


Liberty Attempt to Force Their Brand
OF Union and Find Trouble Meanwhile
the Five Cent Shave Seems 70 he Myth.
While inquiring into a reported strike OF
journeymen BARRIERS employed in shops on
the East Side where male folk without long
boards possibly may get shave for five
cents, the investigator found that there
was no barber who would admit for publica-
ton that he would shave anybody for FIVE
cents, not even a page with dimpled chin
whose beard never has known the BARRIERS
shear
Nevertheless, a sign on the outside Of
some of the shops which proclaimed them
selves -tonsorial parlors" glaringly declared
that a shave for a nickel was obtainable
inside. But it was explained by the boss
inside that no lightly bearded man could
escape without paying ten cents, even II
the journeymen had 10 hold him and make
him submit to a shampoo with applications
OF bay rum, talcum powder, vaseline and
several varieties of hair restorer.
The reporter found that there was no
strike of journeymen BARRIERS, but he un-
covered what appears to be a system Of
grating practised by a newly organized
Journeymen BARRIERS Union composed
chiefly of Russian Hebrews who understand
no language save Russian and Yiddish.
This union was organized under charter
from the United Hebrew Trades. which
the protesting BARRIERS declare is made up
chiefly Of Russ sian anarchists out OF SYM
pathy with conditions In America.
Many Of the journeymen BARRIERS in the
shops that the Russian Hebrews are trying
-. l,.-s. s.,sx h. ,nl0 TNalt
and none of them understands a word Of
either Russian or Yiddish. Some OF them
belong to the Journeymen BARRIERS Inter-
national Union OF America. which the new
union has refused 20 recognize.
About a week ago a man whose card
said that he was b. Salmowitz, business
agent for the new union, went into the
shop OF NJ. Schwamm at SO Ludlow street
and suggested TO the proprietor that he
would have TO settle with the Russian
Hebrew brand Of union before he could
proceed with the harvesting Of boards. The
settlement involved the purchase for 81 OF
a placard showing that the shop was union
one OF the Salmowitz coinage.
Max Roth, who runs Schwamm's shop
in the latter's absence and who has been
a long time in America and speaks excellent
English, being a reader OF THE Sun, joined |
the Journeymen BARRIERS International |
Union OF America when he was working |
in New England, and he has a few New |
England ideas about the rights Of American |
citizens. lie had some things to say to |
Mr.. Salmowitz, among which were that |
he, Roth, belonged to a real union that |
paid a sick benefit, that taxed him only 90 |
cents a month and also guaranteed to pay |
his funeral expenses III case he should die |
while member in good standing
Roth told Salmowitz to get out and Sal |
mowitz got. He came around again last |
Friday, owever, with a dozen other Rus |
sian Hebrews and threatened Roth. Sal |
mowitz said that the barber shop must |
settle with the new union. Roth said:
Where did you learn that word must
That is a Russian word. We do not Use it
here in America among people who are
peaceably working for living. Get outl"
This time Salmowitz and his friends re-
fused to get, and Roth and other men in
the shop rushed them to the door. A cop
came along and helped in the exodus. Since
then the new union has been distributing
boycotting circulars in the neighborhood
of the shop.
In W. Tells shop at 1874 Ludlow street,
there IL one journeyman, a young Italian,
who said that he was not a union man and
did not want to be. He said in broken
English that he did not understand either
or Yiddish, but that he found the
Jews OF his neighborhood a very generous
lot. He said the usual price of a shave
was 10 cents, but there were some Is cent
and he received about So a week
In tips and 80 in wages.
He said his shop had been invaded by
a mob of Russian Hebrews on Friday.
They did no damage. He did not know
what they were talking and gesticulating
about, but he made up his mind that he
was going TO stick 10 his job. A plain clot hes
cop came in while the mob was trying to
frighten Tell and his wife and drove it
into the street.
Louis EnlSel, who has shopat 2O2 Broome
street and who belongs 10 the Journeymen IA
BARRIERS Internatinal Union Of America,
has a sign Of the union in his show window.
One night last week a dozen Russian jews
whom Enkel called greenhorns," entered
mis- shop and started in to wreck it. Mrs.
Enkel who is about to become a mother,
-an into the shop from the living rooms
m the rear and was set upon by the Russians.
They had torn down the international
union sign and she had attempted to get
{ back. The Italian journeyman joined
N the mixup in defence of his boss's wife
md the boss himself lent hand. He has
been in America since his boyhood and
was much cleverer with his fists than the
INVADERS. They were driven into the
street where they were dispersed by cops
who had been attracted 10y the rumpus.
curious feature of shaving on the
Cast Side is that even in the five cent shops
n these prosperous times, the Hebrew