The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-08
Cigar Manufacturers Are Will
ing to Submit Strike Trouble
to Arbitration.
HIGHER WAGES PAID HERE
THAN IN ANY OTHER CITY
Claim Made by George A. Whit
aker for the Man
ufacturerS.

While the conditions that have been
brought about by the recent walkout Of
the union cigarmakers remain practical
ly unchanged, it seems that they are
not irremediable. Inasmuch as they
have not yet reached a point where ne
gotiations become impossible. there is
hope Of an adjustment and possibly this
Will be brought about by submitting the
question to arbitration. That such ac-
tion would meet with the approval of
the EMPLOYERS is evident from a state
ment issued Thursday by George a.
Whitaker, a member of the mannfac-
turers committee
Mr.. Whitaker was asked to set forth
the employers side of the controversy
since the cigarmakers had made pubic
their contention in Thursdays S Tribune.
it being evident that there must be at
least two horns to every dilemma. He
then prepared the following statement.
This mornings issue of your paper con-
tains statement from j. 9. Weckworth
president OF the Clgarmakers' union NO.
22i, giving his views of the present trou-
BILE between the cigarmakers ard the ci-
gar manufacturers Of Sail Lake CITY. In
justice TO the other side | respectfully re-
quest you to print the following facts.
Mr.. Weckworth states that the cigar
manufacturers asked as a special favor
that the clgnrmakers make no statement
to the press regarding their demands
The fact is, We were informed by the
committee that IT was the Intention oil
the Cigarmakers 10 keep this trouble from
the public>aS much as possible, ana tneN
had selected Il. j. I3ohe 10 handle that
part OF it. The committee then agreed
that there should be nolnnS given 10
the press.
Mr.. Weckworth states that they have
been working under the same bill OF
prices for nineteen years, which is true.
but he rorgets to tell you that the bill
was copied from the Denver bill when
Denver was enjoying the greatest boom
in the cigar Industry she ever had. he
forgets to tell you that while Dcnver's s
bill was reduced from one to~two dollars
per thousand, Salt Lakes price remained
as il was, He forgets to tell YOU that
our old prices are still higher than the
present Denver price, and that cigarmak-
ers make from 81 30 to S. more per week
in Salt Lake than they do In Denver.
Again Mr. Weckworth does not inform
the public that while every other trade
in Salt Lake. during the panic OF 1898
to 1896 suffered reduction in wages
OF from 10 to 40 per cent the cigarmak-
ers wages remained the same,
Now, the cigar manufacturers take this
stand: First. the prices OF raw material
have ls advanced from 80. TO p per cent ~ In
den are now paving higher scale of
prices than any other cities In the United
States. excepting Butte, Mont. where
there are practically speaking no cigars
made, third, the margin Is so small now
that It Is impossible 10 grant the in
crease without detracting from the quail
lty OF the goods. and should do this
1t would he only a matter OF n short
time until we would be driven out of
business: fourth. We must be In n post
tion TO compete with Eastern and West
ern union factories. or cannot con-
tnue IN business, All the factoRies in this
city as far as | know. are working only
union men, and would not employ any
one else II they could; fifth. we admit
that there are certain shop conditions
which should he remedied and we have
agreed TO do
Again. TO show that we are confident
OF our position. We are willing that the
whole matter be referred TO two cigar
makers. two manufacturers. they to
choose the NTH man. and we agree to
stand by their decision.