The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-09
j. c. WeckwOrth. President of
Cigar Makers Union, Girds
Up His Loins.
MAKES CAUSTIC REPLY
TO GEORGE A. WHITAKER
Union President Touches but
Lightly the Idea of
Arbitration.

Whether much can be accomplished
towards settling a strike by a public
controversy between the leaders of the
two factions remains TO be proven,
but it seems that if anything is being
done In the controversy between the
striking cigarmakers and the manufac.
turers 1T is being done in this way.
Replying to a statement issued by
George A. Whitaker in behalf of The
manufacturers, President J. C. Week
worth Of the Cigarmakers Union.
touches but lightly upon the suggestion
OF submitting the question to arbitra-
tiou and for that reason il seems that
settlement is as far distant as ever.
But since The cigsrmakers do not posi-
lively reject arbitration there rs still
hope for an adjustment The follow"
ing reply to the manufacturers state
ment was prepared Friday by Mr.
Weckworth:
] notice that the cigar manufa cturers
have presented their side OF the contro-
versy II Is the same argument that was
advanced TO us by tho manufacturers and
picked to pieces by the committee. Mr.
Whitaker says ] forgot to tell the public
that our old bin Is stlll higher than the
DenyeT elll and tha, cigar masers se1. earn ar
than they do In Denver.
Regard for Truth
did not forget TO tell the public that
because have great regard for the
truth and the truth OF the matter Is that
Denver. Sacramento. Portland and Seat
tie have practically, the same bill OF
prices that Salt Lake had.
About III. cigarmakers earning more In
Salt Lake than they do in Denver, ! want
to say that Mr.. Whitaker Is very much
mistaken. II he will look over his books
or let any other manufacturer look o*er
his and average UP the cigar makers
wages for year he VIII find that the
much as have cigar makers in other cit
les. including Denver for Salt Lake is
known TO al cigar makers as the worst
LAY off town In the country am sure
the public understands that in piece work,
and ours is all piece work whenever a
person loses f. days work II Is equivalent
10 reduction In wages. as there ie no
Mr. Whitaker further states "agaIn
Mr.. Weckworth forgets 10 fell that while
every trade in Salt Lake during the panic
OF 1899 suffered n reduction In wages
! from 10 10 40 per cent, the cigar makers
wages remained the same" I cannot be-
lieve that Mr.. Whitaker ia sincere in
| that statement II he had said that the
| cigar makers bin OF prices remained the
same. then he would have been correct.
but when he says that the wages remained
that is not q fact. MANY OF the cigar
makers well remember the industrial de-
! preston OF 1893 that involved the entire
| country The cigar makers of Salt Lake
! suffered in that panic more than anv
| other trade, according 10 Mr.. Whitaker S
! own statement, for If other trades lost
20 per cent In wages. the 5i cigar makers
! over halt time. excepting Mr.. Whitaker
who was foreman for sam Levy at that
time and worked while the rest walked
| the streets.
Tobacco a Luxury,
Mr.. Whitaker must also know that our
! product is regarded as a luxury and an
! Industrial depression always has greater
! effect on our trade than any other, for
| the first thing smoker will do Is 10 cut
I down his cigar bill Mr.. Whitaker shys
I that he must compete with Eastern and
/ Western goods. Local manufacturers can
] well compete with outside cigars II Is
| not the aim or desire Of the cigar makers
! TO drive out or ruin the cigar industry OF
| salt Lake CITY. But on the contrary, we
| are morally and financially helping the
| manufacturers 10 build up the cigar In
/ dustry for Union 224 OF Salt Lake spen,
over $500 last year in advertising our
blue label and asking the public TO pat
| ronize home industry. and every ciea,
maker In the trade Is self constituted
! booster for the business.
| So. when Mr.. Whitaker. for the manu-
| facturers- says that they will not be able
20 grant the slight increase which we de-
! rnand without detracting from the quality
! of the cigars, they surely are giving
themselves the worst of IL. for. should
we win, they VIII have to apologize fCa
| that assertion II would be we'll there
| fore II the manufacturers did not say
that they must detract from the quality
of their goods for the cigar makers who
have worked In all sections Of the country
and are now in Salt Lake know that the
! local product is as good as can be found
anywhere In the United States We also
know that they can continue to make
| the same quality of cigars and pay us tn,
! requested per cent Increase.
Arbitration Talk
Mr.. Whitaker proposes arbitration and
| says he is willing to leave 1t 10 com.
mittee Of manufacturers and cigar max
crs. with an outsider as referee AT on,
| first conference with the committee from
! the manufacturers. Mr.. Whitaker asked
| II those were our demands. We replied
that our new scale must he considered
| lie then fatty refused 10 consider the
! scale OF any part Of H. AT our second
| conference we presented the bill witt
n few slight changes. Mr.. Whitaker rs.
| quested an adjournment. saying thai
there was no use discussing the matte,
| as the committee would not in any waN
consider an increase. We then adiourneG
| bur Informed the manufacturers that We
could he found at the Federation hall II
they at any time wished TO renew nego-
llations, and up to the present time they