New-York tribune., 1910-07-12
GREAT STRIKE CONTINUES
GomDers and Other Labor Men
Encourage the Workers.
MANUFACTURERS UNITED
Many Meetings Held--Settle-
ment Committee Busy Trou-
BILE in Williamsburg.

l
While two associations of cloak and skirt
| manufacturers were planning TO cope witt
| the strike of the cloakmakers yesterday
! President Gompars and Treasurer John
| Lennon of the American Federation o
| Labor, accompanied by President Rosen
berg and Vice-President Dyche of the In
ternatienal Womens Garment Workers
| were rushing in automobile to TIT
| halls where the strikers were meeting and
encoura ging them by assurances of un-
| limited support and cooperation.
The first place the labor leaders visited
was Webster Hall. in East 18th street
where the cloak cutters who are on strike
are meeting. Mr.. Gompers complimentet
! the cutters on their loyalty to the opera
| tors. Lennon and Rosenberg then made
! addresses
| The next place visited was Manhattan
| Lyceun, No Sc East 4th street When Mr.
! Gompers appeared on the platform he said
a few words insYiddish and then began to
| talk in English.
Il am sorry that I cannot talk well in
tongue which is so familiar to most of
| you he said, "and have to talk in Eng
lish. but 1 know you are exceedingly in
| earnest, and will grasp my meaning easily.
L have had some experience with the
! cloak and skirt makers past struggles,
and with what fortitude you bore your
sufferings no one knows better than 1. /
hope some of the old guard who took a
part in the first strike are here, and Il
you make an equally good fight you are
bound to win.
The difficulty, however, with the cloak
and skirt makers is that. when they win
Virf0rN fbaNy 4
| alize through neglect. and lose a good deal
of the fruits Of their victory
"Of course, you need to be kept fairly
busy. but you are not going to work like a
mule in a mine. he said The words
eight hours should be inscribed on all your
banners Stand together, boys and girls.
and nothing can come between YOU and
victory
Other halls visited we're the Progress As
sen1bly Rooms, Avenue 4 and I'd street;
Jefferson Hall, No % Columbia street: Ter
race Lyceum, No. al6 East Broadway, and
several smaller halls.
Manufacturers Meetings.
The manufacturers association formed
last week to take action in reference tn
the cloak strike met yesterday afternoon
at the Hoffman House and organized per
n2anently as the Associated Manufa cturers
OF Ladies, Misses and Childrer's Garments
of New York
It was decided TO refuse the strikers de.
mands and to Cooperate with anv manu-
facturers who we're against the closed shop
H a Gordon was appointed counsel for
the association He said that the new BODY
had six hundred members and would be in
eorporated this week under the laws Of
New York
Later joint statement was issued BY
chairman Rindskopf Of the association and
Mr.. Gordon, 10 the effect that recognition
OF the union, in the sense of the closed
shop. meant that the incompetent would
get higher wages than he was entitled to,
and to even Up matters manufacturers
would have to pay the competent men less
than they were entitled to
The unworthy were leading the worthy
and there were many men in the union who
we're not worth the minimum wage de-
nanded- The association, the statement
continued. would open its shop TO all, with
out discrimination whether they were affiI-
lated with a labor union or not ---=---
Still later it was said that the associs-
tlon's committee Of ten, appointed last
week. had met and decided TO Co-operata
with a committee Of the old association
known as the Cloak, Suit and Skirt Manu-
facturers' Association, and that the two
associations would join forces
a meeting of the Cloak, Suit and Skirt
Manufacturers Association was also held
at the Hoffman House. This association.
owing TO the terms Of its constitution, can
not take part in labor troubles It's exeeu-
tive committee therefore formed a new as
ISOLATION Of its members, with \. Z, Lef-
court as chairman, which takes in most Of
the large cloak houses. The body will be
known as the Cloak, Suit and Skirt Manu-
faeturers' Protective Association.
Association Issues Statement.
The new association issued a statement,
which says, in part:
we ask for nothing but fair plav II
there be grievances between any shop en-
ployer and the workers in his shop we
90 not see why they cannot be adjusted
without resorting to a general strike Why
those who have earnestly striven to make
their shops sanitary and their employees sat
isfled should suffer for those who lag be.
hind we cannot comprehend But if there
be grievances, We will undertake to use
our efforts toward securing the redress Of
them.
Without complaint, without submitting
any grievances. our employees have left
their posts by order of their union. Loyalty
TO the union has led many TO forget their
loyalty TO us. But in the main, fear Of os-
tracism and the threat of violence have led
many employees to leave their positions for
idleness, and, we fear, in many instances
misery"
The statement says there is no intention
TO exclude union labor from the shops. but
1t is proposed to employ operators for their
ability regardless of union affiliation.
Settlement Committee Busy.
The settlement committee of the cloak
makers met at the Victoria Hotel. where
Chairman Alexander Bloch of the COM
mittee reported that sixty manufacturers.
employing five thousand cloakmakers. had
arranged 10 make a settlement.
The reserves of the Stage street police
station. Williamsburg. were turned out yes
terday TO suppress disorderly scenes on the
part of about five hundred striking cloak
makers at Leonard and Schoes streets.
About one hundred Of the strikers, most
ly Italians. came from Manhattan across
the Williamsburg Bridge. and first halted
at a large manufacturing tailor shop
Broadway near Bedford avenue. where
they persuaded a number of journeymen
TO join their ranks.
At Leonard and Scholes streets they made
their greatest demonstration. and II was
necessary to hustle out the police reserves.
More than five thousand strikers and their
followers were dispersed.