The San Francisco call., 1910-03-11
CIGAR MAKERS NOT
.ACCORDEDSUPPORI
Secretary of Union Complains
That Labor Does Not Buy
the Local Product

What do you mean by that?" was
asked. and the reply was:
Il mean that lack of support of home
industry by those who are pledged to
stand by union labor has reduced the
working force of the men of our trade
in this city 10 less than $50. Herman
Gudstadt, one of the early day cigar
ma kers here, was correct in his ad-
dress TO the sailors union last Mon
day night at the anniversary celebra-
tion, when he said that if the labor
people of this city refused to purchase
any cigars except those that are of
home manufacture and bear the blue
label, there would be 1,40o instead of
about 800 at work here.
San Francisco can produce the same
class of goods, in the better grades,
as are produced in the east. Those
who make cigars here obtain their to-
bacco from the same places as do the
eastern manufacturers. They get equal
quality of material for filters. for bind
ers and for wrappers. The workmen
are the equal of those in the east, for
with the exception of about two dozen
who have learned the trade here, the
workers who have learned the trade in
the large factories in the east and
many OF them in the factories of Cuba.
Consequently, they can do as good
work as their eastern or Cuban broth
ers having the same kind of material
with which to work.
But it is impossible to get the cigar
dealers of the city TO handle locally
made cigars and it is only in few
saloons that such goods can be had, if
called for. Why the local cigar dealers
will not handle homemade products is
something that I can not understand,
and the only explanation l have been
able TO obtain is There is no call for
them There would be call for them
if the boxes of the local manufacturers
were given an equal show on the
shelves and in the window display.
few DAYS ago a man came into a large
retail store in Fillmore street and
asked if the store kept a well known
brand of local made cigars. The clerks
reply was Yes but when asked to
produce them, instead of taking the
boxes from the shelf display he dug
down under the counter for them.
There is in San Francisco larger
population of smokers of cigars than
in any other city in the United States
of the same size. If the members of
the labor unions, and they constitute
a very large proportion of this smok-
ing population, would insist on being
served locally made union cigars they
would soon create a demand for them
and the cigar dealers would soon have
them in view on their shelves.
But we can not expect the encour-
agement that the first union that
marked its product in this city with
the union label is entitled TO. when
members of sister unions go into
stores and ask for cigars that are
made in unfair shops and that have
been interdicted by resolutions in
meetings time and again and that
have been listed for years as unfair.
"As long as this continues. the cigar
makers of this city will be UP against
it good and hard
The time of San Francisco lodge No.
es of the machinists Wednesday night
was taken up by the consideration of
new bylaws, but final action will not
be taken on these for some time.
Thirty-five dollars was paid to mem
bers on the sick roll, and $40 was do
mated to railroad machinists and steel
workers on strike. Three candidates
were initiated.
At the last meeting OF boiler makers
union No. 205 the announcement was
made that the membership had been
increased by 25 in the last two months.
The union will give smoker Saturday,
March 49, under the direction of Will
lam Clinton, W. Simmons, V. Leary,
Walter Anderson and H. T. Gildea.
The cooks helpers union No. 10 at
it's meeting Wednesday night decided
to make a demand on the proprietors
Of several eating houses to discharge
all Asiatic help with the understand
ing that If they refuse. their places of
business will be reported to the San
Francisco labor council, which will be
asked to declare a boycott against
them.
The walters union Wednesday night
initiated II candidates and received %
applications for membership. The
union win appoint a committee to en-
deavor to unionize several of the large
cafes and If they do not succeed 'the
donkey boycott" will be placed in front
OF each house.
An effort is to be made to have Miss
Annie Fitzgerald. president of the
women's international union label
league. wake up the laboring classes
TO the necessity of working for the
union label and fully, to explain the
objects of the orsaniza ton she repre-
sents. The objects of that association
Of women are TO foster a demand for
union made goods and ito promote the
welfare of the wage earners, to dis
countenance the sweat shop system by
aiding and encouraging the sale of
union made goods: to securesa univer-
sal eight hour workday; to abolish
child labor; to secure equal pay for
equal work, regardless Of sex; to aid
the early closing and Sunday closing
movement: to sustain fair employers.
and to urge industrial and political
equality for women"
The American federation of labor is
giving notice to the various central
sbor bodies that it has decided to take
a more active part in politics and sug-
gests that the local labor organizations
do likewise. The federation plans an
active campaign in every state in the
union. A portion OF the plan is to sub
init to every candidate for the legisla-
ture in each state certain number of
questions and If unsatisfactory or
equivocating answers are given by
candidate he will have the opposition
of organized labor. Questions along
the same lines will be submitted to
candidates for congress.