The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-12-13
OPEN LETTER
TO UNION WEN
Everett, Wash, Dec. 6. -912.

Everett, Wash, Dec. 6, -912.
An open letter to the workers in al
trades, business and professional men
of Everett.
Our good union brothers of Everett
will you let the cigarmakers talk to
you little? Presuming that you are
cigar smokers, most of you at least, dc
you always call for Blue Label ci.
gar MADE IN EVERETT, or do you
take what the dealer offers you re
gardless of whether it bears a label
or not or is made in Everett or not ?
If you are carpenter and one of our
number had some carpenter work to
do and never looked for the button or
asked whether the man belonged to
your union or not, you would be sore,
wouldn't you? If you are a printer,
and we got our printing done in a
rat" shop or sent east for our sta
tionery, you would kick long and loud,
and you would have a kick coming.
to us when purchasing cigars that
you expect us to give you when we
have work done in your line? We are
not saying these things in a spirit of
fault-finding, but because we believe
you forget sometimes what is due
other organizations. We all do that
more or less. We forget that union
ism breeds inter-dependence; that one
union cannot flourish and grow strong
at the expense of another union. In
this city of twenty-five thousand peo-
pie there ought to be fifty cigar max
ers at work at the very least instead
of fourteen or fifteen. Why not? If
we are strong we can help you more;
we make just that much bigger mar
ket for your products; we patronize
Just that much more the places where
you are employed. Won't you think
of it when you step up to cigar
store?
After January 1 some of you will
drop into a saloon in the morning or
evening to get your drink or you and
your friend will step in to buy cigar,
Will you take the trust-made product
or will you make the bartender give
YOU an Everett-made cigar? If you
do the latter you will be sure of two
things-you will be helping an organi-
zation as good as your own to prosper
and you will be assured that you are
receiving a product made under sani-
tary surroundings and of the best ma
terial.
The cigar makers union has word
TO saw as we'll to the men who will
engage in the saloon business. You
owe something to the cigarmakers.
We took your side in the local option
controversy for two reasons. First,
because we believed that business was
injured under the closed regime and
that we suffered along with other
trades and lines of business because
of it. Second, because we believed
that the so-called "dry regime" was
farce as far as actual lessening OF
drinking was concerned. Cigar tac-
tory owners and factory employees
worked and voted for return of the
license system and were as instru-
mental as any other one factor in
achieving the result that followed
Your money will come from Everett
people almost wholly. Reciprocity de-
mands that you spend a portion OF
that money in Everett. If you Will
carry full lines of Everett cigars and
instruct your bartenders to push them
a little, you will be employing Everett
labor directly and use the surest
means to express your appreciation
of services rendered.
"PATRONIZE HOME INDUSTRY"
is the hackneyed slogan OF every
commercial club and booster associa-
tion in existence. Just why "cigars"
should be in the category of "products
of home industry is not apparent but
that many, many business men as
we'll as trade workers do not pay much
attention to the "home industry" sio-
qan or do not connect it with the cl-
gar industry, IS apparent. A Boston
newspaper, in commenting on the
work of the cigar makers in that CITY,
utters some pertinent remarks. They
ann1v with equal force to every city
in the country, Everett not excepted
"The cigar markers union commit
tee. when it entered the campaign lot
tho nromotion of home industry, did
so with the knowledge that 1t was 60
ing before the public with goods sec
ond in quality to none on sale IN
poston Cigars made in Boston are
nroduced by the best workers, IN Wen
I;obted and ventilated factories, where
onlv choicest imported and domestic
.ohaccos are used. The advantages
4 IN he gained by the expenditure ol
co oOo 600 in the construction OF an
imnroved system of docks is unani-
mously endorsed by the business IN,
terests of Boston. An equal amount
OF enthusiasm manifested in the inter
est Of home industries undoubtedly
have an effect in speedy ahu
healthy increase in local trade. Ihe
contention of the committee is, and
rightly so, that business men VINO are
demanding on the patronage of the