The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-09-27
PUBLIC PAID FOR
THE BARBER STRIKE
Result of Recent New York
Trouble Summarized
by Boss.
Barriers Say Men Will be
Sore at Sunday
Closing.

NJ" YORK, sept, THE re-
cent BARRIERS strike vas responsible
for the death OF some old customs,
remarked the ioouacious boss barber
to a customer in the chair, as he was
stropping his raz9r. "In many sections
Of the city it is impossible to get shaw
ed in a shop on Sunday, and | under
stand that it will only be matter OF
time before almost all Of the shops
will lock the door on Sunday.
Can you imagine such state OF
affairs? Things have come to pretty
pass when man can't get shaved on
Sunday unless it he in his own home.
A great many men are going to be in
conyenienced by this decision.
"Formerly nearly all the barber
shops were crowded to capacity on
Sunday. every chair going and many
customers waiting in line. To accom-
modate the rush the boss hired extra
help, not very easy matter The help
looked on Sunday as the day when
they would replenish their pockets,
for it was the day when customers
were most generous. Even the boot
black greeted Sunday with enthusi-
asm for he, too, Jared pretty well on
tips.
Death kneiI.
THE death knell OF all these favor
able conditions has been sounded now
because the boss BARRIERS are going to
close on Sunday. and for the first time
in years the BARRIERS will have the day
to themselves, to dispose of it as they
see fit. It's going to seem mighty
strange to some of us to have the en-
tire day off, as we have worked ev-
cry Sunday for years UP to l p. M,
the time set by law for closing.
Sunday closing is not confined to
particular locality, 1t is general all
over the city One of the first sections
to have the Sunday closing was the
lower east side Men living in that sec
ton who have made it custom for
years of getting shaved on Sunday did
not favor the closing. AS matter OF
fact some Of them protested vigorous
". But the boss bargers had signed
the agreement and they had to abide
by their decision.
Then the Bronx followed suit and
while the Sunday closing was not so
general in that borough large num-
her of boss BARRIERS inserted the clos
ing notice in their windows and then
locked the door The Greenwich viii
lage section was closed tight as a
drum The BARRIERS of Washington
Heights soon looked upon Sunday clos
ing with favor and last Sunday all of
them from 145th to 162d streets clos
ed UP. A nd | understand that efforts
will be made to close all shops as far
north as Fort George Before I forget
it | want to say that Harlem was not
slow in closing the shops on Sunday.
Are Satisfied.
"How do the boss bargers feel about
4. ~ yats cf 0I RI
close, provided all shops close, but |
think it will be impossible TO bring
about this confidence until law en-
acted at Albany will make it compul-
sorry to close on Sunday. When only
an agreement to close exists many bar
bers will take advantage of their COM
petitors and open. | do not mean that
they will open wide the door and in
vite patronage. Oh, no, they will do it
underhandedly.
Some shops are better situated to
indulge in this underhanded work
than others as they are located in
buildings with door leading off the
main hall to the shop. Customers will
enter the hall and pass through the
door into the shop. The shades in the
front window will obscure the inter
ior and no one will be the wiser until
a competitor hears of the scheme and
stops 1t IL possible.
mot all BARRIERS acceded to the de-
nTand for Sunday closing and those
who did not We're visited by delega
tons OF BARRIERS, not boss BARRIERS, who
made it mighty unpleasant for them
One down town barber was so harrass-
ed by such demands that he placed
this sign in the window:
fr cf ~
is the result of violence, fear, pre-,
tense. and self-interest.
1T is against the public and the
BARRIERS and in favor of safety razors
only.
1.-The members ave mostly non
citizens of the United States of Amer.
lea and we simply can not and will
not associate with such a union.
with the aid Of God and the law
l shall try to run this shop asa non.
unionist.'
Conditions improved.
Not only will the BARRIERS be bene-
fitted by Sunday closing, but other
conditions have been improved so that
1t will soon be an easy life compared
TO what it was formerly.
BARRIERS Will not have to work all
day on holidays any more for the boss
BARRIERS have agreed to the half-holi
day plan on holidays. Then the work
ers will be allowed an hour for lunch
on the regular week days. something
which many employees of business
do not get. Furthermore, the hours oil
week days have been reduced and are
less than those that existed before
the strike.
where does the public come In on
. this? OF course there Is q joker In it
Iar improvements like these are not
made any more unless the public pays
the fiddle,
Public avs.
The puhlics part in it will be tc
pay the increase in the prices fol
shaves and hair cuts. The standard
prices for the two necessities were II
and Is cents, but now these prices
have been increased to IL and q
cents respectively Some shops are
charging IS cents for hair cuts
+tAnd I feel sure that i'll short time
the price will be increased for SINCE
ing shampoos. hair tonics and mas
sages. The better part Of dollar viii
be needed soon to pay for a shave
face massage, hair cut and shampoo
not emitting the tip for the barber
for shorter hours il not expected Il
cut any figure in the tipping line.
the increase in prices was ArectI
caused by the recent strike. Tou see
many boss BARRIERS were forced to la