The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-18
'PITTSBURG is FIRST
CLOSED SHOP CITY
UniOnized From the Mavo,
Down, 1t Faces a Munici.
pal Strike.
FIGHT AGAINST WAGE CIT

| PirrsBURG, Dec. 17--Unioui,-d -,or
the Mayor down, Piitshurg IL now a co,.s
| shop city. the first Of u kind IN tlr v.or,i
| Awakening to-day TO Il fun rcaIl,i.,.
OF that fact, this city OF rapidly .u.,,,rr,
lated private wealth is auNiously " ond.r
| ing what will he the next move Of N,
| now thoroughly organized 5000 'uunici,, ID,
employees and their $4,000 year wall
| ing delegate, the Mayor.
| our Joe" Armstrong, a. tho N3vo- a,
endearingly known over in the g.ass hons.
section on the South Side boasts the d
tinction of making in less than a ear
100 per cent" organization OF the ci,,
payroll
| It all came about through q bi, a.
| bad financing by the nine $500 A Va.
Counclmen, the so-calleo business Cor,
| Gill;" which gives Fittsburg a modla.i
form of commission government as a ~
| suit of which the municipality has t,s
! been Obliged TO float AN emergency hon
issue OF 100000 to meet tho Christina,
payroll, and viii end the year with o.,
revenues s1.4oO. 600 short Of ~. eAp.nd
lures.
Ctty Nearly "RroL-."
Al this minute the city OF pittshu,s 4,
S77l 900. 000 corporation, ~ Ahou, SioonI
short OF being broke" hut being OF,
Instead of a citizen is safe from "a
ceivership or the bankruptcy court
The City Council of nine, Obliged 20 mai,
up this years deficit out or next v.sy,
revenues and wishing to avoid what nos
| seems inevitable. the uuprec edented In
crease Of 90 per cent. In taxes nest year
conceived the idea OF permitting ia. ct,
| employers. from the 10000 q year MAYO,
down. to be patriotic" enough T. acce9,
| sliding reductions of to 10 per rem, H.
their salaries. II would mean 4 saving Of
possibly 100000.
To start the ball rolling the Councilman
voluntarily Topped of $4,000 from ths-
own salaries, or $1,000 per Councma.
| chopping the annual stipend from s. 100.
TO $500.
But Council left out Of its calc,ilatioa.
that "Our joe was once the "chamr'p.
hand glass blower of cid Birmngham
and union man TO tho last month /,
stamp in his paid UP to the minute Dr..
book
Wage reductions were repugnant to
his principles.
Why" the Mayor exclaimed when ti.
news WAS sent to him from the Coinc
chamber-"why. once when 7 vas snAr
ping they wanted TO cut the wages ~
the snapper boys from SO TO sTSo .
week. Did We stand for Il? We d'd 10
We struck
threat or q strike.
"s,r;k." vas the ,hreat
The word had a harsh m.s-,r- to r..
Council.
A mun,c,nal str,,k. led nv TIA Nav.
against whose SALARY Tia h,gbss, -
Iny was AIMED nigh, ,nes, LIT, -.
the fire fyh,ers ,o Iav dow, ISL +,
mo,s sunmon,ne ,ha no,,cs-.1 1, a..
their heats sbu,tinr down IN. vs,.
works
The Mayo- ,,,.. bic ers, oh..,,,.. .
his own cahiraf Ills director ~ DIN.
S.f.tv C,barI.. N, ti,ht,r, hs,a,,,.
m The 81 do,', t,ix. NO dicI.,,or -,
uuions,, s,.bnoI ~ b,,j,a1. 49,,
FINCH, uniorq for years ir .no,oi -.
dnwn tho Beaver VaiIny w., v.s ,-.,.,
for an $500 OH, In an g. ooo sa',r, Va,
a Transformation US vyro,,gb,,.trrhh,,.
vss brouph, s,,,,urd o. o. tha go +.
the light ~ uuhhard tho .rnI"vaa ,c..,
the otbrr d,nar,rIcn, b,..d. .,,,,l..i... '.
en,s rn,uor ott,ials ,nd ,,,rirt,,.l ,-
nIov.es Nayo~ Arrnstrn,,c fo,,,,5 1.
smooth I'm tho ,irioua c,n,nairr
That Navor Nrmetror, r,,I o-...-,,,r
mo CITY ns,yro,l IN r.sist ,ba ,,,, -,
nIctely a. tho,r1 ,,a Lad ,b,.,,,.,. ..,..
sigratures b.,d sort g. S.,,,,,,,r ,...'.-.
for a cb,,ter fnr ,ba A,1oIr.,,....,