Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-21
CIGARMAKER TELLS
REASONS FOR IDLE
CITY WORKBENCHES
Member of Union Says Bulk
of philadelphia" Prod
uct Is Turned Out Else
where.

Manufacturers, themselves. are re-
sponsible to greater degree than any
other class Of persons for the lack of
activity in skilled trades" So said ! NJ
Barnes, of 1856 North 10th street, a MEM
Der or the Cigar Makers Union, today.
He was backed up In his assertion by
George Ulrich. head Of that union, ana
president OF the Central Labor Union
Barnes and Ulrich had been asked for
an intimate view of the present condl-
tions among wage earners, tell their opln-
lon why there are 100000 men out of en-
ployment In this city at the present time.
Barnes said:
Il am without work because the big
manufacturers of cigars are quitting their
city factories, are dropping the highly
paid operatives who live in the cities
and demand union wages, and are en-
ploying cheap and unskilled labor more
and more every day.
There is a rich house here that makes
one OF the best known cigars on the mar
ket, which is advertised as made in Phia-
delphia, yet there are fewer than 10 men
working in that factory, and they can
not turn out enough cigars to take care
of the company's daily retail trade. This
company owns and operates q small fac
tories scattered about the State in small
towns, where girls and women are em-
ployed to do the work that only skilled
workmen are permitted to do here in
town.
Ten years ago Philadelphia was a good
cigar town. There were lots of factories
here and all were working. In those
days 1 could 20 into any cigar factory in
this town, and without asking the fore
man for job would just say to him,
What bench shall l sit at?' He would
tell me, and then 1 would 20 to work.
Eighty per cent of cigar output known
az Philadelphia cigars Is made outside
this city. The entire output represents
the work of about 5000 skilled workers.
There are in this city 600 skilled workers
out of work. This number represents an
additional force of 500 packers and $500
strippers besides lot of general help.
In tho villages OF the State there are
25O0 workers, mostly women and girls
with homes and families to support do
ing the work that the skilled men in this
city used to do.
1--WE cannot expect to control trade
and compel the clgarmakers to have all
their work done here, but the present
situation could be materially helped were
the manufacturers to put some of the
men to work. In spite of the hard times,
there Is such demand for several
brands of the medium-priced cigars that
the makers are unable to meet demands
of trade requirements. And in the face
of this there are several miles of empty
benches In this city that represent the
actual suffering of hundreds of families.
There Is no violation of the law In
the fact that millions of cigars are sold
yearly by the big makers as Made in
Philadelphia" that never see the town.
So when we read figures showing the
clty's annual output of manufactured
articles, those figures are faxed and this
town does not turn out nearly so much
stuff as II is reputed to do.
1--WE members of the union consider
that the attitude Of the manufacturers
toward us and the labor problem OF the
day Is unfair and adverse to the public
good. They can help If they want to
do so by giving us work, but they will
not do So