The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-02

The official journal of the cigar makers, published in Chicago, con tainsAa report that is being comment ed on by labor leaders here as we'll as others who have interested them selves in the labor movement
 The report was made by Thomas H. Flynn, organizer of the A. F. of L., who is handling the freight strike Nhere. It was made after an invest1- gation among the cigarmakers of De- troit Ahidavits from girl workers ac- companied the report.
 MT. Flynn said yesterday that none of the statements in the report have ever been refuted by the ctgarmakers. The report follows:
 Detroit, Mich; April 21, 1915- MT. Frank Morrison, S01 G Street,
 N. w., Washington, D. C..
 Dear Sir and Brother:
 In compliance with your favor of the 9th instant, requesting me to pro- ceed to Detroit, Mich, and investigate conditions in the cigar industry, as egate David S. Jones of the Michigan State Federation of Labor to- the { Philadelphia. convention of the A. F. L., beg to report as follows:
 arrived in Detroit Friday, April n and started my investigator inn k sdiately, and in order that you may Understand the report, it is neces- sary that go back a few years to give you an idea of how the condi- tions of labor were brought about, and the policies and methods now used.
 Some years ago, the following cigar companies, Alex. Gordon, Banner Cigar Mfg. Co., Gustav A. Moebs & Go, Hemmeter Cigar Co, Independ- ence Cigar Mfg. Co.,, Lagora Fee Co.,, Leland o. skEnlxle, Lilies Cigar Co.,, Main Issue Cigar Co, Marcero Bros. & SpIetz Go, Mazer Cigar Mfg Co.,, San Telmo Cigar. Mfg. Co, Superior Cigar Mfg. Co.,, and William Tegge SC Co., formed a combination, the ob- ] let of which was to devise ways and means to secure labor at the lowest i possible cost. To control the cigar making industry, they deemed it ad- visab1e to start a school, realizing, as they did, that the cityfsofa Detroit was So pecuIiarly4 situated with large auto mobile factories and other works where the male labor was employed, but where there was no much oppor- tunity for female labor to secure em- ployment, that in this school the fe- males could be taught a part Of the cigar trade and by specializing them, they would be more submissive, and by Keeping the school constantly go- ing, there ! would be a continuous force of young specialists waiting for positions at aHt times which would have a tendency to make the older hands more submissive
 In order that this school might be sse1f-supporting, they made it a cigar factory and named it the Detroit Ideal Cigar Go. They immediately got young girls who were compelled. to sign an agreement, which herewith enclose and mark, Exhibit Az
 A careful study of sthis agreement will show you that the pupil was com peIled to pay s5 tuition fee in ad- vance, and should the child be too
 
 the tuition and s6 was charged pay able by sinstal1ments- They were com pelled to work 36 days without pay ! At thes expiration of 36 days, they were given a certificate to show that they were practical bunch-maker, cigar roller, or cigar packer. The pu- pills were never allowed to learn the entire trade-they were made spec ialists." I am enclosing a certificate which is marked Exhibit B.
 Alter they had receiFed their cer- tificate, they were sent to one of the faGtories in the Combine,-and there they were given a. position as follows: For bunch making, cigar rolling or packing, their contract provided that they work six months for a certificate of $1 per week, each week receiving the certificate of s1, payable at the expiration of the six months, on con dition that the employe~ would have worked steadily six sInanths in the factory If the employes spn account of illness or other inca pacitation worked only five months and 28 days, the company would refuse to cash the $1 certificates with the result that the employe would receive absolutely no pay for the time put in. Copy of $1 certificRte is enclosed and marked Exhibit e.
 As years passed on. these schools. like other institutions of their kind, showed favoriteism to- some of the larger members of the Combine by furnishing them with more than their pro rata. share of the young girls, which caused dissatisfaction which grew to such proportions that the in stitution became weaker and few years ago disbanded.
 The Combine still exists, but has carried this system into it's own fac tories, holding the Com bine for the purpose of regulating wages and conditions of employment. using a system which makes it yprohibitory for pupils who have learned in one factory to secure employment in any other factory of the Combine.
 The Members of the Combine were not alone satisfied in keeping em- ployes from securing employment in the other factoriesese esef the Combine, but make itp rohfbitory for firms paying higher wages and firms who recognize the rights of theirA ern- ployes for collective bargaining, to at tempt to solicit the employees of that firm, going so far as to the use of the Circuit Court of Wayne county to en- join companies who might solicit or might employ their employees. As evidence, I will submit a copy of Decision to Issue Temporary In- Junction., Etc.. by Hon. Alfred J. { Murphy. judge of the Circuit Court of Wayne county Michigan, and made permanent June II, 1913, re- straining James A. McNee & Sons, cigar nanufa cturers, from employing the employees of the Henmeter Cigar Co. I will quote the last paragraph of Judge Murphy'S Decisions:
 "A temporary injunction will issue restraining the co-partners, they hay ling been served through James Me Nee as co-partner; also restraining g James McNee individually and Frank