New-York tribune., 1916-05-04
Thousands of Garment
Workers Give Loss of
Wages No Thought.
S50O.000 WAR CHEST
TO SUPPORT FIGHT
Pickets Assigned to All Shops,
While Independent Manufact'
urers Seek Truce.

Thoughts OF the loss Of the weekly
wage. of the prospect Of long, anxious
months without work brought no Wis
ible signs OF discouragement TO the
thousands Of men, women and girls
who walked out Of the shops OF the
independent cloak, suit and skirt manu-
facturers yesterday morning in promp'
obedience TO the strike order. They
acted as if confident that victory would
be theirs.
To passers by who watched the strik-
ers pour into the streets II must have
seemed as though lasting peace haH
been declared. There were no tears
no quarrels. no harsh words. In gals
attire. with bits of red ribbon tied on
hats and arms, laughing and talking
gaily. the strikers gathered on the
sidewalks. They crowded Fourth and
Fifth Avenues below Thirty-thlrd
Street. then in groups marched to halls
in different par6 Of the city.
Three Cheers for Union
Hundreds OF the strikers waved the
red posters on which the strike order
was printed. Others carried red AMI
white flags bearing the motto Three
cheers for the union
Thousands Of the strikers assembled
in or near Astoria. Casino, Floral Car
den and Manhattan Lyceum halls, in
Fourth Street, between Second and
Third Avenues.
Early in the afternoon Benjsr'in
Schlessinger, chairman of the general
strike committee. announced that
$4,000 workers had quit, joining the
10000 locked out OF the shops OF the
Manufacturers Protective Association
last Friday and Saturday. Everywhere
the response TO the strike order was
unanimous and prompt. he said.
Nothing to say" was the only state
ment concerning the strike made at
the Offices Of the Manufacturers As
socation, where its officials were IN
executive session all day. discussing
the general situation and the steps 10
De taken with regard to the plcketing
by the strikers.
Independents Ask Truce.
Several Independent manufacturers
made overtures TO the strikers com
mittee on settlements in its headquar-
ters at the Hotel Latham yesterday.
Last night Schlessinger gave out the
terms on which individual agreements
between the union and employers
would be made. Important amons
these were a working week OF forty
eight hours; that overtime work shall
be limited TO two hours on each OF the
first four days Of the week, and snail
be paid for at double rates for week
workers and at Is cents an hour for
operators, piece tailors and skirt max
ers. and so cents an hour for finish
crs.
Two thousand members Of the Anal
eamated Clothing Workers of America
struck Yesterday in sympathy with the
Cloak. Suit and Skirt Makers Union.
according 20 Joseph Schlossberg, gen
cral secretary Of the Clothing Work
crs' Union. This is the first strike
outbreak in the mems clothing trade.
There we're further indications that
other strikes would occur in the cloth
ing industry IN the next low uass y uS
work Of several cloak. suit and skirt
manufacturers affected by the strike is
being done by members Of the Waist
and Dress Manufacturers Association.
Il was learned yesterday that 600 work
ers employed in these shops have
threatened to walk out.
A third day Of the strike Of tugboat
engineers was marked not only by great
congestion of traffic along the water
front. but by the possibility OF en-
cangering the health OF the inhabitants
Of the city through the difficulty Of re-
moving garbage 10 Barren Island.
Only three OF the six boats normally
employed in this work are available.
The possibility Of tying up the food
supply Of the city became apparent
when il was learned yesterday that
delegates of the Marine Engineers
Beneficial Association had gone down
the harbor to try and induce engineers
of the lighters and car floats by which
90 PER cent OF the food is delivered
to terminals and thence distributed,
10 strike.
There are probably 500 tugboats at