The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-12-06
FACTIONS REMAIN Firm
Strikers Promised Financial and Moral
Aid of Trades-Labor Council - En-
ployers Consider Open Shops
Conference This Afternoon.

With both factions more strongly in,
trenched in their positions than ever
before, the battle between the journey
man BARRIERS and their proprietors con
tinued with undated fury today. The
"boys' received financial and moral
reinforcements this morning when the
Kenosha Trades-Labor Council pledged
them their entire treasury and. undi-
vided support in their struggle for
higher wages and "industrial justice. y
The "bosses'' on the other b8nd have
investigated prices paid to BARRIERS in
Evanston, Racine, and Chicago, and
are more than ever convinced that
their position is not only tenable
but impregnable.
The strikers, in reply to statements
made by the proprietors ON Tuesday,
assert that the average wage of iaurn-
evmen BARRIERS in Kenosha is not over
$4,000 including both salary and com
mission. Further than this they de
clare that they work on an average Of
thirteen hours day and that in view
Of this fact the money that they receive
by actual cslueplation is less than that
2bes. $500 q cfs A.
nosha, including ever the unskilled
workmen who need no preparation or
apprenticeship to hold their jobs. They
also affirm that downtown bosses
make as high as $500 a week on every
chair in their shops" and consequently
can afford to grant the increase ask
ed by the ''boys.''
The employers, for their part, say
that they are paying more than pro
prietors in Racine and Chicago and as
much as the "bosses'' in Evanston,
which is considered one Of the best
barbering" towns in the United
States. They also maintain that they
can produce proof to show that the
journeymen regularly F'pick up" be-
tween four and eight dollars a week
in tips according TO their ability and
popularity. This, they contend, in ad
dition to their salary and commission
gives the FFboys" an income which in
some instances reaches $500 a week
or even more.
With the prospect of continued
deadlock the proprietors are already
in touch with strike-bteakers and have
announced their intention of running
open-shops rather than concede to the
demands of the strikers. They prom
Use their patrons longer hours, equally
good service, and no raise in prices
thing which they assert will be the
next demand of the journeymen. They
add, too, that "the government may
take a hand in the whole affair" if
the BARRIERS continue to take advantage
Of the war-situation for purposes of
personal profteering."
That the iourneymen are fortified
against the action suggested by their
employers is made evident by the fact
that they are already in communication
with the International BARRIERS Union
of America, which has assured them
sufficient financial backing for the es-
Enlistment Of three fve-chair shops on
favorable sites in case the strike is
not adjusted in the near future. They
reported today that they had made all
arrangements to take advantage of this
offer and meant to begin work inlmedi
atelv on the new shops unless the bosses
were willing to accede to their demands.
In the drive of Tuesday morning the
Sehmitt Brothers Barber Shop on the
north side agreed to accept the pro-
posal of the committee and Thereby
ended the strike as far as their place
Of business is concerned. The "boys"
are iubilant over their victory in
this quarter, while the bosses"
assert that the action resulted from
a "double cross
A possible adjustment of the diff
Guilty is seen in conference between
representatives of both factions held
q Somewhere in Kenosha" at 300
o clock this afternoon. Preceding the
meeting neither party was in any mood
for compromise, but some of the pro-
prietors limited that some further con-
cession on both sides might result IN
an early settlement of the differences
between the strikers and their EN-
ployers. Inythis case the BARRIERS will
return to work tomorrow morning and
be ready for their usual mid-week bust
ness at the usual hour