Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-02-08

WdTueu lTOu OlS llpld III liz dltCi
noon boat will reach Seattle the same
night, be collected early the follow
ing morning and given the right-of-
way in the laundry, SO that our peo-
pie will be given a service far supe-
rior to that which now obtains in the
local laundries, and equal to the best
they can do here even though a SUI
preme effort be made on their part
to vastly improve their service.
The history of the Mutual Laundry
is interesting. Prior to the estab-
lishment of this institution condi-
tons of work and wages in Seattle
laundries were a stencil in the nos
trils of all decent citizens.
No laundry owners of Importance
in the city allowed members of the
Laundry Workers union to work in
their plants.
A powerful organization of laun-
dry owners made this condition pos
sible.
Discharged employees or those who
for any reason quit their posts were
blacklisted and employment in other
laundries was impossible to secure.
Laundry drivers who for any rea-
son severed their relations with an
employer could not again drive a
laundry wagon in Seattle for one
year.
Working hours and conditions,
sanitary and lighting and ventilation
systems were worse than for cattle.
Board for horse in Seattle is $50
a month, yet many laundry girls and
women with little ones to support
were not getting that much.
Laundry workers and drivers were
the slaves of their employers with no
hope of freedom.
Laundry owners were practically
all members of the laundry owners
association, and assisted in estab-
Fishing these conditions of employ
ment.
Something had to be done, and es-
tablishment of a laundry by organ
ICED labor seemed to be the only
method promising results.
The work started. Stock WAS sold
to organized labor and its friends. A
lot upon which building for the
laundry was to be erected by the
owner was leased for \ term of years.
From the start traps were laid into
which it was hoped the new laundry
promoters would fall.
When the building was partially
completed the owner claimed his
funds had been exhausted and in
weighed the laundry promoters to loan
the bulk Of their accumulated funds
for the completion of the building.
Later developments demonstrated
that this move was expected to SO
shorten the finances of the new laun-
dry project that it would never be
able to start in business and the
owner of the lot would eventually
fall into full possession of the prop
erty and never return the loan, or
that it would be consumed in rents
while unsuccessful attempts were
being made to put the new laundry
on its feet. The intent of the owner
to accomplish this result is further
corroborated by the fact that the
building is SO constructed as to per-
init of transforming the entire
structure into a first-class apartment
house without the loss of anything in
it's original construction.
The owner of the lot and building
sold the property to defraud the
laundry company and his buyer sold
again.
At this stage the Seattle Labor
Temple Association. after thorough
investigation, decided to finance the
concern and take over its securities
and credits. This move made money
available, but more trouble was in
sight.
Attempts were made to purchase
equipment at all the laundry ma.
1 chinery houses in Seattle and San
Francisco, but the powerful Laundry
Owners Association had done its
work we'll. There was nothing doing
In some instances messages by let
or wire were not even answered. Ir
other instances, notably in Seattle
managers of these concerns frankly
said that to sell the desired ma
chinery even for cash meant the enc
of their business career in Seattle
That the Laundry Owners Associa
ton would boycott them until they
were compelled to close their doors
A defunct firm in Portland wa!
found. The Laundry Owners Asso
citation supposed it was out Of bust
ness. The firm was anxious to max,
few more dollars. They took thu
order for machinery. They Dough
the machinery in Columbia, Pa. hat
!. it shipped to Portland, but intercept
!, ed it at Spokane and reshipped t.
Seattle