The Washington times., 1918-04-29

posters issued by The United States
Treasury.
That IS the picturesque side OF a
struggle which may seem minor in these
days, but the issue Of IL Is OF very great
Importance to the District OF Columbia,
because Il involves the three great princi-
pies Of the living wage, equal pay for
equal work OF women and men, and col
lective bargaining.
According to Mrs Rebecca Perry,
leader Of the girl strikers- and according
also to the results OF inquiries by officers
Of the Women's Trade Union League, to-
bacco shippers and banders in the on
terdinger factory up TO the time Of the
strike earned about Sc, 81. and $ per
week
Basis OF Wages.
"Girl packers were paid by the week.
men by the piece. and their earnings
amounted to so cents per thousand for
the girls and SIS per thousand for the
men-on the same brand OF cigars and
for the same work On the best paid
Jobs the girls averaged S11 and SIP per
week, but the fastest girl roller in the
shop was unable 70 average more than
SIS per week The stock, moreover. has
been SO poor that even the best workers
have made considerably less than their
normal wages, a condition which is ag-
gTavated by the fact that Mr.. Otter
dinger penalties the workers for the poor
quality Of the stock which he buys. He
pays bunch breakers. for example, 2
cents less per hundred when the stock
is bad than when It Is OF even run.
"Officials OF the Cigar Makers In
ternational Union state that the scale
in the Offterdinger shop is just about
half the scale in other cities. and
I letters from New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore, quoting prices actual
/ " offered at this date by cigar man
/ ufacturers in those cities, confirm
| the union statement. Indeed, when
Mr.. Offterdinger was asked by a
member OF committee IN conference
with him whether he would concede
the strikers demand 20 far as to
pay them nov the union scale of
[ ten years ago. be said, 81 refuse to
answer, for you would use II against
me"
1T IS a weiI-kncwn fact. OF course.
I that official Investigations OF living
coast for women in different parts Of
the country within the past several
years have shown the minimum for
/ barest necessities 10 be about IS per
week, and since those Investigations
were made the cost OF living every
where has more than doubled. In
/ Washington the cost at present Is
said to be IS to 20 per cent higher
/ than in any other city in the coun-
/ try, Small wonder, then, that Mr..
Offterdinger's employees struck for
higher wages.
Mr.. OffterdinEer's Claim.
Mr.. OffterdInger. however, takes
( the characteristic employers atti-
cdde. and says that because OF the
+ increased cost OF his materials, he
can not pay the requirements OF the
human factors OF his business. He
Is impervious TO the reasoning that
, II his business can not afford a liv-
! ing to all the people who work for
him, Il IS a parasitic business. sub
Eidized by the families OF his en-
plCyes, and has no moral right to
/ exist. To a committee representing
the Cigar Makers international
! Union. and the Women's Trade Union
| League, he expressed great bitter
ness over the charge that he has
/ been paying starvation wages, and
I illustrated his own generosity by
saying that to one OF his employees
who had been sick fer a week he sent
a present OF IS. because he found
that she had neither coal nor food
IN the house,
mir. OffterdInger also contends in
Ihalf-page advertisements in the local
newspapers that the community should
recognize and appreciate the fact that
he has conducted his business in
Washington instead OF locating else
where. as he might have done.
Organization Completed.
Union labor throughout the city, OF
course, IS backing the strike. AL
though the girls were unorganized
when they struck. the Women's Trade
Union League at once made connec-
ton for them with the Cigarmakers'
international, and thus. with Presi.
dent Gompers, OF the A. +. Of L.. steps
were promptly taken to effect organi-
zation and secure proper utilization.
The girls now have their union cards
and their delegates have been obli-
gated by Central Labor Union. Prac-
tically every local in the city has
given them support IN the form OF
strike funds, the Federal Employees
Union contributing 500 out OF the
treasury and S45 more by special col
lection at the monthly meeting.
Some conferences looking toward
q settlement Of the strike have been
held. but the end has not been reached
as yet. Mr.. Onterdinger states that
he has increased the pay OF his loyal
employees tthe thi-ty or 'hereabouts