The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-27
CIGAR MAKERS
FIGHT UNIONS BY
MOVING PLANTS
Agitators Running Chances
Says Sanborn-Plants Re-
open at Other Points.
BY WILLIAM r. sANeoRN.

When the owners of one of the old
est and best equipped cigar factories
in the United States, a plant with a
national reputation, are forced to
abandon-their buildings and remove
from Boston on account Of union la
Dor troubles. 1t is time that irrespon-
sible agitators take notice.
And when this company states that
it has been forced to realize the
utter futility Of trying to continue to
deal with the irresponsible element in
control Of the Boston Cigar Makers
Union" the better and more thought
full element among the employees.
should take the matter into their own
hands
In a statement to the trade this
company states that it's experience
with the union covers a period Of
nearly fifty years. but that they are
now discarding the blue label; that
their new factories at Newark, N. j.,
will be run as open shops, and that
they will be equipped with batteries
OF the wonderful new cigar-making
machines, which have already begun
to revolutionize the industry"
The fact that other large Boston
factories are said to be contemplating
a similar move shows that the arbi-
trary action and demands OF many of
the strikers in every eastern city, is
likely to rebound to the serious loss
and privation Of the cigar makers and
their families, for months to come.
Striking in New York.
The strike Of the cigarmakers be-
came general in New York about ten
weeks ago. 1t rapidly spread to out
10 Of &c
writing less than fifty per cent of the
average number Of cigars per week is
being turned out in the east, practical
ly all of these being made by smaller
concerns in interior towns.
This condition has seriously crippled
the large manufacturers, who say they
are standing with their backs to the
wall, fighting against the confscation
Of all their rights in their own plants.
except the right to pay salaries as
best they can" 1t is not merely an
abnormal increase in wages they are
fighting against, they say, but for
the right to control the manufacture
and sale Of their own output" The
cigarmakers at Denver are the latest
10 60 on strike; they went out just a
week ago.
The strike in New York seems no
nearer settlement than it was two
months ago. This has caused large
New York City concern to notify their
employees to call for their tools, that
the blue label is to be abandoned, and
that as soon as all evidence of union
ism has been cleared out they will
resume Operations asian open shop.
And this firm is going to the country
dealers on that platform, and are ask
ing that their old trade stand by them
in this new move.
Dominance Endangered.
Should the action Of the two Boston
and New York firms be largely fol
lowed, as to discarding the union label
and the installation of cigar machin-
cry, the union men of the entire coun-
try will be practically forced to smoke
non-union cigars or to go without their
favorite brands.
AS to that. however. everybody will
be in the same boat. Very few of the
smaller shops would be affected by the
action of the great cigar combinations
and the national factors in cigar pro
duction, but as these small plants have
at best limited field, the most Of us
would be shortly smoking non-union
brands, or be forced to go without
cigars. This would be the only
alternative.