The Connecticut labor press., 1919-08-16
HAT CLEANING
AND BOOTBLACKS
IN BARBER SHOPS
Bridgeport BARRIERS Union in
Drive to Eliminate Every
thing Except BARRIERS.
new HAVEN IS TO ACT
Matter to Come Before Next
Meeting ng-Posters to Boost
Union Barber Shops.

The Bridgeport BARRIERS Union is
trying out various schemes to help the
organization and the picl1eting of non
union barber shops in that city was re
Gently described in The Connecticut
Labor Press. Now, a drive is being
made and it is destined to be a state
wide one which will include bill to be
introduced in the next General Assem-
bly, to eliminate everything in barber
shop except barbering-
The original BARRIERS were also sur
geons and~were proficient in blood-1et-
ting. A great many years ago, most
people who were sick believed that when
they were sick they would not recover
unless a certain. amount of blood was
drawn from them and this was the job
for the barber. A. few awkward bar
bers who cannot shave customer with
out hacking away some of his face may
be descended from the b1ood-letting
strain of BARRIERS
In recent years, some barber shops
have put in as side1ines hatc1eaning and
bleaching, bootblacking manict1ring and
about everything except fortune telling.
The Bridgeport union takes the view
that hat cleaning and bootb1acking
stands make barber shop unsanitary
and officials of the union say they can
prove it. ~~
The secretary of the Bridgeport Bar
bers' Union has written to Secretary
Anthony Mer1ino of the New Haven
BARRIERS Union in regard to this matter
with, a request that the New Haven
organization join in the movement. It
is proposed to have all the unions in the
state take this matter up.
In speaking about the matter to a
reporter for The Connecticut Labor
Press, Mr.. Mer1ino said he was doubt
full if the New Haven BARRIERS would
approve of this scheme unless a state
law was passed forbidding barber shops
to be used by hat cleaners and boot
blacks.
The Bridgeport union also proposes
to have some autographs made showing
the superiority of union barber shops
and asks the New Haven union to be-
come associated with it in ordering a
large supply ,sz.
The pfss.As of the stsae roeaference
of BARRIERS has written to the secretary
to call meeting soon so the executive
board can take some action in regard
to the Forthcoming annual convention
of the international union at Buffalo in
September.
The Chronicle of Cincinnati reports
that jacob F1SCher, general secretary
treasurer of the BARRIERS International
Union, and eighth vice-president of the
American Federation of Labor, was in
Cincinnati for several days, going from
his home in Indianapolis Mr.. Fischer
is great baseball fan and believes the
Reds are going to win the pennar1t He
was entertained by several officials of
the BARRIERS Union of Cincinnati.
c. E. Foley, an international official
of the BARRIERS Union, reports to the
Journeyman Barber that he, paid an
official visit to Bridgeport, where there
had been misunderstanding between
the Local and the Central Labor Union.
He was successful in having the mem-
bers attend a meeting and ali agreed
to take off their coats and go to work
and make Bridgeport what it should be.
The bosses also pledged themselves to
do the same thing.