The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-15

week and this notwithstanding the enormous prices charged by the man ufacturcrs for their finished product"
 The Corset Cutters met at Eagles hall at 10 o'clock hhis morning and formulated set of demands which include @ A hour wt%k and a closed shop. According to the report of president John Kiernan they voted unanimously to support the Corset Workers in all their demands.
 The meeting of the Corset Workers wa held at II o'clock and Miss Nellie Chase. the president, explained the delay in calling the meeting by stat ing that she and the officers were detained at the meeting of the cTecu- tive committee.
 The members who had volunteered for picket duty at yesterdays meet int, rcr.orted that they had perform cdt their duties at the several shops. There was very little trouble. only one instance, in which one young lady sliI that an oftcious police officer aad approached her after she hud' been talking to member of the u alon and told her that he would arr,,st her if she spoke to any more Efrls She said, "I answered him back. amd he knew he had no authority. so he did not arrest me although he continued to threaten"
 one of thc parkcts reported that the employees of the box and ship ping departments of Warner Bros factory had 5yalbed out of the shop this morning Ut 9 o'clock.
 Mir. Ornburu ab-iscd the pickets to 1,cco uu their good work ana to do everything legally and to avoid trou- blc To try and 1SsrSuade those who were employed in Nhc other shops 10 join the union. but that if they re- fused to join with thc,lockcd out girls not to mind it.
 We want to go along within the law" he said. and it 1s up to them if they don't wish 10 Join. We are hopeful that they will alr jofn.'
 He told tho workers that-at tonights meeting r president of the h. ternationnI Garment Workers would be present who could talk Italian and would explain everything to tho Ital- ian girls and there would also be speakers in Polish and Slavish to talk To the girls who understood those Ian gua-,a.
 Defending tho attitude they have taken inc officials of the Warner Bros factor today made the following staten at:
 We want to deny most emphati- cuIiv that tho Warner Bros Co. has
 
 intention of establishing lock-eut. Last week we were informed that certain demands would be made upon us that we knew in advance would require reasonable time in considera- ton Experience in similar situa- tions made it positive that during this discusSion the plant production would be seriously interrupted by debate and agitation of the various points at
 .T1 to the benefit of our employees. as well as ourselves. and the community at large. that our employees who were effected he requested to quietly re- tire to their homes until such time ns we could resume work in the plant. free and uuaucumbcred from agitation and discussion.
 We have tried to keep pace with the changed conditions of working. liv- ing. etc. In the face of this. we were very much surprised that pubic discuss on of our labor conditions was undertaken before the matters had bCcn presented to us by our employees or their committees. with whom we have worked in harmony for long time. As result of this particular feature of tho case. it seems best for us in future 10 adopt the more ad- vanced and complete government s1cp committee organization which is established in other factories by n general election of the shop commit tees. etc, SO that every cmployc can have an equal voice.
 As to working less than 4S hours q week. when you consider foreign competition. as well as domestic com petition. IL seems to us that any les seninv of the hours will seriously in- terferc with the earning powers of the employees as well as employer.
 AS to the charge for thread, I think this is misunderstood. We are obliged 10 distribute among our peo- pie thread which is used in the work This thread must be kept track of. as matter sf fact it is included in the piece prices and the charge is simply n matter of bookkeeping. If it were possible to keep track of thread with out charging 1t would be just as agreeable to U-.
 Tn the matter of wages paid, with such a great variety of work and con- stantly changing work this is a live sub1ec. every day of our working year. We stand ready now, we l:ave in the past to review and check any wage. either day or piece, pro- ductive or productive. and to pay the highest market rate.
 The other minor details of short age of work. etc, are no different than the problems that come to every plant and can be easily adjusted.
 "It Is our desire and intention to cooperate with our people in peace and harmony. On the other hand they must not attempt 10 make con fditions SO impossible that we will not have sufficient success to respond to their requirements and to give them success. We expect after a reason able length of time has elapsed. in Justice to the large number of peo- pie who are dcsirous of continuing in our employ to open up our plant with the understanding that all are welcome to return.
 "we regret that either our short cominEs or our employees has brought to ;he attention of tho communit,. ,. details of a controversy that we be- lieve should be settled and could have been settled. like the family quarrel, with the front door closed
 The statistics of the corset indus- try of the United States have not been assem- bled since the Federal Census ul