Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-11
13 HOSIERY PLANTS
AFFECTED BY STRIKE
Five Hundred Knitters Walk
Out When Wage Increase
Is Denied

Five hundred knitters, employees Of
thirteen full-fashoned hosiery mills in
this city, went on strike today when the
employers refused to grant their de-
mands for 25 per cent increase in wages.
The seamless hosiery industry is not
affected by the walkout.
&. Stanley HurlOut, secretary Of the
Philadelphia Full Fashioned Hosiery
Manufacturers Association. at the close
of a meeting this afternoon said it
would be impossible to meet the de-
mands Of the strikers.
The industry cannot afford to grant
wage increase" said Mr.. IIurbut.
chiefly because the Wholesale price Of
hosiery IS certain to fall"
The strikers, who are members OF
the F'ull-Fashioned knitters' Local Union
No, 7O6, mot this afternoon in their head
quarters at Fourth and Huntingdon
streets.
Gustav Geiges. president and busi-
ness agent of the knitters. announced
that the strikers all along have been
willing 10. arbitrate the question Of
wage incr\lse with the mill owners.
what the strikers say
During the war" he said, wages
have Increased forty per cent, but Gov
ernment figures show that the cost Of
living has risen seventy per cent. Six
months ago, after We had been given
an Increase We made verbal contract
not TO asl, for another increase for SIX
months. This agreement expired De-
ccwbor 81. Just before II expired we
told the manufacturers that owing to
the high cost OF living. we would have
20 have an increase in wages First
"" asked for Twenty-Five per cent, and
whom this was refused We Went more
than half way, and said that, to meet
the cost OF living, We would accept a
substantial increase. This, too, vas re-
fused.
"Indepondcnt mills already are paying
from ten TO thirty per cent more than
the association manufacturers"
There are a few independent plants
in Philadelphia, but most Of them are
outside the city principally in New
York.
,ieiges sad j. was impossible for the
knILters TO Increase their income by
speeding mp production, because OF the
poor quality OK the wool and needle 3
now Obtainab.c.
Says Workers Make $40 to s65
Mr. Hlrlbut said that the liritters
or strike have been making from $50 TO
S55 a weei; on piece work, wages being
based on the skill of the workers.
Employment in the full fashioned
hosiery industry" he said. rs continuous
and has been so since 1907.
"The association has met all the de
mands of the workers In the last two
years, but we feel that It IS impossible
70 grant this Increase
The declaration that employment ha!
been continuous was made 10 meet tht
, possible contention OF the strikers tina
there have been layoffs from which the,
have suffered the loss Of working time.
The thirteen mills affected by tn
! strike are - follows
= Apex Hosiery Company, Lawrence an,
5 T.uzernc streets; Harry G. Aberle Com
pany, Clearneld and a streets Bowe
! ard Kaufman, Front street and Columbi
avenue; BTentmore Knitting Mills, On
\ tario and streets William Brown Com
= pany. Kensngton avenue and Ontari
p street, Henry Brown & Sons Compan,
$ Ontario and 1 streets; Cambria Sll
D Hosiery Company, Indiana avenue an
A street Concordia silk Hosiery Com
: many, Fishers lane and Wyoming ave
: nue. Fidelity Knitting Mills, Palethor
8 and Huntington streets; Ha!nes Hosier
r Mills, Bristol street, near Germantow
n avenue; Hancock knitting Mills, Har
r cock and Westmoreland streets; NJ. (
r Laubach Company, Indiana avenue an
i A street, Henry Lehmuth Compan.
9 ontario and D streets,