Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12

Uf Et lbflDfiff iftdf ftUor ]
ter close to the edge Of Fifth avenue |
In the lower thirties are silent, and /
the MONDAY crowds which used 10 1
food the streets in this neighborhood |
are noticeably thinned. r'ifty-nve |
thousand Is a large number OF people
enough TO I'll the Yale bowl or a good
sized American town.
If strike continues for a consider
able length Of time, and IL II extends
TO other cities. as II threatens 10 do.
q great shortage in re5p1y-made wear
will result, and the public win have
To pay exorbitant prices for it's spring
clothes. Thus, those Of us who buy
our wearing apparel in department
stores and specially shops are
naturally curious to know why
strike Of such enormous proportions
should take place. with undesirable
consequences for ourselves.
The garment workers quit work IN
body the first Of November because
their employers re-established the
piecework system in place Of a straight
weekly wage, for which the workers
made n successful fight a couple Of
years ago. The manufacturers say
that a. return TO the piecework system
ls NECESSARY If they are 50 reduce
the price Of ready made clothes. The
workers claim that they VIII resist
II to the bitter end, because it means
going back to the methods Of the
sweatshop. The manufacturers have
offered to call in numerous officials
| state, Federal. and otherwise. to act
as arbiters in the matter. The work
ers have refused such arbitration upon
! tho ground that the question is not
larbltrable They claim that the piece
work system is a settled issue; that
the manufacturers are bound TO pay
them a straight weekly wage by a
definite agreement which does not end
until June. 1922. and that they viii
hold the manufacturers to the contract.
In order 10 comprehend the position
taken by each side, II is necessary to
review the history Of the garment
trade, which is one long series Of
such crises.
In the late nineteenth century.
ready made wear was still a distinct
novelty in this country. the product
of very limited number of small
factories At that time frordes az iIn-
migrants from Russia. Poland and
Austria started pouring into the
country 10 escape oppression. italians
- likewise began to arrive in huge num-
befs. Many Of these immigrants had
been tailors. seamstresses. en-
broideress and lace makers in theii
native countries. Hence. they pro-
vided an enormous amount Of cheaI
labor of the very type that the youne
ready made wear industry. already IL
. the hands Of their compatriots, wa'
looking for.
Early Conditions.
10 4 large labor surplus was created
J. and with 1t ghastly working conditions
Added to unlimited hours. starvation
70 wages and similar abuses, was tn
y highly personal character OF the in
4 dusiry. which demanded terrific spurt
: Of speed for short periods and thel
\ left the ma ajority Of the workers idl'
Il for the rest Of the year. n, through
Q an orgs nlzed protest, the workers wer'
. able to obtain better working con
$ ditions during one busy season, thef
n gains would end when the season wa
l. over. and they would have to make IN
same nght the next year.
]. What was true Of the New Yor
d trade Was true in slightly less degre
T. Of the other five clothing center
"a Although strikes occurred with dis
% tressing frequency, it was not unit
1910 that the workers were sufficienti
=, well organized to make genera
- strike effective. In this year. the Ne
York garment workers union won Il
- demands for higher wages, short'
NJ working hours and better workin
! conditions. but an even more notab
4 victory was won by the workers
the large garment factories Of Ch
IN cago. Here, for the first time, II
garment manufacturers seemed
rs realize the need for industrial arb
N tration, and a plan for amicable az
IS. justments was the result.
,g This included a permanent arb
tration board. consisting Of two rel
I'd resentatives one of the Chicago ga
u ment makers union and one chose
by the manufacturers. These tv
he members were 10 choose. in turn. q
i Impartial Chairman to preside ov
- their negotiations.
d Later on, though. it was found tn
I the Arbitration Board could not hand
a. all of the numerous matters comiI
up in regard to working condition
and that some additional organizati'
would be necessary According
NO another board, known as the Ira
- Board. was formed. consisting Of Fl
r. representatives from the union al
r FIVE from the employers. with the saU
he Impartial Chairman who served
nm the Arbitration Board.
10 The manufacturers were represen
It's ed ON the Trade Board largely
on labor managers. \ plant Of any co
n siderable size always employs a lab
lid manager. while the smaller plan
a usually combine to hire o
a manager, who functions fer all
fly them. These labor managers, actil
for the employers, and the nuion re
10 resentatives.. acting for the WORKER
constituting the Trade Board, we
e"t authorized to settle all disputes tn
''e could not be settled locally in Z
shops. The Impartial Chairman, pa
10 and trusted by both sides, presid
over the Board and corresponded
~ a judge in our courts. Cases We're a
N gued before him, and his decision W
~ accepted as final, except in rare
n stances when appeal was made to (
MIS- first Board of Arbitration. A more
in fective system Of industrial arbitr
ton has never been devised.
Other clothing centers almost il
med!ately adopted it, but II was a 10
time before it took hold upon n
of York. Local conditions conspired
n, prevent it. DR.. Leiserson, Impart
er Chairman for the clothing indusi