New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-04

secrecy, studded with ru,nors, they met
In long series of gatherings. The
result, published in the middle Of June,
was temporary agreement. A joint
board, known as the Joint Production
Commission of the Cloak and Suit In
dustry, was formed Manufacturers
and~union leaders were TO sit on the
commission, whose function was to be
TO see that the per capita production
OF the workers was increa sed, and to
settle disputes about production that
might arise in individual factories.
The union conceded the need for
greater production. No mention was
made, however, of increased hours. Il
was agreed that manufacturer might
discharge worker for insufficient pro-
duction, but that the discharge would
be subject to review by the joint COM
mission, on which association and
union were equally epresented.
Since that time the commission has
met on a number of occasions. At one
time it announced that it had sus-
tanned the discharge Of a worker
charged with insufficient production. It
has evolved a system of tallying work
accomplished in each factory. by which
workers are graded, according to the
relation of the amount Of work they
turn out to standard of production
for their particular factory.
Deny improvement
Nevertheless, the manufacturers
complain that there has been no i'm
provement whatever. Union officials
admit that the workers could turn out
more garments, but declare that since
there is not enough work in most
Il L. L.
they cannot be expected to do their
best
at is a fact that the workers are
physically capable of producing so 70
IS per cent more garments per capita"
, Louis LANCER, secretary of the Cloak
| makers Joint Board of the Interna-
tional Ladies' Garment Workers, said
in an interview. But when a man
finds that his shop has not enough
work to geep him busy for eight hours
at his present rate of speed he nat
urally is not going to hustle and ac-
complish all his work in four
TO this Harry Uviller, executive
manager OF the American Cloak and
Suit Manufacturers Association, re-
piled:
when there is little business Is
just the time when increased produc-
tioI is necessary. We have got to cut
labor costs so that we can reduce the
price OF garments and stimulate bust
ness"
What is going to be done about It.
The apparel trades feel that the matter
must come to head soon. The mems
clothing trades have emerged from their
long strike Cor lock-out) without any
decrease in labor costs, and the manu-
faeturers are showing signs of dissatis-
faction with the situation. The agree
ment between the Cloak, Suit and Skirt
Manufacturers Protective Association
and the union will expire on November
1, and the association is sending forth
Indications that the pact has not
worked satisfactorily, and that some
new way of reducing labor costs must
be found. The American Cloak and
Suit Manufacturers Association, which
consists of the sub-manufacturers that
do q large proportion of the actual
making of garments, is disputing with
the union on a number of minor but
irritating points, and conference has
been arranged for an early date this
month
Rumblings of more labor contro-
versies to harass the much troubled
apparel industries are in the air.