Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-10
By FREDERIC ]. HAsK1N

New York City. Dec. THE manu-
facture of rcady-made clothing has
practically ceased In New York, owing
to the strike of $1,000 garment work
crs. The large garment factories that
cluster close to the edge of Fifth ave-
nue. in the lower thirties are silent,
and the MONDAY crowds, which used
to flood the streets in, this neighbor.
hood are noticeably thinned. Fifty
five thousand Is large number OF
peoplc-enough to I'll the Yalc bowl
or a good-sixed American town.
II the strike continues for a consid-
erable length of time. and IL 1t extends
to other cities. as 1t threatens to- do.
great shortage inrready-made wear
will result, and the public Will have
to pay exorbTtdnt prices for It's spring
clothes. Thus. those OF us who buy
our wearing apparel In department
storcs and speciality shops nre natur-
ally curious to know why a strike of
such enormous proportions should take
place. with undesirable consequences
for ourselves.
The garment workers quit work in
q body tho first OF November because
their employers rc-esta blishcd the
pieccwork system In place OF a straight
weekly wage. for which the workers
made successful fight a couple OF
years ago. Tho manufacturers say
that a return to tho piccework system
IS necessary II they are to reduce the
price of ready-mado clothes. Tho
workers claim TINT they will resist IL
to the bitter end, because 1t means
going back to tho methods OF the
swcatshop. Tho manufacturers have
offered TO call in numerous officials.
state. federal. and otherwise. to act as
Rrbitcrs in the. matter. The workers
have refused such arbitration upon the
ground that tho question is not arbi
trablc. They claim that the piece
work system is n settled issue: that
the manufacturers arc bound to pay
them n straight weekly wage by n
definite agreement which does not end
until juno. 1922. and tina: they will
hold the manufacturers to the con-
tract.
In order TO comprehend the position
taken by each side. II Is necessary to
review the history of tho garment
trade. which is ono long series OF such
crises.
In the late nineteenth century.
ready made wear was still n distinct
novelty in this country. the product
of a very limited number OF small fac
tories. At that time, hordes of immi-
grants from Russia. Poland and Aus
tria started pouring into the country
to escape oppression. Italians like
wise began to arrive in huge numbers.
Many OF these immigrants had been
tailors, Hcamstrcssea. embro!dercrs
and lacc-makcrs In their native coun-
tries. Hence. they provided AN enor-
nous amount of cheap labor of the
very type that the young ready-madc
wear industry. already in the hands OF
their compatriots. was looking for.
EARLY.CONDITIo
lars, In .,,rpt,.. ,,.na ,rau.zI
and with 1t CHASTITY working condi-
tions. Added to unlimited hours. star
walton wages and similar abuses, was
tho highly seasonal character of the
Industry. which demanded terrific
spurts OF speed for short periods and
then left the majority of the workers
idle for the rest OF the year. IT. thru
an organized protest. tho workers
were able to obtain better working
conditions during one busy season.
their gains would end when the season
was over. and they would have to
make the same fight the next year.
What was true OF the New York
trade was true In slightly less degree
of the other five clothing ccntcrs. Al
though strikes occurred with distress
ing frequency. 1t was not until 1910
that the workers were sufficiently wen
organized to make a general strike ef-
fcctivc. In this year, the New York
garment workers union won its de-
mands for higher wages. shorter work.
ing hours and better working err
lions but an even more notable victory
was won by the workers In the large
garment factories of Chicago. Here.
for the first time, the garment manu-
facturers seemed to realize the need
for industrial arbitration, and "A plan
for amicablc adjustments was the re-
suit.
This included permanent arbitra-
tion board. consisting OF two repre-
of the Chicago gar
ment makers union and one chosen
by the manufacturers These two
mcmbcTs were to choose. in turn, an