The New York herald., 1921-07-18
CLOTHING WORKERS
BROKE FACE LEVY
Shiplacoff, Socialist and
Amalgamated Leader,
Makes Amazing Plea.
9 MILLION FUND GONE
200 Shop Chairmen Told to
Collect All Dues and 500
assessment.
SAVE PICKETS FROM JAIL
Appeal Throws New Light on
Unions Strike Activities
Revolt Talk Grows.
SAVE PICKETS FROM JAIL

elected on the Socialist ticket, is also
manager of the New York Joint Board
of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers
of America. His position in the union
is practically that of head official of
the New York local and he is in charge
of an New York city matters affecting
the various trades united under the
Amalgamated.
In this capacity Alderman Shiplacoff
made speech last week at the Man
haitian Lyceum, Sc East Fourth street,
to about 200 shop chairmen Of the
Amalgamated. The shop chairmen are
the foremen or direct representatives
of the union in each shop. conveying
to the workers the orders of the higher
union officials. collecting dues and en-
forcing the union regulations in the
shops.
Alderman Shiplacoff told his amazed
hearers that the New York branch of
the Amalgamated was broke" that It
owed large sums to Chicago and other
clothing centres. and he implored them
to get busy collecting dues from the
workers, who have just returned to work
after six months strike. The union,
the Organization" as he called it, was
unable to borrow any more money and
was on the verge Of breaking down.
One of the pressing necessities in the
way of money, Alderman Shiplacoff de-
clared. was for the defence and Saving
from jail'' of the many pickets of the
union who were arrested during the
strike and since the settlement of the
strike for assaulting non-union workers
In the open shops maintained by the
manufacturers who tried to operate dur
Ing the strike. and those who have re-
fused to recognize the so-called settle
ment of the strike.
Many witnesses Disapper.
Heretofore the higher union officials
have refused to recognize publicly any
union responsibility for the unlawful ac-
tions of these pckets. many of whom
were strongarm men. thugs used to ham
ding blackjacks and similar weapons
They have beaten up the open shop work.
ers. thrown acid over clothes and ma
terials in the shops. attempted to burn
up some of the shops, actually did blow
up one plant In New Jersey, and gener-
ally made life miserable and work i'm
possible for the on-Amalgamated man.
ufacturer and tailor. Severe injuries
have been inflicted in some instances on
non-union workers. and death Is alleged
to have resulted in at least one instance
from such injuries
Generally no arrests have been made
by the police owing to the circumstances
OF the assault, the perpetrators getting
away before the police could be called
But some arrests were made. and in
other cases the men who took part in
the assaults are known and are being
sought by the police and by detectives
employed by the manufacturers. But
when attempts have been made to bring
cases to trial II has been found in the
District Attorneys office. both here and
In Brooklyn, that witnesses had mys-
terious way of vanishing. that the COM
planants we're reluctant to appear and
that 1t was O difficult IL not impossible
thing to convict an Amalgamated MEM
ber.
The only explanation forthcoming has
been the generous use of money In GER
tain directions In Brooklyn, for in
stance, where District Attorney Lewis
is anxious to try half dozen men in
dcted for felonious assault on nom
union clothing workers. he has found 1t
impossible to get the victims Of the as
saults. They have disappeared from
their homes. the District Attorney has
bors large sums of money which had
been suddenly presented to them by un-
known persons. There have been some
cases of short Jail sentences imposed in
the Magistrates courts where policemen
had seen the assaults.
stenoRra phic Report Of speech.
The Amalgamated. as an organization.
has always loudly condemned and dis
avowed all such violence and has dis
owned publicly the perpetrators of as
saults. But last Tuesday night. speak
ing as he thought. only to group Of
Jewish shop chairmen--much of the dis
cussion was In Yiddish--Alderman
shiplacoff threw some light upon the
interest which the Amalgamated Cloth
ing Workers OF America takes in it's
members. who are accused or convicted
OF brutal assaults on non-Amalgamated
tailo.s. A stenographic report of
Alderman Shiplacoff's speech was
made. unknown TO him. and its con-
tents have been the subject Of certain
official inquiry.
In the course of his speech the Alder
man. who was almost exhausted from
his days work as manager of the
Analgamated Joint board entailing
many engagements In different parts OF
the city. -eferred to the need of money
for the defence Of these strong arm
pickets as follows:
Let me tell YOU In the meantime how
many things are going on. Some of our
brothers are having trials. Some OF
our pickets have had Jail sentences. I
want to tell you IL is the fact that we
have succeeded In getting so that the
news dcAs not spread very much. We
have cases OF people who are going TO
jail duietly--some people that may
have to go to Jail.
There is no telling for how long they
will have to go to Jail and you would
not want any of your brothers to go to
Jail for five or ten years. when you
know that probably $1,000 or $1,000
fo- "A good lawyer--and ronie other ex-
penses that may be connected with it,
will probably save man from Ave or
ten year sentence.
The District Attorneys office and .he
Police Department have taken some
pretty drastic measure on some OF the
cases that we have, and | want YOU to
know that we have quite n number of
them hanging ove-. Surely you. II YOU
would be n picket. would hate like any
thing to go TO jail for couple of years,
II you felt the other members OF the
union would not contribute dollar, or
90 cents. or 81 TO have you released
The financial department Of our or