"Since the strike had been given up, seven weeks ago, we already had three very well attended member meetings. Each meeting is attended by 300-400 men and women and business is transacted in an earnest way, particularly the problems of the coming season. Those employed in the open shops are plainly risking their jobs by coming to these meetings. Naturally we are elated at the results. Our income already covers our expenses, and we feel that with the advent of the new season matters will improve greatly, as there will surely be a scarcity of workers in Chicago.

"We have arranged a pic-nic on July 29, and we are confident that it will be a huge success. To our workers the strike was not lost, only temporarily given up. Even some manufacturers acknowledge this fact. When an ex-striker comes up to look for a job in a shop they greet her or him with this remark: 'What do you want work for anyway? You people are going to strike next August again!' The truth of the situation is penetrating into the thick sculls of the Chicago manufacturers that it is next to the impossible to win out against our International. Our temporary check did not affect our spirits; the organization is firm and steady now, and nothing will shake our healthy young local."

LOCAL NO. 50 IN SPLENDID SHAPE But the Workers in the Children's Dress Industry Cannot Make Ends Meet, Owing to the High Cost of Living.

The children's dress trade consists of 90 per cent. women workers of the age of 16 to 22 years, and 10 per cent. are men of various ages.

The earnings of the workers are far from what they really should be. Only after a general strike of six weeks in 1916 we first succeeded in establishing a minimum wage of six dollars for learners, reducing the hours of labor to 49 per week, and increasing the earnings of the workers in general to about 20 per cent.

But what is 20 per cent. to be compared with the present conditions of the high cost of living? Now that the cost of living has increased from 40 to 50 per cent. you can imagine how hard it is for the children's dressmakers to make ends meet. hard for them to make ends meet at the

It was

time when the workers were working steady without a lay-off, which was a regular practice in this trade. On an average the workers were then employed from 45 to 48 weeks during the year, and due to this fact the manufacturers always claimed that the earnings in this craft were in proportion higher than in similar trades because of its long

season.

We find to-day in the middle of May, when it is supposed to be the height of the season, hardly enough workers. For the last five or six weeks only 50 to 60 per cent. of the workers have been employed and only part time.

Imagine what the workers in this industry must contend with when the average earnings of the workers range from $6.00 to $12.00 per week on a basis of 52 weeks per year, and now when the workers are laid off for almost four months during the year, the average earnings of the workers fall down to two-thirds, making an average of from $4.00 to $8.00 per week.

Think of the condition of the man and woman worker in this trade, when they have to live on an income from $4.00 to $8.00 per week with the present high cost of living. The workers suffer severely. Still our manufacturers think that the union is driving them out of business by insisting that the workers should receive at least a little of the big profits due to present prosperous conditions. The present slackness in the trade may be due to the weather or to the war and other such reasons, but the workers know only one thing; that they cannot get along with their present earnings.

Naturally nothing can be done at present, due to the slack season, but the workers realize the value of an organization, that only due to this fact the conditions of the trade have been raised to the present level.

The workers in this and other trades must begin an active campaign of preparedness, so that when the proper time comes they shall be in a position to demand of their manufacturers just what is due them, and not have to depend upon their mercy or good nature.

The majority of the children's dressmakers see this thing clear, and they consider the union their only real support.

In the short time since the reorganization of the Children's Dressmakers' Union, the local has made wonderful progress, in

the sense of getting the members attached to the union, and I feel that the future will be as prosperous as the past.

H. GREENBERG,

Manager.

HOUSE DRESSMAKERS

Local 41

Brother B. Zucker, manager of the local, writes as follows:

"The usual slack conditions in the trade are somewhat relieved by military work in the Brooklyn shops. A number of housedress shops have become converted into factories making tent covers, overalls, regular soldier coats and middies for sailors. The other shops have little to do at present. "We have a little trouble with the employers just as present. The scarcity of workers in the trade, present and prospective, is to some extent responsible for this. The prospects for the trade season are as uncertain in the housedress trade as they are in the other cotton garment trades. We are, however, in better control of the shops now than ever-particularly in the New York shops, which only a year or so ago were so very hard to control. In fact, the center of the union's financial and numerical strength has lately shifted from Brooklyn to New York.

Our

"Our Brownsville branch has opened recently a nice circulating library, at headquarters, III Watkins Street, which contains a number of books on labor and economics. We also have now in connection with the local an educational club, consisting of a number of chairladies, which was organized to promote educational facilities for our members. Two months ago this educational club ran a little concert for the benefit of the then prospective library, and netted a tidy sum for the purchase of books, which laid the foundations for this venture."

CUSTOM DRESSMAKERS' UNION, LOCAL 90

When I was placed in charge of the Custom Dressmakers' Union, Local go, I found about 213 members, and a list of 117 shops employing about 500 people. I devoted most of my time to bring back into the organization all the people working in these shops.

At present we have in our union about 480 members in good standing. I have suc

ceeded during this time to organize five new shops, in which forty people are working. I only had one strike in the firm of Roth & Carnegie, Broadway and 86th St., who employ eighteen people. After a stoppage of one day, I succeeded in settling with the firm and receiving an increase for all finishers employed in the shop.

I have renewed all the agreements with the sixteen employers in Brooklyn, as Local 65, under whose jurisdiction they had been previously, had not renewed the agreements with them. Agreements were signed on the same conditions as in New York. All my time was devoted to bring this union to a normal condition, and at present we have in all 120 shops under full control.

I have also succeeded in strengthening our local financially.

In order to maintain this organization, something must be done to organize the industry for the coming season. The present number of members and shops under the control of our local union is about onesixth of the trade throughout the city. In a letter to the General Executive Board I requested for sanction of a general movement for the coming season, as I am convinced that this is the only way to organize this trade.

Our agreements with all our employers expire at the end of October, 1917.

A. BENENSON, Manager.

BRIDGEPORT CORSET WORKERS' UNION, LOCAL 33

Miss Mary Gould, secretary of the local, writes as follows:

"The corset trade in Bridgeport at present is dull, but we are looking for brighter times very soon. We are urging our members to remain in the factories, as we expect that there will soon be enough work for all. There may not be an abundance of corsetmaking; but we expect that some other articles will come under our trade which will keep us busy.

"About two months ago there was passed in the City of Bridgeport an ordinance forbidding public meetings or assembleges without special permits from the chief of police. In consequence of this ordinance we were compelled, whenever we had speakers at our meetings, to obtain a permit from the authorities. Yet we continue

holding meetings every Friday, having a fair attendance. Some of our most active members are very busy advertising these meetings and are offering our members all the encouragement to keep up the good work. We expect very soon to ask our International for another speaker.

"We are making arrangements for an outing for our members to take place in July. There is a large committee now working on this affair and we expect to make it a huge success. We are also making arrangements to take part in our State Parade on Labor Day in Danbury.”

LOCALS 4, 72, 101 AND 110,
BALTIMORE, MD.

Brother David Cohen writes: "The entire industry in Baltimore is affected by unemployment as a result of the slack season, and the majority of the members of our four locals are idle. We hope, however, that when the season begins our members will be ready to defend their interests and to demand prices and working conditions that will enable them to maintain an existence under the prevailing high cost of living.

"Several weeks ago Vice-President Pierce organized a Joint Board of our four locals. The cloakmakers, waistmakers, ladies' tailors and the cutters' local are now located in one big office, at 1023 E. Baltimore Street, and all our work is being co-ordinated jointly and in harmony.

"There are about 10,000 workers employed in the waist, skirt and white goods trades in Baltimore, ninety per cent. of whom are women. There are a considerable number of colored workers among the women, who work for two-three dollars per week.

"We are confident that the International will organize these trades as soon as the first opportunity presents itself. The employers here are anticipating a good season, and we are sure that the General Officers will utilize the season in the best interests of the Baltimore workers, which in the long run means the welfare of the workers in our entire industry."

LOCALS 65 AND 75, ST. LOUIS, MO. A local correspondent writes:

"Since our general strike in 1913. St. Louis became a big and important center of the manufacture of ladies' wear. Very large

factories of skirts and dresses, where thousands of women are employed, have been opened during recent years. Wages in these shops are very low, and we are trying, lately, to organize them with the aid of the International.

"Much to our regret we have not as yet succeeded to make any considerable headway among these workers. These girls are for the most part gentile girls who have not the slightest conception of unionism, and the agitation among them has heretofore been conducted on a small scale. In order to make progress and organize the industry, the International would have to bring into the field a number of organizers, men and women, and begin a big movement for a general strike.

"Local 65 is the local of the women workers, and Local 78 is the old cloakmakers' local of St. Louis. Until recently we had two organizers, Brother B. Kaplan and Mrs. Anna Crane. Last week, our Joint Board decided to dispense with the services of Mrs. Crane, until the International will be ready to take up the St. Louis agitation in real earnest, as it was realized that she could not make much headway among the girls single-handed.

"Our business agent, Brother Kaplan, resigned last week and Brother Ben Gilbert was appointed in his place. Our Joint Board which consists of a number of energetic and loyal union men, will assist Brother Gilbert in his work, and we hope that before the next season begins our union will be strong enough to gain for our workers better working conditions."

MONTREAL, CANADA

From a correspondent:

"Our local unions are in good condition notwithstanding the nine weeks of bitter fighting that we have gone through this winter owing to the obstinacy of some of our manufacturers. Our income is somewhat smaller but that is due only to the general slack conditions in the trade. The majority of our men are idle; but we have confidence that with the beginning of work in the shops, every worker in the trade will straighten out his standing in the union.

"Our meetings are well attended. During the last four weeks Montreal was visited by Vice-Presidents Lefkovits and Rosenberg. They addressed shop and member