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Newspaper Page Text
mmmmsmsssmimmmmifmmm that he refused to sign a new agree ment because the waitresses' union could not furnish him sufficient help. He put this excuse on the literature he displayed in his windows during the strike, but Miss Maloney testified that, with the exception"- ofone of Knab's restaurants, calls were not made for union waitresses, and that on one occasion when she saw a card in the window soliciting waitresses at 152 W. Washington st. and she went in and volunteered to furnish wait resses from1 headquarters she was in formed that Knab would not employ any waitresses who had done picket duty during the Henrici trouble, in consequence of which not one of the thirty girls waiting for positions at union headquarters would be em ployed by Knab. Regarding the preferential agree ment Knab claims he offered the waitresses, Miss Maloney endeavored to explain how the organization had been ruined in 1903 when they had accepted preferential agreements with restaurant keepers, but the tes timony was not admitted. The veil was torn from the iden tity of the "Mysterious' Mr. Smith," who was foremost in fighting the waitresses at the beginning of the Knab trouble. Miss Maloney detailed a conversation she had had with Smith in which she claims he told her: "You had better accept Knab's terms. We have the employers' as sociation behind up and we will wipe you and 'your organization off the map if you attempt to call a strike. I, have had some experience with labor organizations and strikes and have a 16t of political pull here. If you have any common sense you will accept. I 'was private secretary to Mayor Busse and I can make things interesting for you." Miss Maloney declared that in the latter part of 1913, before Knab sign ed with the waitresses, the majority of restaurants in the restaurant keep ers' combine were working wait resses seven days a week, ten hours J a day and that under the union agree- ment they could work them only six days a week. Knab made no objection to sign ing theVgreement Dec. 5 and short ened hours on Jan. 1 when it went into effect. Powers at that time ex pressed a willingness to sign, but lat er refused. Miss Maloney declared that early in March she had gone to one of the Knab restaurants to discover why the girls were not paying their dues. Norma Newby, who testified for the restaurant combine, said they had been told they didn't have to pay any dues to the union and they refused to do so. Miss Maloney said Knab had offer ed as his chief objection to renewing his union agreement that the union had not signed up the other houses and he wasn't going to run a closed shop while the others were not union ized. This despite the fact that the Chicago Ass'n of Food Exchange had already been formed for the purpose of fighting union waitresses. Detailing a conversation with E. W. Rieck, restaurant keeper named in bill, who recently signed up with the waitresses, Miss Maloney says Rieck declared he had not known when he joined the restaurant com bine that they intended to fight union labor as he was friendly to union labor, and that he had remained in the combine because he sold baked beans to most of the restaurants, but now had left the association. Miss Maloney denied at any time making any threats against the res taurant keepers and denied many of the remarks they had testified she made. The hearing is resumed today. o o SHE WAS QUITE RATTLED Cleveland, March 12. To watch a thief, Miss Viola Hatcher, secretary to Justice McCannon, hid in a closet. The door locked and she could not get nut rrt ran over her foot. Smash! Lock broken.