The day book. [volume], March 12, 1915, NOON EDITION, Image 2

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

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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.