Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/184

 I 70 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

VII. SALOONS.

It is necessary to state at the outset that all beer made in Milwaukee is union beer. The saloons handle practically nothing but the famous Milwaukee product, and hence are, in that sense, union shops. Therefore the only investigation made in connection with saloons was to determine what kinds of cigars they sold, whether union only, or both kinds. Union saloons, it is hardly necessary to add, are supposed to boycott non-union tobacco.

Here are the conditions :

Selling only union-label tobacco - - 21 saloons

Selling both kinds - 15"

Union men, when in groups, bought only union-label tobacco, but singly they were not particular. Almost without a dissent- ing voice saloon-keepers pronounced in favor of the union label, and showed a disposition to ally themselves on the side of trades unions. Their sincerity was, in general, not to be questioned. A few, no doubt, took this stand merely to please the majority of their customers.

VIII. GROCERY STORES.

A large number of grocery stores were visited, because here so large a part of the laborer's wages is spent. The four com- monest commodities kept at grocery stores, which bear the union label, are flour, brooms, tobacco, and bread. Concerning these articles, then, conditions were found in the seventy-one stores as follows :

No demand for union labels of any kind - - 52 stores Demand for union-label flour 2 "

Demand for union-label brooms 2 "

Demand for union-label tobacco - 15 "

Demand for union-label bread - o "

Of course it is the women of the family who do the princi- pal part of the purchasing at grocery stores. This but emphasizes the fact already alluded to, namely, that they do not, as a general rule, feel any interest in the union label. There are, however, noteworthy exceptions. Two stores referred to above