Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/185

 THE UNION LABEL I 71

recognized a demand for union-label brooms. In each case, one woman customer had demanded that kind of a broom, and in response to this demand the merchant had in each case placed in stock a line of union-label brooms. This is a hint, at least, of the potentiality of the label.

A representative interview will illustrate the unfavorable side of the matter, as seen from the merchant's standpoint.

"We sell both kinds of flour," said a merchant in the manu- facturing district, "but people don't care anything about the label. It is all in the goods. A walking delegate of a certain union opened up a general grocery store farther up in the city, and sold only union-label bakery goods. He soon heard a strong demand for five-cent pies, but could not furnish them union-made. He got them from a non-union shop, and at this his union baker withdrew, for his rule was, all union goods or none. Then the grocer got all his bakery goods from non- union shops, thus meeting the demand and letting the label go. People buy where they think the best bargains are."

Some local elements in Milwaukee must be mentioned as partial explanation of this unfavorable showing, on the whole, which this investigation makes for the union label. The foreign- born element is strong, especially the German and Polish. Women's label leagues are not yet formed, as in many other cities. And, finally (and significantly, too), some labor leaders of this city are not in full sympathy with the label movement, and their attitude is reflected in their followers. A high official expressed himself in these terms: "The label is a mistake; it is contrary to human nature. It puts unnecessary burdens on the union man who is expected to purchase the label goods. The label is costly to print, to advertise like patent medicine on street cars and bulletin boards, to defend in court against counterfeits. A uniform label would have been better than the sixty or seventy labels now in use, but it is too late for that. There would be too much work to do all over again. We hope nothing from the label. We appreciate the fact, too, that there are many frauds connected with granting and using the label."

Some observations are timely in conclusion. Strict labor