The Price of a 'Cheap' Haircut
Everett union barbers expose an unlicensed 'lady barber' working in a non-union shop.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The barbers' state examining board slipped quietly into Everett Monday evening and the following day several would-be barbers were put through a case of sprouts. You fellows who don't belong to organized labor but have been patronizing the Virginia barber shop because there was a lady barber there and the price of work was cheap, just paste this in your hats: The lady who has been manipulating the razor and shears in that shop for several weeks past failed to pass the examination. What do you think of your cheap work now?
“The lady who has been manipulating the razor and shears in that shop for several weeks past failed to pass the examination.”
This reflects a time when professional licensing was a primary front in the 'closed shop' labor war in Everett. The condescending tone towards the woman and the shop customers highlights how public health ordinances were frequently weaponized to protect union territory from competition.
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