The three barbers believed the vandalism was committed to “pressure” them into raising their prices.
The three shops were: Rasor’s Barber shop at 610 Wilfred Ave., owned by R. E. Rasor; a shop at 2503 E. Fifth St. owned by C. W. Welsh; and Foreman Bros. Barber Shop at 1947 E. Third St., owned by A. P. and H. B. Foreman.
All three shops were in East Dayton.
The conflict
Inflation in 1950 caused some area barbers to desire a price increase on haircuts.
At the time, there were 38 Master Barbers in Dayton, and they were the group that raised their prices from $1 to $1.25. Union members were allowed to follow suit “if they desired.”
The Barber’s union, which represented 225 barbers in Dayton, voted against it.
The investigation
Right away, it was rumored that police had a man under suspicion for the vandalism.
“I think the police have a pretty good line on who did it,” Welsh said. “Not many barbers drive cars like that.”
Welsh, vice president of Barbers’ Local 887, said witnesses saw a car used by “several men” who damaged his shop.
No final word was found about what happened with the suspect.
Barbers speak out
Rasor, whose shop was damaged, said he had been in the barbering business 47 years and as a union member he would do what the union thought was best.
“I don’t think a price hike is warranted now. I’m trying to help hold back inflation,” Rasor said.
He said the 25-cent boost was too much.
“Some shops in Dayton hiked prices, but we didn’t,” said Rasor. “They are trying to scare us into raising.”
Owners of the Foreman shop, who had also held to the $1 price, said their window was broken as well.
“I have an idea who did it, but won’t say,” one of the brothers who worked there said.
Joseph Korek, president of the Master Barbers Association, estimated that “at least 50 out of some 200 shops” in Dayton had gone along with the price increase.
“A large portion of the 50, however, are the bigger downtown shops with four, five and six chairs,” he pointed out.
That meant that about 150 of approximately 300 barbers in Dayton had raised prices.
Regarding the stone-throwing, Korek said, “I’m not in favor of any kind of violence, and I do not have the least idea who might have done this.”
Also in reference to the brick-throwing, one union official, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “I think the only reason this was done was because some barbers don’t like the $1 signs in windows when they are charging $1.25. It would be better if these signs were taken out.”
What happened next
The scare tactic seemed to work.
The day after the news broke about the broken barber shop windows it looked like more union shops were going to raise their haircut price to $1.25.
Barbers Local 887 union members decided to discuss the proposition at their next meeting that month.
More than 100 barbers attended the meeting.
The Dayton barbers union voted the following month to enact the $1.25 haircut price, which went into effect immediately.
Some barbers indicated they would defy the union, saying they would rather drop their affiliations before upping their price, “because we would lose business if we did.”
One barber estimated that “20 to 30 percent of the members will drop” rather than raise prices and take a chance on losing business.
Union members listed several instances of the rising cost of living as the reason for the action. Among these were “all materials used in barber shops, as well as rents on shops have been raised.”
About the Author
