The Labor enquirer., 1883-01-20

agreed to accept reduction of 33 per
cent. He characterizes the action Of the
Vulcan Steel company as unfair and un-
| just in proposing such q reduction at this
late day. The Western steel manufac-
turers as body proposed a areduetion Of
20 per cent, which the men have gener-
ally agreed to accept, the only pint OF
difference now existing being the ques-
ton of how long the reduction shall be
in force.
Convict labor has been employed to
such an extent in India that the govern
ment has interfered and is taking meas
ures to regulate it. Private dealers cont
plain of the destructive competition and
greater losses which they expect from
that cause. in the future. Further intro
duction of steam machinery into the
jail is prohibited, and steam machinery
now used is to be disposed of forthwith.
Government departments, after Jail re-
quirements are met, are to- be supplied
by prison labor, but sales to private GUS
toners are not to be encouraged.
Labor should command its own price
in the market; money should be theser-
want of labor, not its task master it is
only by labor that food and clothing can
be produced; it is only by labor-men-
tai or manuel--thatNwe can add to the
comforts of life money can add to the
comforts and necessities of life only by
the employment of Tabor; if labor
should unite and organize an exchange
of products among themselves and re-
fuse to employ the money of the capital
lists the latter could not eat nor wear
their money, and would have to work,
beg or starve. -'..'\ l..
At recent meeting of the legislative
committee of the New York Central
Labor union FIVE bills were submitted to
be presented to the legislature, which
we're taken up section by section, for
discussion and finally adopted. They
make provisions for the better protection
of life and limb; the abolition of the
contract system in the state prisons and
pcnitentiary the better, regulation of
work performed in the different munich
pal departments in cities throughout the
state for regulating the value of wages
protection against accident of the tenant
as against the landlord and the enforce
ment of the eight-hour law. + +
On New Years day Kaufman & Co.,
who operate furnaces at Topton and
Kutztown, announced a reduction of 10
cents per day in the wages of all their
employees, on account of the reduction
in the price of iron. The men at Topton
furnace struck, but the Kutztown fur
mace continued. Orders were then given
to blow out the Topton furnace. Several
men presented themselves for employ
ment at the reduction in order to have
the furnace continue, when the men ON
strike sought to keep the new men away
and prevent them from going to work.
Three of the leaders were arrested and
Iheld in $500 bail to answer. The fur
nace is still running, but the men on
strike assume a threatening attitude.
The president of the Workingmen's
Assembly of the State of New York has
issued a call upon the organized trades
and labor unions and Knight of Labor
organizations throughout the state to
send representatives to the seventeenth
annual session of the Workingmen's AS
sembly, to be held in Albany, old capitol
building, commencing Tuesday, January
90. The president says: every union
should be represented; new life, new
labor should be instilled into the labor
movement generally. No such oppor-
tunity has presented itself before, and
no reason exists why convict labor and
tenement cigar factories cannot be abol-
ished, bureau of labor statistics estab-
lished and ten-hour law enacted by the
legislature of 1885,"
The threatened trouble at the Vulcan
works of the St. Louis Ore and Steel
company is believed to have been avert
ed No change will be made in the rate
paid for the work classed as common or
day labor. The men have intimated
that thew will accept the reduction, and
if they do the Vulcan works will not be
closed: The strike at the Laclede Roll
ing mills, which has been in progress
several weeks, is ended, the men agree