Connecticut western news., 1889-10-09
LABOR NOTES.

uADOIO NO1hC,
 The Iron Moulders' Union. of Boston, has appointed committee to make arrangements for grand ball.
 England's Engineers Union has 52,0OO members, and has spent $l4 ,O92 ,5.5 in ben etits in it's 37 years existence.
 During the past month charters have been granted to ten new unions of the Brother hood of Carpenters and Joiners.
 Let those who decry the strike so severely put themselves in the starving oppressed workingmen's place. Would they strike or not?
 The Alliance and Wheel of Missouri have consolidated, forming body to be known as the Farmers and Laborers' Union, with a total membership of over 100000.
 Four hundred miners employed at Morris Ridge Colliery at Mount Carmel, Pa., struck to compel the operators to observe the semi monthly pay law and reduce the price of powder.
 One hundred and fifty freight handlers em- ployed in the New York Central freight house in Buffalo, N. Y., went on strike be- cause the company would not pay extra for. work on Sunday.
 A telegram from Broadway, Penn., says that the strike in the mines of the Punxsu- tawney section has been settled. The de mands made by the men were granted. Itis thought this will have the effect of settling the strike on the Erie road.
 An eight-hour city ordinance is now be fore the City Council in Erie, Penn., and is provoking general public discussion. If nothing more the introduction of such meas- ures in every city will have salutary effect ill stirring up public thought on this live is- sue.
 Robert Duncan of the Duncan Leather Manufacturing Company, of Woburn, sent for David F. Moreland of the Knights of Labor committee last week for a conference. The result was that MT. Duncan agreed to take the men back to work at the wages paid before the cut-down which caused the strike.
 There is an element of the pathetic in the recent accounts from the West about the auctioning off of tramps by the authorities of the law. Unfortunate it is, indeed, that in great and glorious country-in free land for which is being sold into slavery. When we remember that it is only since million naires became plentiful that tramps became numerous, it opens up the serious question as to whether the two classes do not consti- tute the extremes of modern society-the robbers and the robbed.-Union Printer.
 Success has attended the Printers Labor ers' strike in London. Conducted as it has been by a few workmen, aud without any funds to speak of, yet no fewer than several dozen of the principal London printing firms have been compelled to grant the advance,
 
 more employers have been forced to grant ad- vances to 18s. and 19s. week. A strong union, however, has been formed among the men which will be able to compel other houses to grant the standard wage which the men demand. The strike, in spite of it's success so far, has in reality only just begun, for the men express | their determination to persevere un- til their union embraces the whole trade. Eff teen hundred applications have been received
 
 join, so that remarkable success seems pretty certain for this agitation.
 The plasterers and bricklaycrs worked un- der the eight-hour rule in New York city in 1872. In fact, all the organized wOrkmen in the building trades worked for part of that ill May, and, after a two-weeks' fight, sue ceeded in obtaining eight hours work and full pay. The painters, who had gone ont on strike before the carpenters, were also sue cessful. Plasterers received as high as $5 a day for eight hours work, and in some cases ployers held out against the eight hour work day, although desultory war fare was kept up by few contractors ill the upper part of the city. Later in the same year, when building operatioas be came less brisk, the employers notified the workmen that they could not afford to con- cede the eight-hour rule any longer and l offered to compromise on nine hours. The WOrkmen refused this proposition and the 1 fight was renewed, the result being in favor | of the bosses. There was one exception | the brown-stone setters and cutters who even up to the present day work only eight hours day.
 The carpenters and furniture workers of l Copenhagen, Denmark, were victorious in their recent strike. They obtained an in- crease of wages from 15 to 16 crowns week | q crown equal to 26.S cents), and for work paid by the hour from % to 30 ceres an 1 hour.
 It must not be forgotten, however. that not only has revolt begun amongst the older tradcs-unions, but that what is now going on far wider and more generous association of the workers which will be inspired with so- cialistic feeling. The unions of so-caled un- skilled laborers, which are part of the conse- duce the importance of MT. Broadhurst 1 and his brother officials who pretend | to represent the workers of the coun- l try. There is curious analogy ominous ! of good, between the position of | these two groups and that of the struggle of the trade guilds of the middle ages against the exclusive and aristocratic merchant guilds 1 That struggle ended in victory for the true l workmen, and it is hardly indulging in prophecy to say that similar victory may be | looked forward to once more.-London Com monweal.
 
 tional Cigarmakers' Union, which is one of the most powerful labor organizations in the country, was opened in New York last week. There are 20, 900 members on its rolls and 200 delegates at the convention. These delegates come from all parts of the United States and from the provinces of Canada. The presi- dent of the union is Adolph Strasser, whose headquarters are at Buffalo, N. Y., and who has held the office for many years at an an- nual salary of $1 200, and who is sure to be reelected by this years convention. The constitution, which is revised every two years, will be brought under revision, and some of the branches are de- sirous of a declaration in favor of the na- tionalization of industry. The finances of the International Union are in good con- dition, and the report of last January showed that there was then balance of $235, ,l90 in the treasury. The union furnishes its mem- bers with sick benefits, death benefits and strike benefits and it has also travelling benefit fund from which small loans can be procured by members in search of work. The annual expenditure for these various purposes is large, but the treasury is care- fully and satisfactorily guarded. No strike can be entered into by any local union until it has been approved by the proper authori- ties. There have recently been attempts in several localities to start movement for Il general advance of wages in the trade, but it is not probable that the convention will act upon this question.
 Connecticut Soldiers in Canada. The 1st regiment Connecticut national guards were greeted in Montreal at the depot by thousands of citizens eager to do honor to the visitors. Among tic distinguished visitors accompanying the regiment were Gov. Bulkeley of Connecticut, with the fol-