St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-13
THE WORLD OF WORK
Labor Circles Showing the
Usual Activity Of the
Spring Season.
COrniee and Tin Workers Saw
They VIII Stand Out to
the End.
Some Labor Legislation Ac-
complished, but More Still
Shelved.
Industrial Information Item
lied From All Twin City
Sources.

This season of the year is always one
OF great activity in labor circles. Those
who have been away all winter come
oack. and as the IDLE men get to work
they feel more encouraged to prosecute
the work of agitation than during the
winter months, when everything seems
at standstill. There is every indica-
ton that the coming season will be a
busy one. The building trades unions
nave been organizing in a thorough
manner. This is especially noticeable
IN the case of the carpenters, tin, sheet
iron and cOrnice workers, fathers. paint
ers, plumbers and bricklayers. Even
the usual labor troubles materialize, but
there is every indication that they will
be settled in both cities by few con-
ceSSions from both employers and jour
neymen.
An inquiry among members of the
sheet IRON and cOrnice workers shows
that they are determined to make
lirm stand for the present nine-hour
day and the 20 per cent increase in
wages. 1t is stated by members of the
union that the employers promised last
year, when the nine-hour day was
adopted, to increase the wages this
year to the point now asked. Instead,
they have entirely ignored the tacit
understanding regarding.the nine-hour
day and have locked out their employees
because they refuse to give up the
privilege which was conceded by COM
mon consent last year. To most mem-
DerS the demand of the EMPLOYERS
seems to be an attempt to disrupt the
union. and all precautions are being
taken to prevent this.
The factory inspection bill passed the
senate last week, and has been referred
to the house with the Endorsement of
the joint finance committee of the house
and senate. The bill provides for
thorough system of factory inspection
under the supervision of the bureau of
labor statistics. Ut also provides for the
appointment of all additional deputy,
who shall be practical mechanic. A
contingent fund of $1,000 is recommend
ed so that experts may be employed to
inspect mines and other special lines of
industry. The sentiment in the house
seems favorable to the passage of the
bill, and if it can be reached before the
end OF the session there is no reasonable
doubt OF It's becoming law. In that
case 1t Is probable that two of the present
force OF the labor bureau will be de-
tailed to do factory inspection. With the
appointment of an additional deputy,
this would admit of having the state
diStrlcted so that each inspector could
thoroughly oversee the field of work
and prevent many abuses that often
creep into thicllly settled districts from
lack of attention. Probably no other
labor measure would be of more practi-
hPnptIt fartnrU
the labor organizations hope to see it
become law before the close of the
session.
The eignt-hOur bill was recommended
to pass i'll the house the past week, and
the Pinkerton bill is on general orders
in the senate; but it is doubtful whether
either of them will ever come up for
final vote.
The news that the labor Iyceum is
about to suspend its meetings until next
fall causes considerable dissatisfaction
Omic discussions. The lyceum was
started as an experiment. and has
proved even more popular than its orig
majors deemed possible. The subjects
chosen covered wide range, but all
had some bearing on industrial prob
lens. The persons selected to read
papers were taken mostly from those
outside the ranks of organized labor,
and this caused many lively discussions
from widely differing points of view.
At this time there still remain several
good speakers on the list, but on ac-
count of the weather it was thought ad-
vsable to postpone all further work
until the summer season is over. The
lyceum seems to have filled q good pur-
pose in furnishing workingmen an OBJ
portunity of studying and discussing
problems not directly connected with
their daily round of work, and there Is
every indication that it Will be of even
more value than it has proved during
its first season.