Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1899-02-01
Labor Notes.

public interest in the subject.
Labor Notes.
Bricklayers and stone masons refused
to join the A. F. of L.
Tobacco workers congress in Paris
declared for the eight-hour day.
A New York dispatch says that the
international thread trust has $3OO,OOO,-
600 capital behind it.
An Illinois judge has decided that the
"union labor only" clause in ordinances
and laws is unconstitutional.
Amalagamated Society of Carpenters
now has 56,936 members, gaining 5000
last year, and had saved 100000 in six
months.
Oxford College, in England, proposes
to establish branch college for labor
agitators, which may be regarded with
some suspicion.
The trust bakeries in Chicago have
been equipped with new machines by
which three men and two boys can do
the work of so men.
The Sigel g. Cooper department store
magnates are establishing branch houses
in the south to the great Generalization
of the old-fogy one-line stores.
Molders of Albany, Troy and Schenec-
tady have been injunctioned from boy
cotting a concern in which there is
strike. Injunction is temporary.
In the case of a Columbus, O., unionist
who had been brought into court upon
the charge Of violating the antitrust law,
the lower court held that trade union
is not trust.
A London cable announces that British
capitalists are agitating the formation
Of trusts to keep pace with American
competitors. They fear that the Yankees
will encroach still further on their mar
kcts.
The American steel and wire trust has
"readjusted" the wages Of its New Castle
employees to the Beaver Falls basis,
which is lower than the Cleveland scale.
Another REIMBURSEMENT" at the latter
place may be anticipated.
The miners convention voted down a
socialist resolution by 1853 to 92. Later
Ratchford was slapped hard by the adop-
tion of resolution that officials who ac-
cept political jobs must resign or be re-
moved by the executive council.
The Standard Oil company's distilling
and distributing combine has been reor-
ganized and acquired possession Of nearly
all competing concerns.-A pressed steel
car combine, capitalized at $25,000,000,
has been formed.-A pool of all the con-
Germs building freight cars is organizing.
The New York Central railway and
the Metropolitan street railway system
Of New York city will adopt the COM
pressed air plan of motive power. 1t is
claimed that there is greater economy
in every respect in compressed air
power than in steam or electricity.
Some time ago the U. s. supreme court
declared the railway traffic associations
illegal. Now the railway magnates and
interstate commerce commissioners are
discussing plans to adopt uniform rates,
which is precisely what the pools were
organized for. So the railway trust is
bound to come after all.
The four big loan corporations in
Canada have decided to consolidate, and
in all the cities of the Dominion the
deal will affect large office staffs, where
one office will take the place of four.
The combine will have a paid up capital
of $4,000, 900, reserve Of $2,00O,O00, and
assets of $25OOO,0O, and assets of $25,.
10000.
There is big-strike on of cigarmakers
at Tampa, Fla, the workers demanding
higher wages. The trouble, according
to tobacco journal, is having ten
dency to bring the employers INTO a
combine. An effort is being made to
get all the manufacturers together and
fix scale Of wages, and pledge all to
stick to it at any cost and to assist each
other in controversies.
Rockefeller's Standard Oil trust raised
the price Of gasoline at wholesale so per
cent; the same gentlemsn's new copper
trust has advanced prices; the new pho
tograph paper trust has done the same
thing; the wire and nail trust raised
prices, and some of the iron and steel
/ combines are following suit. So II goes.
It is to be hoped that those democrats
who were wildly clamoring for higher
prices in 1895 will now be happy.
| A startling story comes from London.
1t is to the effect that the employers are
organizing general federation along
the line Of the one that defeated the
engineers and machinists in the great
struggle Of year ago and for the pur.
pose Of destroying the trade unions. Each
firm locking out its employees for ,eing
connected with q union viii be i
nified to the extent Of its previous
profits. One concern Is reported
started the ball rolling by cont
$l75,0O0 to fund to be used
attack begins. 1t Is also Pre-.
bring pressure 10 bear upon r
to grant favorable legislation )
capital, as is the custom in a
Thus the British workingmer .it
slowly and surely forced in ael
where they will surely recs leil
superior numbers and strike srfu
blow with their political We
: T
Committed ,ie