The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-05-27
The Field Of Labor.

The most stubbornly contested fight of
the season In the building line In Chicago
u the strike at Armour's packing houses
in the stock yards, which was called In the
interest OF the Carpenters' union. 1t in
wolves with the carpenters the bricklay.
ers. the building laborers, structural iron
workers and the briskmakers.
The last-named organization 10 not af-
d1iated with the Building Trades Council.
ana 10 not bound by any written laws or
rules to strike in sympathy with any of
the building trades. Nevertheless, it be-
lieves that: Its assistance can be of great
benefit to the other trades in this contro-
versy. and therefore it readily consented
to stop all brick from being delivered 10
the Armour buildings, from Hayte e. AL
sips and from Gray & Tuttle's yards.
wnen requested to do SO by the repre-
sentatives Of the building trades. GRAY,
futile & Co. have sold brick to the Stock
reported by the pickets who are watching
the Armour buildings that this brick was
being delivered to those buildings. A COM
mittee of the trades interested called upon
Mr.. Gray, and he stated that it was moi
with his knowledge or consent that any
brick from his yards was being delivered
to the Armour buildings. After a close
investigation it was found that the brick
sold to the Transit company was being
used on the Armour job, and the Brick
layers alliance ordered Gray, futile g.
Co.'S men not to load brick for anybody
or place until some understanding was
reached In this particular case. Commit
tees OF the trades interested meet the rep
resentatives of the Armour company almost
every day, but SO far no satisfactory ar
rangement has been agreed upon.
An association has been formed in San
francisco which proposes to insure per-
sons against unavoidable loss of employ
ment. Provisions are made for the policy
noloer to draw three-quarters of the
amount OF his salary for month should
that much time be required in finding
new position. Should the policy holder be
oHered place at less than his former
position, the difference is to be made good
py tne insurance company. The idea is
novel one, and at first seems attractive,
put the practicability seems questionable.
against q contingency which lies too
largely with the control of the insured
nlmself and entirely out of the control of
the insurers, it is difficult to see how
legitimate and permanent business could
De conducted with profit. The ordinary
man does not burn down his house and
risk the penalty for crime that he may COL
lect the insurance on it, nor is he ant to
deliberately end his existence in order that
MS heirs may profit by his insurance, but
there are many shiftless men who would
throw up their positions for the sake of
months vacation with three-quarters pay.
are out on strike, demanding restoration
of their old wage scale, which had been
promised by the contractors.
Electrotypers Of Cincinnati are on strike
for uniform scale of wages and recogni-
ton of the union.
Immigrants are again pouring into the
country in great numbers, the arrivals of
foreigners landing at the port of New York
being at the rate Of 1000 a day. In the
New England mill towns and the cities on
the great lakes there is also a very large
influx OF Canadian workmen.
The Trades and Labor Council of Grand
Rapids, Mich, has gone into politics, and
aldermen who voted for the street railway
franchise, and whose terms are about to
expire, are slated for defeat.
Advices from Alamogorda, N. NJ, say
that the strike situation has not improved.
The 225 mill men and choppers who are out
are orderly, but will resist to the utmost
any attempt of the lumber company to put
Italians In the vacant places. The men
offer to return to work on condition that
they are paid 81 for a ten-hour day.
A decided victory was gained by the
Brewery Workers Union of Cleveland,
Ohio, the past week, when their demand
for nine-hour workday and small in
crease in wages to the lowest paid men
was granted without struggle.
The late convention of the International
Machinists at Buffalo projected plan that
Is expected to bring about feature of
strength to the association. It was voted
that each lodge throughout the country
should levy an assessment of 81 on each
member, the fund SO created to be at the
call of the general Offices for strikes only
The officers believe this fund will amount
to not less than $4,000 inside of year.
The business agents which the conven-
ton also decided to establish are to receive
| one-half of their salary from the general
offices. This was agreed on in the view
that these agents would prove of great
general good to the association. The cost
to the general offices will be about $4,000
month. There are 100 machinists out at
the government arsenal at Rock Island who
are in great quandary as to their future.
They have been out of work now five
weeks. and the prospects for resuming
work do not seem wholly rosy. The trou-
ants plan to pay the men by the piece
| and to make each man look after two
machines.
The Pharmaceutical Clerks Association
was formed last week by $50 drug clerks
from the five boroughs of New York city.
The new association is in opposition to
the Drug Clerks Short Hours League,
which was organized several years ago,
\ it, ~