The labor world., 1899-11-18
m He LONGSHOREMEN of New


brand of prosperity. Their wages have
recently been cut from $14 to $12 a
week, while the price of everything
they eat and wear is being steadily ad
vanced by the TRUSTS. The longshore-
men are on strike, not with any ex-
pectation that their wages will be ad-
vanced so that they CEN share in the
alleged prosperity of the country, but
THAT the wages which they received
before the era Of trusts prosperity be
restored. Their chances of winning
the strike are very much lessened by
the fact that their employers-the rail-
way and steamship cOmpanieS-have
little difficulty in finding plenty of
cheap foreign labor to fill their places.
immigration for the last year was 36
percent greater than for the preceding
year, according to the commissioner of
immigration. This means that the
trusts are encouraging foreign immi-
grants to come here by the usual gilt
tering promises of good. employment
and high wages. Such labor is always
a convenient thing to have handy
when the American workman asks for.
decent wages or a share in trust pros
nerity. 4.
The structural iron workers in New
York city are asking an incresae in
wages from $3.50 to $500 a day, be-
cause the latter amount will not go SO
far in providing for their families in
this time of trust prosperity as the
$3.50 a day did before the prices began
10 so up on everything the working
man must have to support life.
T.. = **%
The milk trust must seem a cheer
fu! thing to the farmer. 1t has ad-
va.nced its prices to the consumers in.
eastern cities four times in the last
month The latest raise will increase.
it's income about sl.5O0 day. There is.
no record of tits haveing raised the,
prices to the individual farmer, from
whom it buys milk. But then, neither
the farmer nor the consumer belong to
a trust. Why should they expect to-
share in this kind of prosperity? "
1t has Just been discovered that the
government is having its flags mssle
in New York sweatshops by the pow
Srty stricken Foreigners who are paid
less than a dollar a day for twelve
hours work The fact came out through
the medium of strike of some of the
ill-paid employees of "a Washington
concern who were paid only 27 cents
for sewing the as stars into the Union
F.Rl,ie ul the Flag of FsFneed denl. AZ this
rate the expert workers who could fin
isll only three flags a day earned only
80 cents for n days work. They; were
cody informed that the same work
was: being done under contract for the
army and navy departments in New
York sweatshops for one-half THAT
price land they could take it or leave,
They left and their places We're imme-
dately filled from a horde of appli-
cants who in these days of flush trust
prosperity struggled for an opportuni-
ty to earn as unskilled workers less
than SO cents a day apiece. This is, one
of McKinleyis contrarts. and the fav-
ored republican contractor has paid his
political contribution for the sweat and
blood of his flag making serfs.
p,
The astronomers have it all figured
nut THAT the very dickens will be to
pay during the present and next
month. They declare that several plan
cts will bump, together as they have
never bumped together before. On the
18th of this month a great shower of
stars and meteoric display was pre-
dicted ito take 1'iace, and we sat up all
night to watch 'tlle heavens, but. we
were disappointed. owing no doubt to
the cloudy condition of the sky. On
the 18th of the present month this
world was to be knocked into a. cooked
hat, so to speak, by long tailed COM
et We were also disappointed in
this. But the thing has not been
prophesied to be spectacular wholly
according to the readers of the plan
cts there is be be a flood Of realism
about it. One of the men who predicts
dire cslamities for the earth and its
people is, DR.. J. c. Street, "a noted as,
trologist, who believes that the plan
etary mix-up will affect the whole sys-
tenn of governments, religious, polit-
ical and financial economy, as well as
the motor nerve system in individuals.
He does not believe that the effect
be so marked here as inthe eastern
lands. "Wise men," observes the doc
lOr, claim CnaC WltnlT !Cue IleAl IWelVe
months so per cent of human. souls will
leave their bodies; some even place
the rate as high as rs per cent. All
kinds OF disease will rage, especially
those of the blood and brain. Insanity
is on the increase now, and will be-
come more and more prevalent until
we have passed through this ordeal.
Strikes and labor troubles of every
kind will occur throughout the land,
and in many cases the militia will have
to be called out. There Will be
uprisings on every hand. This govern
ment will continue to be veXed with
the Philippine affairs, and through
them likely to be brought into trouble
with foreign nations. In politics there
is to be an entire revolution, and
new party win lbe formed. 1t will be
strong enough to elect it's can
didata at the presidential elec-
tior The whole and polit-
lea, system is likely ito be overturned.
Women especially will suffer, both
from illness and from unjust and Sc
we're treatment. socially and politically.
EARTHQUAKES and volcanoes will afflict
chiefly the countries along the Mediter-
ranean sea, reaching their most de-
structive state in the late autumn.
The countries governed by Sigittarius
will Snffar thn most kaenlV The none