Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-03-30

Concentration" is the Industrial
watchward, whether man has money
and brains, or money and skill, to in
vest. He may not like it, but he can't
help it. The Puerto Rican who well
coined the inevitable with a parade
and brass band when Miles came
streaming along is much better off
than the Filipino who won't shake
hands with Uncle Sam. There's a
point in this for the man who doesn't
want to concentrate: Don't be a Fill
ipino. The Filipino is harried from
dawn to dark and from dark to dawn;
when the Puerto Rican has troubles
OF his own, as he had when his island
was devastated by winds and waters
last year, he gets help-food, clothing,
shelter, money. All newspapers teen
with matter detailing how money is
concentrating all over the world, but
not all of them have space to record
how fast labor is doing the same thing.
Therefore | will give a summary of
what was done in one month by the
organizers of one branch of organized
labor-the Federation of Labor-com-
piled from the January reports of ma
tional secretaries, printed in full in
the Federatioliist Of February: Gran
lite cutters have formed a national I'M
ion in Omaha, Neb.; in New Orleans,
La, they have won in their stand
against non-union cutters. Tailors
have been formed in Rochester, N. T.;
Baltimore, Nd; Dayton, Ohio, and
Greenwood, b. c. Shoemakers in
Salem, Mass, have received 10 per cent
wage advance. Blacksmiths have
formed unions in Dayton and East
Liverpool, Ohio, and Clinton, Ind;
miners blacksmiths at Brazil, Ind,
and Springfield, H., have got an eight
hour day and $3.50 daily wage. Boiler
makers have formed new unions in
Houston, Texas; Des Moines, Iowa;
Detroit, Mich; Newport, r. l.; Chi
cago, ILL.,; Pittsburg, Kan, and Fer
nandina, Fla. In Honolulu, H. l., a
demand was made that the foreman
treat the boilermakers like white men,
The foreman was discharged and bet
ter treatment was guaranteed. The
railroad shops at Sayre and Buffalo
N. Y, have advanced wages of boiler
makers; at Cheyenne, Wyo., wage adj
Central railroad has reduced hours.
Steam filters have organized in Scran-
ton, Pa. and Baltimore, Nd Metal
polishers have new unions in Mil
waukee, Wis; Elkhart, Ind, and Chi
cago, III. In the latter city chandelier
makers now work nine hours. Core
makers report new union in Bir-
mingham, Ala, and rs per cent wage
increase in Beloit, Wis. Pattern-mak-
ers have in many cases reduced hours
from ten to nine. Coopers have new
unions in Frankfort, Ky; Lynchburg,
Va, and Redbud, Ill. Broom makers
in st. Louis got an eight-hour day and
rs per cent more pay, and in Chicago
some get more pay. Lace-makers
have reduced weekly hours from sixty
to fifty-fve, and advanced wages 1917
per cent. Fall River (Mass.) cotton
spinners have 10 per cent wage in
crease. Photo-engravers have won 81
a week added pay, and another dollar
will be added July l. Coal engineers
have new unions in Percy and Ladd,
ILL.,, and Linton, Ind. there were
strikes in Cayuga, Ind; Germantown,
ILL.,, and elsewhere; all were won ex-
cept one which was compromised at
SIS a month advance. Commercial
agents have formed a new union in
Dayton, Ohio, and demand for in
creased commissions and other valu-
able concessions has been quite gen.
orally accoded to. Hotel employees
have new unions in Joplin, Mo-, and
Oskaloosa, Iowa.