Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-12-04

annual convention In Trenton, N. j.,
early in January, when the proposition
to affiliate with the American Fedora.
ton of Labor will again be taken up
and sent to the membership for q
vote. The proposition a month ago
failed to be carried by only a few
votes
United States Consul Baker at
Sydney, Australia, in special report
on labor in New South Wales, says
that the length of the days work has
been fixed at eight hours and mini.
mum wage at $1.7O per day for COM
mon laborers with half holidays at the
employers expense, and the state
and banks and factories give prefer
ence TO union men.
The International Brotherhood of
Blacksmiths at its convention in St.
Louis elected officers as follows:
President, John Slocum, Moline; vice
presidents, p. H. Cummins, Amster-
dam, N. Y; j. w. Cline, Kansas City,
Kan; JAMES ]. McDade, San Francis.
co; Charles N. Glover, Chicago; John
Stanley. st. Louis; secretary treasur.
er, Robert B. Kerr. Moline, ILL.,
There is little change in the Col
orado strike situation, miners Off
Gals denying knowledge of any nego'
tiations for a settlement. Several de-
partments of the Colorado Fuel and
Iron plant at Pueblo will close on ac'
af hn CHI nf nnol Tho
gold field fire department at Cripple
Creek has declared the miners unfair
and will not furnish fire protection.
Congressman C. d. Van Duzer OF
Nevada, will cooperate with President
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor this winter in bringing the
labor measures Endorsed by labor
unions before the proper committees
of Congress, and having them enact
ed into laws. The eight-hour bill and
the anti-injunction bill are the prin
ciple measures to be advanced in the
coming session of Congress.
The Pittsburg Builders Exchange
league locked out all crafts affiliated
with the Building Trades council
throwing 5000 men out of employ
ment With the 1000 men on sympa
thetic strike 10000 are now idle. Off
GERS of the league say there can be
no settlement until the sympathetic
strikes are called off, and if this is not
done the number of men in the lock
out will be increased to 10000.
A pail of sadness has been cast
over the American Federation of La
Dor throughout the country by the
of the Boston Herald. Frank Pickett
was the last of a trio of notable char
acters in the labor movement, three
men known to trade unionists
throughout the country as labor news
writer's and correspondents who made
many friends at workingmen's nation
al conventions in the years gone by.
The late anthracite strike commits
sion received a blow at the hands OF
Judge Auten at Sunbury, Pa, recent
ly. He ruled in favor of the Level
Ign Mining Company in mandamus
proceedings against Justice Lloyd, be
fore whom the Royal Oak miners OBJ
tanned judgment for back pay. The
company appealed, and this decision
of Judge Auten indicates that the
commissions findings are not binding
on either party.
The Central Labor Union of Wash
ington, d. c., recently adopted an
amendment to its constitution, which
provides: when any firm or indi
vidual is declared unfair by this body
all affiliated organizations are requir'
ed to indorse the same within thirty
days from date of such action by the
central body, and no grievance sub
mitted by any organization falling to
trail Labor Union until the require
ment stated is complied with.
One of the best tributes ever paid
the American labor organizer was that
of Industrial Commissioner Jackson OF
the Erie railroad at dinner the other
night. He said that twenty labor or
ganizers whom he could name could
organize the people OF Russia within
year so that they would be fit for
self-government. 1t was not alone a
compliment to the organizing abilities
OF the labor leaders, but also a recog
milton of the educational nature of the
work they are performing.
Statistics in the trade union jour
nails of Germany show continued
increase in membership in the unions
of that country, and this despite the
economic depression which has pre-.
vailed there during the past few
years. In 1902 the total membership
of all organizations in Germany that
may be classed as trade unions was
1,O92,642. The total income for the
year was 12,SO0,449 marks Il mark
being twenty-five cents). The balance
in cash on hand was 14,075,942 marks. |
The general reduction of 10 per
cent in the wages of $4,000. textile |
operatives in Fall River has been met
by the other cotton manufacturers OF
southern New England. Wages in |
this section next month will then be |
on a footing with those paid prior to |
April 1902. A cut-dOwn in Lowell |