Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-08-14
NEWS OF THE LABOR FIELD.

Items of Interest Gathered From
Many Sources.
. The Indiana legislature has made
it a misdemeanor for a railroad to
permit men in the operating depart
merts to work more than 16 hours
continuously.
The labor ultimatum delivered by
John H. Barker, president of the Has,
kell G. Barber Car Company of Michi-
gan City, has tranquilized the situa-
ton and no strike will result.
Evidence of graft by Chicago
labor unions may be submitted to the
grand jury; Frederick w. Job has
been sent by the employers to New
York to investigate conditions there.
The National Metal Trades Associa-
ton is about to open an employment
department for the benlt and use of
its members in some centrally located
city in the country, with secretary
in charge.
About 1,4O0 employees of the ma
chine-shops of the Austro-H Hungarian
State Railroad at ANNA have struck
three thousand coal miners and foun-
dry employees in the same district in
tend to 60 out.
Car workers of the Rock Island sys-
tenn have been engaged in conferences
with the general manager and his as
sociates for several months. and the
grievance committee expects to soon
see general agreement.
The annual convention of the
Brotherhood Of Stationary Firemen
opens the first week in August at
Rochester, N. Y. According to the
poll of strength the Eastern unions
will control with the largest relega-
tons.
Farm laborers in Illinois have
formed union and will demand a
board. Eligible to the union are
thrashers, corn huskers, plowmen,
binders, stock laborers. and in fact
all men employed about farms.
Bishop Fallows, in sermon at Chi
cago answered Samuel Gompers' criti-
cism of the churchs attitude by de-
clsring that the whole weight of the
Roman Catholic and Protestant min
istry favors the best wages and the
rights of workingmen.
Martin Fox, the veteran leader of
the iron molders, has resigned the
presidency of the Iron Molders Ma
tional Union of America, on account
Of failing health. Joseph E. Valen-
tine of San Francisco, first vice-pres-
ident of the organization, has been
elected to succeed Mr.. Fox.
The Transfers Joint Union of Chi
cago has adopted resolution direct
ing that every member of that organi-
zation who refuses to wear his union
button in conspicuous place on his
clothing be fined. The amount Of the
fine is left optional with the union
of which the individual Is a member.
The wage scale conference at Pitts
burg, Pa, between the window glass
workers and manufacturers has re-
suited in an agreement whereby the
workers. are to receive the highest |
wages ever paid them, being the same |
rate provided for during the last fire
in what was known as the Burns
scale.
The United Mine Workers Journal |
gives some interesting figures on the
growth of the organization under the
leadership of John Mitchell. Presi.
dent Mitchell was elected in 1898, and
at that time the membership of the
union was 32.902. 1t has increased
each year since as follows: 1899. 61-
S87; 1900, 1851; 1901, 1S8.O24; 1902.
232. 900; 1903, 26443O. On Dec. Fl.
1902, according to the Official audit
there was in the treasury the sum of
q, 027120.29.
Several months ago the Supreme
court of Missouri handed down de-
cision on the question of boycotts,
which is interesting in this connec-
ton. A labor union in st. Louis had
issued circulars setting forth that a
tertain concern in the clothing in
iustry did not employ union men.
rhe court held that there was nothing
Illegal in the act, and that to abridge
he right of the union on that point
would be abridging the right of free
speech. |
The sympathetic strike is without