Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-07-03

In round numbers.
The 400 girls in the finishing rooms
in all the coarse paper mills at Holy
oke have struck because of dissat-
isfaction with the schedule presented
by the American Writing Paper COM
pany. There are about 1000 en-
ployes in all the mills.
Albany IN. W union has notified
the employing printers of that city oil
the adoption of new wage scale by
unanimous vote of its membershl
An increase of three cents per l,OOO
ems in the piece scale Is asked, and
an additional 81 per week demanded
for machine men.
The labor commissioner of Michi-
gan reports that in the past year
there has been an increase in the
membership of trade unions of over
40 per cent. Wages have advanced
over IA cents a day. and over 40 per
cent of the unions report that hours
have been shortened.
A declaration against the sympa-
thetic strike has been made by the
bro.nerhood of Railway Trainmen, as
follows: 1--WE predict that we shall
see the time when we will regard the
contract breaker, whether a member
or nonmember, with as much con-
tempt as we now do the scab."
Harry M. Taylor and Thomas |.
Kidd, arbitrator of the demands OF
the Chicago Elevated Trainmen's
union for increased wages on the Met
ropolitain line, when asked for their
bill for services replied that they con-
sidered it public duty to do this
sort of work, and would make no
charge for their services.
The Order of Locomotive Engin'
GERS commenced with twelve mem
bers thirty-nine years ago, and now
numbers over 10000 in the United
States and Canada. In 1877 the In
surance department was established
conducted on the assessment plan,
and it has paid over $12,0O0,OO0 In
benefits to wild )ws and orphans.
The switchmens union OF North
America convention gave voice to It's
views on sympathetic strikes, when
resolution was adopted declaring
sympathetic or sentimental strikes
or strikes of any kind except as
last resort and sufficiently Justihedl
are detrimental to the prosperity OF
the union as we'll as violation OF the
agreements between the workmen
affiliated with it and their employers,
The recently organized international
Union of Railway Expressmen has
been given official recognition by the
Order of Railway Conductors and the
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen al
their recent conventions. The action
has lent an impetus to the work Of
organization among the express EN-
ployes, and also guarantees that there
will be no trouble between the organi'
cations on the question of jurisdic'
ton.
A strike which may spread to all
plants of the American Shipbuildlna
company was declared in Detroit by
the Brotherhood of Ironworkers and
Shipbuilders. In Detroit all boiler
shops are affected, including that OF
the Detroit Shipbuilding company.
The shipbuilders at Detroit and
Wyandotte have been asked to join
in sympathy. The men demand rec
ognition of their union. Seven hun
dred men are out.
The new child labor law went into
effect in South Carolina May 1. II
provides that after that date this yeai
no child under the age of ten years
shall be employed; after May /, 1904
no child under eleven, and after May
l, 1905, no child under twelve. Child
rem of widowed mothers and invalid
fathers will still be permitted to
work, IS we'll as. children "undel
age" who can read and write and
have attended school four months in
the year Of employment.
The formation of strike insur
ance company, the purpose of which
is to pay an employer holding poll
cies in the proposed company the
amount of profit he would have made
had his plant not been suspended or
| account of a strike, is Deing consid
| cred by F. c. Nunemacher Of Louis
| Vile a member of the executive com
mittee of the National Manufacturers
association. Similar strike insurance
companies are in active and said tc
be in successful operation in both
| Germany and Austria.
For the first time in the history OF
labor organizations on the American
continent the real effects of the
| famous Taff-Vale decision of court
are being felt in earnest. This hap
pened few days ago in Berlin, Ont,
and it will be watched with interest
by labor men everywhere. The house.
| hold goods and effects of four mem
bers of the Amalgamated Woodwork.
ers' union were seized to satisfy a
Judgment for damages, awarded by a
Canadian court, for going on. strike
and injuring the business Of the Krug
Furniture company of that city.
The legality of pension systems in
vogue by corporations are to be made
test by Toledo, Ohio, attorney,
who has case at bar in which he