Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-12-11


for the law.
II have just returned from an ex-
tended tour through the mining
states" said mine manipulation to a
New York newspaper reporter few
days ago, land I'll tell you what
discovered. The mine owners and all
their friends, men who have invested
millions in gold and silver and cop
per mines, have decided that they will
smash the labor unions. If they don't
smash them the unions will smash
the owners and their friends"
A humorous incident occurred at
the A. F. of l.. convention in Boston
when a telegram was read from the
Stenographers' union of Chicago, ask
ing If the conventions steIographer Is
member of any union. Amid the
laughter President Gompers an
nounced that the telegram should be
referred to the committee on distribu-
ton. Then some one asked if the tel
egram had been delivered by union
deliverer, and this was not answered.
William ID. Mahon. who is in con-
troll of the union forces now on strike
against the Chicago City Railway COM
pany, is reported to be one of the most
successful organizers of labor in the
United States. Shrewd, cautious and
conservative, he has so managed
strikes-especially in Brooklyn, Phila
delphia and Milwaukee-that success
hir off D.fe Mr. Mo hon
elected president of the American AS
ISOLATION of Railway Employees in 1892
and since that time has organized
unions of this branch of labor in 321
cities. He is about 46 years of age and
his home is at Detroit, Mich. He is a
voracious reader of literature affecting
the labor question.
The Brotherhood of Railroad Train
men is up in arms against the recent
order issued by Postmaster General
Payne, which, it is claimed, will have.
the effect of making every train in
the United States mail train. The
Irainmen say further that the order
will place every train under the pro-
lection of the United States govern
ment. The order is to have train bag
gagemen handle full packages of pa
per mail, for which they will be paid
something" in addition to their reg
ular wages as trainmen. Before the
order can become effective it will re.
quire an appropriation from Congress
and the trainmen are urged by their
1pp IN. Grh
What would happen in Montana if a
tax were placed on copper ore lands
in accordance with the selling value !,
of those lands? The litigants would
stop some of their court fighting and
go to digging and refining copper II
such tax were made very heavy the
great absorbing Amalgamated Copper
Company would stop acquiring copper
lands merely to shut them up and pre-
vent others from getting copper from
tion would let others use them, or else
il would engage more miners and op
crate these lands itself. If the tax
were heavy enough no one would find
any profit in holding copper-bearing
lands idle. The tax would act like q
heavy fine upon idleness.-Henry
George, Jr.
George ]. Thompson, label secretary
of the Cigarmakers' union, has been
sent to Washington to enter a protest
before Congress, on behalf of the or
ganized cigarmakers, against the en-
actment of that portion of the Cuban
treaty which makes a reduction Of 20
per cent from the Dingley tariff rates
on imported Cuban cigars. The ci
garmakers allege that the effect OF
this provision of the treaty would
place the skilled workmen who make
cigars at the mercy of the
American Tobacco company, common
ly known as the tobacco trust. The
trust controls 80 per cent of the cigar
output of Cuba. 1t controls about I
30 per cent of the Cuban tobacco crop.
If the tariff is removed, Mr.. Thomp
son says, it will mean that the trust I
will increase the output in the Cuban
factories and place the product in the '
markets of New York and Chicago
driving independent manufacturers
out of business and throwing over
; 900 skilled workers out of employ
nent.
Judge w. c. Hall CT Salt Lake has !
rendered a decision of interest to
abor unions The case was that OF t
R. B. Harper, plumber, who de
serted the union. returned to work on I
/ job which had been declared on
strike, and barred to union men, and q
vas fined $500 for his act by the
Plumbers Union in Butte, Mont. Har q
yer left Butte after being fined and Y
vent to Salt Lake, but the officers OF
he union in that city were notified '
Before being allowed to work in Salt s
lake Harper paid 5000 of the fine :
nd agreed to pay the rest later. He s
hanged his mind, however, and re- d
used to pay. When the building c
rades struck on buildings on which z
e was employed Harper sued the u
MON for damages and his 5000. Judge u
TALL decided that the Plumbers union
4 Salt Lake City was justified in the y
tand it took and that Harper had no
ause for action. In this decision the u
Idge said the case involved the LA IL