The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-09-19
BRITISH W0RKMEN
FACING ACRIS|S
COURTS DRIVE THEM TO PO.
Ll1lCAL ACTION.
Promising Outlook for Great Pe.
Iticai Party Of Their Own
Single Tax Active.

LONDON, England, Sept. ia crisis
seems to be approa ching in the for
tunes of the workingmen of the United
Kingdom. Never before in the history
of the labor organizations here has
there been such an upheavel along po-
lotical lines. It really seems as if the
old-time conversation for which the
Wage-Workers Of England have been
noted in breaking down, and that they
are actually awakening to the import
ance Of taking an aggressive position
in the political world.
One of the reasons of this revival
is the legal victory of a great railroad
in gaining an important lawsuit. I
refer to the Taff-Vale decision, in
which the union paid for damages
something over a hundred thousand
dollars, and a new precedent was es-
tablished, threating the treasury Of
every trade union in the world. An
other is the agitation for a tax on
food. These conservative union men
are aroused to the fact that if they
want the right kind of ''protection''
they must elect the members of Par
lament who make the laws.
Liberals are Apatheaic.
That is why the approaching general
election which may take place in Os-
tober or November means much to the
wage-workers here. The Liberals are
still strangely reticient as to their pro-
gress. No one knows where to place
them on these new labor problems. The
Trade Uuion Congress will meet in a
few weeks, and it is now seen that
their old platform is noa broad enough
for present conditions. Should the
delegates come out strongly for inde-
pendent POLITICAL action. these rich lead
ers of the Liberals, who are only the
oretically anxious that labor should
have all its rights, will most certainly
face a very serious detection in their
ranks And should new labor party
be formed strong enough to elect a
sufficient number of members to Par
lament to hold the balance of power in
that body, there is no aelling what
radical legislation-for the United
Kingdom-may be the outcome.
Single Takers Alert.
The Single Takers are also alive to
the situation, but their propaganda is
merely directed against the Chamber
lain prot ction,' program: =. They are
seood
Tunc ncultivated Tsoil IN England, ireland,
Scotland and Wales to raise all the food
needed, and that the only reason this
is not done is because Of the obsolete
feudal system dealing with the soil.
The laws are now constructed so as to
reward those who keep land out of
use, and to tax those who make good
use of their labor, ability and enter
prise. If this system was so changed
as to tax land according to it's value
the value given it by the community
immense areas would Immediately be
thrown upon the market, the demand
for agricultural and all other kinds of
labor would be unprecedented, and
everybody but the landlords would par
ticipate in the improved conditions.
Odds and Ends Of Labor News.
The London County Council has rails
ed the wages of the car men in it's
employ to 81 a week. This is an ad-
| vance of so cents.
Alderman Wood, ex-mayor of Lei
cester, has been made an arbitrator to
| settle the dispute between the Leeds
COOptId alive OOClelt duu LIE UOOL anu
| shoe operatives. The difficulty arose
over the amount of work required with
the new lasting machines just installed.
The directors Of the Palmer Ship
building Company, Jarrow-on-Tyne,
| are giving their employees an oppor-
aunity to become shareholders on very
| liberal plan, whereby the men will
have plenty of time to pay for the
stock
Figures published for July continue
to show a falling off in the demands Of
labor. Wage disputes have slightly de-
creased. There is also slight de-
crease in the prevailing rate of wages.
Aberdeen (Scotland) masons have de-
cided to submit to arbitration their de-
mand for an additional cent per hour
in the wages of 'wallers" and "block-
ers.'
The Adrossan masons have returned
to work on the following terms: Till
September 1, wages 10 cents per hour;
from September l, onward, 18 cents per
hour.
The tailors strike in Edinburgh, Glas-
cow and Aberdeen shows no signs of
settlement. On the contrary, the dis
pute has been spread to Perth.
In the monthly report the associated