Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-01-15


poets are not particularly bright for
employment during the winter
months. While the machine shops OF
the country, according to the latest
reports, have good supply OF orders
on the books, there is an uncertainty,
and members are advised to arrange
all differences by arbitration"
The largest trade in, the country is
that of the unskilled day laborer.
There are so many of these men that
If they were organized they could hold
the balance of power in all national
contests. A large proportion of them
are employed on the 100000 farms
of the country and recently labor
organizer named John Deans has
been getting these men together into
q harvest hands union" He has
succeeded in raising the rate of wages
from $50 to $40 MONTH and in start
ing a system of eight month contracts.
Looking backward over the local
labor movement for the past year.
there appears nothing but tremendous
gains for labor in increased wages,
better conditions, more leisure for the
workers, increased number OF unions,
larger memberships, more conserva-
tive action and. more friendly feel
ing between the employer who de-
slres to be fair and his employees, and
general desire to arbitrate whatever
differences which have arisen. The
most favorable balance sheet ever
stricken off by labor is presented to
us to-day.
The United Mine Workers Journal
says: "A member of the Colorado mi
litia was also member OF labor
union. A union card was found on
his person and he was Immediately
locked up on a charge OF treason.
What are we to understand from this?
That by joining labor union you be-
come a traitor to your country? Yet
members of trades unions who claim
that it is wrong to join the militia are
| termed "unpatriotic." You are a
traitor with the union card, unpatri-
otto If you do not join the militia. 1t
is very perplexing situation, to say
the least"
Last year there were S5,276 acct
dents to working people in Austria,
915 being fatal. Under the insurance
system of Austria $500 Of these re-
ceived titles to yearly pensions, and
the others were paid various sums in
proportion to their injuries. Acct
dent insurance is made compulsory.
The insurance fund is managed by the
government and is raised by COM
pulsory contributions from the employ
ers and workers both. The employers
are required to pay nine-tenths OF the
amount needed. Over 100000 work
ers are protected in this way, at cost
of $1,O0O,0O0 a year.
The Minnesota Supreme Court de-
cided the electrical workers strike
case at st. Paul. The famous Cray
Injunction is revised and modified. 1t
is upheld on two points, but on the
third point the Supreme Court holds
that Judge Cray went too far. The
opinion by Judge Brown is an instruc-
tive treatise on the conduct OF strikes,
and will be read by contractors and
union workingmen with great interest.
The unions win on the point they
fought for hardest. Members cannot
be restrained by an order of the court
from going on the premises where con.
tractors are at work for the purpose
of ordering, directing or notifying men
belonging to the various unions to stop
work because the contractors COM
planned of are employed there.
The striking Chicago pressfeeders
stole a march on the Chicago Typo
thetae, the association Of employers,
by dissolving their union, known as
Franklin union No. A." The press
feeders were incorporated under that
name, and the corporation was thus
liable to sue and be sued under the
law. Judge Holdom recently fined the
union $500, and damage suits are
now pending for many times this
amount on account of the strike. II
the employers could have secured
Judgment against the corporation they
would have been able to seize the $40,-
900 in it's treasury, or goodly part
of it, under the Taff-Vale decision in
England, which holds incorporated
unions liable for strike damage. AS
a voluntary association the press feed
ers believe they are safe from damage
suits, except as individuals.
1t is not by means of lockouts alone
that the associations Of employers are
making war against the unions. All
over the country the courts are being
resorted to and it is becoming more
evident every day that future dis
putes are to be fought out in court
The end is not in sight either In this
direction, for daily some court goes a
step further than any other has gone,
and thus establishes a precedent that
will become law when similar case
arises. In New York judge has
granted an injunction restraining an
employer from signing an agreement
to employ only union men, and also
restraining the employees from strik-
ing to compel him to do so. The mat
ter is of small moment in that partic-
ular shop whether it is to be an open