Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-11-11

| - NAiS WIZ W. CAtid ShCihioto ho'O
been added to investigate the extent
of adulteration, and the department
this year will spend more money
along this line than heretofore. The
new chemists are now engaged in ex-
aiming syrups for authorizations or
deleterious combinations.
James G. Woodward, who was elect
ed mayor Of Atlanta, Ga, on Oct. 5, is
a member of Typographical Union No.
4S of that city, and is one of the
unions trustees. Mr.. Woodward has
been a member of Typographical
Union for thirty-five years. He has
always taken an active interest in the
affairs of organized labor and is
proud to be known as mayor who
will carry a union card in his pocket.
The strike of the sheet metal
workers in Philadelphia and other
cities was settled through an agree
ment with the employers by which
strikes and lockouts are forever
barred. The men have obtained an
increase from 37k to 40 cents an hour
in wages and guarantee that only
union men shall be employed, while
the employers have gained the adj
vantage of immunity from all labor
troubles in the future.
Recently published census figures
show that every fifth child between
the ages of ten and fifteen in the
United States is breadwinner. One
out of three of these child workers is
a girl There are said to be 1,750,178
children regularly employed, an in
crease of 331a per cent in ten years.
Alabama has the highest percentage
of child labor finding work for 27.2
per cent of her children while Massa-
chusetts has the lowest, having only
05 per cent of her Juvenile popula-
ton at work
The governing board of the Struc-
tural Trades Alliance proposes COM
pulsory arbitration for disputes be-
tween the building trades unions and
contractors. A board to consist of an
equal number of contractors and
union agents is proposed. The idea
has not been ratified by the unions,
but has been submitted to the con-
tractors. The Alliance does not rep
resent all the building trades. The
proposed arbitration board would be
organized on lines similar to that Of
the Associated Teaming Interests.
Steps are being taken to establish
at Denver, Colo, home for aged
and INDECENT carpenters. A commit
! tee was appointed at the recent con-
vention of the Brotherhood Of Car
penters and Joiners to investigate the
proposition and make report there
on. The carpenters generally are
said to be favorable to the PROPOSE
ton. Leaders of the movement point
out the success which has attended
! the institution of the printers home
at Colorado Springs and the good
work, they say it has accomplished
The influence of the trade union is
for probity, temperance and cleanli-
ness, both in habits and in person.
The court records will support the as
sertion that the percentage of union
men arrested for crimes or INSIDE
meanors is far below the general per-
centage, and with the plain DRINKS
and hoboes excluded from the latter.
The trade unionist rarely develops
any of the characteristics of the Grim
inal class. 1t is the very essence OF
his creed to live by his own efforts
and not by any sort Of parasitism, le-
gal or illegal. No man costs the state
less than the unionist, and no one
does so much for the enriching of
the state, in proportion to what he re-
ceives.
One of the weak spots in the
American labor movement is the lack
of preparation in times of peace for
war; the small war chest in the shape
of a permanent reserve fund, says
the Cigarmakers' Journal. What am
munition and provisions are to reg
uar army strong reserve fund is to
trade union; ample to support men,
hers on strike for an indefinite time
The weapon of the Employers Asso-
citation is the lockout, the attempt to
starve the employees into submission
by long struggle, with the ultimate
aim to crush the organization, and re-
duce wages to mere point of exist
ence. A general at the head OF an
army, ignoring the commissary de-
partment in providing ample provi-
sions in times of peace, is incompe-
tent and should be relegated to the
rear.
The London Board of Trade,
through it's Bureau of Labor, has just
issued its eleventh annual report.
showing changes in the rates OF
wages and hours of labor throughout
the United Kingdom in 1903 and the
first six months Of 1904. The report
shows net decrease in wages. Coal
mining, iron and steel working, en-
cheering, shipbuilding and glass
manufacturing are the trades most
affected by the fall in wages. The
report shows that about $4,000 work
people had their wages changed dur
ing 1903. OF these $1,000 obtained
increases amounting to about 91,50G
(s7 osO) a week. while S75, 900 were re-