Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-01-01
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD.
Items of Interest Gathered from Many
Sources.

| Sources.
| An increase of 10 per cent in wages
has been granted by the Vandalia rail-
road company to the trainmen, track
n en- and shop men.
The recent convention of the Massa-
chuss tts State Federation OF Labor
decided to thoroughly organize the
women workers in that state.
OF The 600 nonunion men employed
during the Chicago City railway strike
400 have disappeared. According to
members of the union only about 200
are at work.
| Conductors and brakemen Of the ILL
nois Central Railroad have been grant
| ed an increase in wages which Will
add over 100000 to the annual pay
roll of the company.
The Masters and Pilots Association
will try to secure the passage OF the
present session Of Congress of what Is
known as a loadline bill, which seeks
to prevent the overlooking of vessels.
An ttemized report Of the Central
Federated Union Miners Defense COM
mittee will be published within two
weeks. It will show what each organ
lzation donated to the striking anthra-
cite mine workers.
Two thousand girls employed at
New York in the manufacture OF pet
ticoats have formed union and de-
mand a general increase in wages.
They are preparing to call strike II
their demands are refused.
The Working Women's Protective
Union of New York city is now in Its
fortieth year. 1t engages to collect,
free of charge, any sum, however
small, rightfully due working wom-
IN. 1t has collected 100000.
A general conference of representa-
tives of the Lake Seamen's Union will
he held at the Chicago headquarters
of the union on Jan. II. Revisions Of
the constitution and the seasons
agreement with the vessel owners will
be considered.
The call for the fifteenth annual con-
vention of the United Mine Workers
of America, to meet in Tomlinson hall,
indianapolis, Ind, beginning at 10
o'clock Monday, Jan. IS, 1904, has
been issued by President Mitchell and
Secretary Wilson.
Drug clerks are beginning national
campaign to revolutionize conditions
of employment in their calling. They
want sixty-hour week instead of
working sixteen and eighteen hours a
day. They will also endeavor to stop
the sale of drugs by others than drug
gists.
The Live Stock Handlers Union, in
the Chicago stockyards, was refused
an increase in. wages, but several
changes were made regarding hours
of work. The" packers also refused to
grant an increase in wages to the
beef casing workers. They asked for
| rs cents more day.
In support Of their eight-hour strike
ct Rochester, the United Garment
Workers of America have voted to
| assess each Of the $4,000 members s
per cent of their weekly earnings for
the defense fund. Assuming an a-cr-
age wage of 500 per week, this will
ret more than 100000 month.
The Illinois State Board of Arbitra-
ton has been asked to effect a settle
ment of the dispute between unions
and employers at Batavia, Aurora, FL
gin and other points in the Fox River
Valley. The employers have asked
the workers, to return to a. ten-hour
| workday from the present nine-hour
system.
James O'Grady, the fraternal dele
gate from England to the American
Federation of Labor convention, who
has been entertained in Chicago and
other Illinois cities by labor unions.
has started on leisurely return trip.
He is to speak at indianapolis. Buffalo
and other Eastern cities and probably
in Canada.
The 5000 journeymen steam filters
in the national association are so dis
satisfied with the American Fedora
TONS refusal to grant them separate
charter from the Plumbers National
Union that they threaten to withdraw
all their locals from the A. F. of L.
and then join in body the National
Building Trades Council.
The Tennessee state labor conven-
ton passed resolution asking Con-
gress to pass law granting a pension
of $12 month to every workingman
v no shall have reached the age of 60
years and have earned less than 1000
per year, The law is to be modelled
along the lines Of the New Zealand
pension law for laborers.
The history of child labor legislation
covers a period of twenty years, from
1888 to 1903, New Jersey having
heen the next state after Massachu-
sets to enact a child-labor law. At
the. end of that time New Jersey has,
according to the census OF 1900. S,042