Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-03-04
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD.
Items of Interest Gathered from Many
Sources.


Sources.
The steel foundry and repair shop
of the Pencoyd (Pa.) iron works has
closed.
The law prohibiting the employ
ment of boys under 16 years Of age
in or about the mines of Pennsylvania
was declared unconstitutional.
Bishop Spalding of Peoria, in an ad-
dress at Chicago, declared unions
should train their members in sobriety
and avoid those who preach dissen-
sion.
Keir Hardie, for the last seventeen
years the owner and editor of the
Labor Leader, an English labor and
reform paper, sold the paper to the
socialist labor party Of England.
Three of the leading business men
in Germany are in America on tour
of investigation through the principal
cities Of this country. They will study
our factories, banks, mills, foundries,
railroads, etc.
The Tug and Dredge Owners Pro.
tective Association of the Great Lakes
has declared off all negotiations with
the Licensed Tugmen's Protective A.
ISOLATION, because the latter would not
concede the owners the right to hire
and discharge men as they saw fit.
Last years wages have been offered
the painters district council by the
Chicago contractors. The employers
decided that no increase in pay could
be made this season. Painters now
are receiving forty cents an hour and
demand forty-five for 1904 and fifty
cents for 1905.
For the purpose of making employ
ment on scaffolding more secure New
York painters have sent to Albany
with the 20. K" of the Manhattan
Central Union an amendment to the
labor law imposing penalties on con.
tractors who send men to work on
unsafe scaffolds.
The question of whether the Great
Lakes Towing company has the right
to discharge tugmen without trial
will cause clash when the Licensed
Tugmen's Protective association
makes it's contract with the company.
Both sides to the controversy declare
a strike may result.
In connection with the compositors'
strike the United Typothetae Of Amer
lea has asked the Supreme Court to
compel the International Printing
Pressmen's and Assistants Union and
the International Typographical
Union to arbitrate their differences,
under an agreement made in 1902.
The plants owned by the National
Glass Company at Pittsburg, eight in
are idle. Fully 1000 flint
glass workers, 800 Of whom are skilled
workmen and members of the Ameri-
can Flint Glass Workers Union, are
on strike as a result Of the operation
Of the plants by nonunion men and the
reduction In wages.
Resolutions condemning the legis-
lature of Colorado for defeating the
eight hour day proposition and the
militia for hiring itself to the cor.
porate interests" were adopted at
mass meeting at Chicago called by
the American Labor union. Nearly
$50 was subscribed to aid the strik-
ing miners at Telluride and Cripple
Creek.
For three years the state quarrymen
Of Penryhn, England, have been on
strike for better wages. The strike
has now been declared lost and the
wages will remain as they were. The
effect of losing this strike has been
10 stir up the trade union bodies of
England in the line of political action.
At the present time sixty labor candi-
1ates have been chosen already to
contest seats at the next election.
The new Illinois law, which prohib-
is bakers from working more than
ixty hours a week, has been carried |
rom court to court, and has now been |
inally sustained by the State Court of |
Appeals. This is a great victory for
he labor unions of the state. The
'rinciple is now laid down that the
lours Of labor in unhealthy trades
an be reduced by political action.
Last year in Austria thirteen fac
cries were closed by the inspectors
because the factory laws were not
beyed. Altogether 1918 factories
we're visited, $50 manufacturers were
ound to be negligent and 142 were
med to the amount Of $3.50. As
here are nearly 100000 factories in
AUSTRIA it will be seen that the sys-
EN- Of inspection is not very com.
lete.
The seventeenth annual convention
the Building Laborers' Interna-
Ional Association of America was in
ession at st. Louis for almost two
'eeks. The -:ext annual convention
ill be held in Kansas City, Mo. The
nusual length Of the convention was
ue to the fact that the principal
'ork before IL was the revision of the