Kansas agitator., 1904-09-09
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD.
Items of Interest Gathered from Many
Sources.

Sources.
The Switchmcn's Union of North
America will meet in Indianapolis in
October
The District of Columbia legalized
June 2S, 1894.
After periods of irregularity two cot
ton mills in the Blackstone valley
started up on full time, employing
1,200 hands.
There was big boom in the rail-
road telegraphers' union in July, 12,777
new members having been initiated
during that month.
Builders and laborers to the number
of about 800 are on strike in Toronto
for an increase in their wages from 25
to rs cents an hour.
The headquarters of the western
federation of miners, now in Denver,
is to be removed to Lead, S. d., ac-
cording to information from the west.
The Girard Coal company of Spring
field, ILL.,, has closed its mine, locking
out some 800 men, owing to trouble
between the superintendent OF the
mine and the miners.
A. F. of l.. reports that seventeen
new local unions, nearly all of which
have withdrawn from the American
Labor Union are now affiliated at
Butte and Anaconda, Mont.
A curtailment of production because
of the condition of the market has
been announced at the Lancaster cot
ton mills at Clinton, Mass. One thou
sand operatives will be laid off.
Forty-six local unions of the United
Garment Workers of America in 1lli-
nois have sent protest to Gov. Yates
against placing a clothing-making fac
tory in the Chester penitentiary.
These locals have 10000 members.
The custom of fining contractors for
any violation of agreements or work
ing rules is in vogue in st. Louis, and
the unions are powerful enough to en-
force the payment of any assessment
made by them against contractor.
Two thousand cloak makers went
on strike at Cleveland, Ohio. Increase
in wages, recognition of the union and
"closed" shops are demanded. own
ers of a number of factories were will
ing to grant the increase, but declined
the closed shop demand.
The blue paper union LABEL of the
Brotherhood of Leather Workers on
horse goods was abolished at the re-
cent convention, and in its stead
steel stamp of appropriate design will
be stamped upon the product of the
members of that organization working
in union shops.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers is agitating the abolition of or
a change in the present system Of
mail cranes by which sacks of mail
are caught while the train rushes
through a small town. "A number of
engineers have been struck and killed
recently by the device.
The cost to the unions of holding
convention is from $4,000 to $4,000.
1t is believed by the anti-convention-
lists that the large amount which could
be saved by reducing the number of
conventions-or by abolishing them
altogether-could be used to great
advantage in other directions.
The stagnation in the coal fields
along the Norfolk Western railroad in
West Virginia is rapidly disappearing.
Last week more than 500 new miners
were put to work and this week will
see double that number of men given
employment. The chief increase is
in the Thacker and Elkhorn fields.
Perhaps the most important busi-
ness transacted during the Interna-
tional Longshoremep and Marine
Transport Workers association con-
vention was the adoption of a resolu-
ton nstructing the executive board to
issue charters to bodies of marine en-
gineers which may apply for affilia-
tion.
The United Hatters of America,
which, together with the American
Federation of Labor, have been sued
for $4,000 damages and their proper
ty attached for boycotting tthe prod
uct of Connecticut hat-making con-
Germs, because nonunion workers are
employed, have lost the first case in
court.
Two hundred coal miners went out
on a strike at the United States coal
mines at Sturgis, KY 1t is said more
may follow. The company is making
efforts to install nonunion labor. All |
the coal mines at Sturgis have been |
strictly union. The United States |
mine closed down on account of the |
strike.
Word comes from England that |
Peter Curran, the well-known English |
labor leader, who represented the
British Trade Union Congress in the |
American Federation of Labor as a
fraternal delegate, some years ago, |
will be present at the international
peace conference which will convene
in Boston in October.
Cardinal Satolli, who returned to