Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-15

fast becoming a serious question In
Iowa as well as other states and is
worthy the careful thought and most
serious consideration of our people.
'.In the work of factory inspection,
in the biennial period in which we re-
port, there was found to be employed
$3.50 children under 16 years of age
in the various factories and mercan-
tile houses.
"This is by no means complete
record, as only small proportion of
factories in the state were visited and
a large percentage OF the children
were not reported upon the employees
statistical blank because 1900 en-
ployers or As per cent OF the whole
number solicited failed to make re-
turns to the bureau.
ct is safe to say that more than
double the number of children here
reported are employed in the state.
Between the years of 1898 and 1902
the number of children reported to-
this bureau as being employed in the
state has increased 32215 per cent.
the average lenght of work day for
children is nine and one half hours.
Children were found in some estab-
lishments who were only ten years old
and many who were but twelve the ap-
pearance of such children was pathe.
tic in the extreme, surrounded as many
were with the dirt and CRIME of their
employment. and to realize that such
conditions existed in fair Iowa with no
legal authority to prevent it made the
factory inspection difficult and appeal
ing"
Labor Notes.
Furnished by the officers of the
Iowa State Federation of Labor.l
A call has been issued by Bricklay-
ers' Union No. 3 of Des Moines, for a
state conference of all bricklayers'
unions of the state, at Des Moines, No
vember IA, 1904. Matters pertaining
to the general welfare of their craft of
Iowa will be taken under considera-
ton.
A number of carpenters and painters
of Newton are reported out of work.
Durfee miners struck against an or
der Of the company prohibiting can
wasting for orders or delivering gro
ceries, produce, ETC., by any but the
company store The matter was adj
justed by the company receding from
it's position and allowing outside mer-
chants free access to the residence of
employees.
A new local of miners was formed at
Bussey, comprising about 375 mem
bers.
The printers of Keokuk succeeded in
securing an increase of wages amount
ing to about a dollar a. week. There
was no strike, the matter being adj
iusted b va compromise before and ces-
sation of work had taken place.
Muscatine reports a considerable
number Of workmen, both organized
and unorganized out of work. How
ever, in the printing trade scarcity of
workmen is reported.
Thirty-three unorganized employees
of the Matson Glove factory of Mason
City, struck for an increase of wages.
Their places were filled by other
workers.
VIM. Heslop, member of the miners
executive board, organized a new local
of miners at Moingona.
During the national congregational
conference, recently held at Des
Moines, about 100 delegates attended
an open meeting at the Trades assem-
bly, hall, at which meeting Professor
Graham Taylor, of Chicago, was the
principal speaker. The meeting was
great aid in cementing the greater
fraternal feeling between church and
labor that was made special feature
of the conference, by the adoption of
the report of the labor committe APP
pointed by a prior conference.
The auditors of district 10. the Iowa
branch of the United Mine Workers of
America, have completed their quar-
terly examination of the books and ac-
counts of the district, and report cash
balance on hand of $10S,500.
Nathan r. Hale, special organizer of
the bricklayers and organizer of the
Am erican federation, re-organized the
bricklayers of Fairfield.
Organized labor at Clarinda is re-
ported in first-class condition
Buxton local No. 1909 of the United
Mine Workers paid per capita tax last
month on 1897 members, making it the
largest local of mine workers in the
country.
The executive committee Of the
Iowa State Federation of Labor held
a meeting in Des Moines October 20
and 80 The meeting made provision
for delegate l.. NJ Jaeger, of Burling-
ton, to attend the convention of the
American federation at San Francisco;
decided to make an investigation of the
school districts of Iowa that do not
have a truant officer for the enforce
ment of the compulsory education law
made provision for the issuing of al
ditional literature showing the need of
a child labor law; decided to call a
meeting of legislative committees of
declarations of labor Of Iowa and ad.
joining states, with view of securing
greater uniformity of labor legislation
steps were taken to secure John
Mitchell for addresses at Des Moines
and Cedar Rapids on his return trip
from San Francisco; preliminaries
were also taken for a speaking tour
Of the principal cities of Iowa by Pres
ident Gompers. after the holidays
provisions were completed for the issu