Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-01-08
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD.
Items Of Interest Gathered from Many
Sources.

The NUMBER OF WOMEN cHPioySN So
Massachusetts factories Is 133,OVO.
The Boston hack drivers won their
strike for $14 a week after being OUT
for eleven days.
The United States supreme court
has declared the Kansas eight'hour
law constitutional.
The new plant Of the Sligo Iron ana
Steel company at Connellsvilie. Fa''
has been put into operation.
The boot and shoe workers union
has increased it's membership by L.
900 members during the past year.
A reduction in wages averaging II
per cent and affecting 10000 men In
the Connellsville coke regions was an
nounced.
Instead of closing entirely the w.
Devices Wood plant at McKeesport,
Pa, will keep open at least three OF
its mills.
The national association of Master
Plumbers has been organized. Ed
ward Hornbrooke of Kansas City, Is
the president.
The Brotherhood of Railway Train
men has added about 10000 members
in eight months, making an aggregate
OF $4,000 on its rolls.
The strength of the American Labor
Union is about 100000, taking the fig
ures of its own officers, which are not
likely to be an underestimate.
The Philadelphia book and job print
ers have secured an increase OF II a
week beginning Jan. l and on Oct. l
another 81 is to be given them.
The journeyman tailors' strike at
| Cleveland, Ohio, was declared on by
the men and all those remaining un'
employed will go to work as indi'
viduals.
Barney Cohen, president of the I'LL
nois State Federation of Labor, has
been named general organizer OF the
American Federation of Labor for the
state of Illinois.
The Bricklayers and Masons' Inter-
national Union has decided to estab-
lish a general Office at indianapolis.
The printers, carpenters, miners and
team drivers have headquarters in that
city.
Labor is now supreme In New
South Wales. No employer or EN-.
ploye Is allowed to appear in court In
a labor case unless he belongs to a
registered industrial union. 1t Is
illegal to employ free labor when
union labor is available.
The Boot and Shoe Workers Council
Of Chicago has adopted resolutions
calling upon the 5000 members OF az
filiated unions to refuse to purchase in
drug stores where nonunion clerks are
employed.
Orders have been issued to run the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad shops at Al
toona full ten hours day, with over
time when necessary. Between 1000
and 5000 additional men will be given
employment.
Politics has split the city central
labor body of Butte, Mont. and the
trade unions have seeded. A new
central body under the banner OF the
American Federation Of Labor is con-
sidered probable.
The Wilkesbarre and Wyoming
Valley Traction Company has increas-
ed the wages of its employees five cents
a day, and the men will not strike. The
employees demanded an increase OF
twenty-five cents day.
About 1000 miners employed In the
Meyersdale, Pa, coal region, quit
work owing to the proposed reduction
of ten cents a ton for mining soft
coal There are about $500 miners
employed in the region.
District President Flynn Of the
United Mine Workers says the strikes
in Alabama are costing the union
s1,7OO a month, and that during the
last six months the national body has
been called on for $4,000.
The furnaces of the Struthers Fur
mace company and the Youngstown
Steel company went out of blast,
throwing about 400 men out of en-
ployment. Twenty furnaces in the
Mahoning and Shenango valleys are
Idle.
Commercial telegraph operators are
organizing rapidly and the CONNER