Kansas agitator., 1904-02-12

country At this mill most of the plan
ished sheets used in this country are
made.
A London shipbuilder, who has 5000
men on his pay roll, says: 81 am In
favor of unionism because 1t gives the
men feeling Of security, without
which no workman amounts to much.
Union men are generally the best me-
chanics; they are better disciplined.
and it is easier to deal with organized
lobor than with men who are not or
ganized."
The building Contractors of Cleve-
land have formed a council on much
the same lines as the Building Con-
tractors council of this city. Its prin-
cipal aims will be to abolish the SYM
pathetic strike. In the declaration OF
principles" of the new council it is
stated that it will favor cancellation
where such procedure is found to be
feasible and possible.
Reports have reached the offices OF
the American Federation of Labor
that Santiago Iglesias, the organizer
for Porto Rico, has too strong Span
ish tendencies in his makeup, and in
stead of organizing labor unions he is
really trying to organize federal
party in opposition to American rule.
President Gompers will investigate
the rumors when in Porto Rico.
The Metal Trades Council of Chi
cago has applied for charter from
the Metal Trades Federation OF
America, and permanent officers will
be elected at meeting next Sunday.
The trades already affiliated with the
local council are as follows: Machin-
lists. Is locals; metal workers, 10
locals; metal polishers. locals; iron
molders, locals; blacksmiths and
helpers, 10 locals and patternmakers,
/ l local.
At the recent convention of the
American Federation of Labor reso.
luton was adopted granting the Iron
Molders' union jurisdiction over brass
molders. The brass molders have
hitherto been affiliated with the Metal
Pplishers, Platers, Buffers. Brass
Workers and Brass Molders Inter.
national union, and by referendum
vote have decided to remain where
they are. Now it will be up to the
A. F. of L. to see that the order Is
carried out.
A new feature of the "closed-shop"
question comes from Joliet In that
city the employers are closing the
shops against union men unless they
join a citizens alliance. The Bates
Machine company, which has done
little else but fight the union machin
lists for the past two years, is said to
be the aggressor in the present move
ment. 1t discharged it's employees and
closed down it's shops. Then the men
were offered work again if they would
join the Citizens Alliance. The men
do not seem to view the alliance with
quite so much favor as the employers,
and none of them have Joined so far
They say they will not join, either
Chicago Inter Ocean.
Any one who wants to know the
facts about the labor unions of Eng
land can get the information by writ.
ing to the Department of Labor, Wash.
ington, D. c., and asking for Bulletin
No. 50. This bulletin was issued re
Gently and is written by A. Maurice
Low. Mr.. Low says that there are
nearly 100000 members of labor
unions in Great Britain. Their yearly
income is nearly $10,0O0.00O, and they
have In their treasures the large sum
of $18,330,000. The most important
fact about British labor unions, says
Mr.. Low. Is the effort they are making
| to abolish the strike and to substi-
tute some form of arbitration. The
strike is to be no more than last
resort, never used except when every
thing 'se fails.
A whole sermon is contained in the.
report of the injuries. fatalities and
F., deaths of members of the Bridge and
Structural Iron Workers Union of
Chicago in the past year, made public
by Secretary O'Brien. 1t gives the
names of the persons to whom bene.
fits were paid, together with the
amounts and the injuries sustained.
| No accident or life insurance company
will accept member of this organiza.
ton as risk" because of the hazard.
Gus nature of the calling. The report
is startling in that it shows that 1856
per cent members of the union were
either injured or killed in the last
year alone while at work. OF the
/ 1000 members Of that organization no
less than eighteen were killed or died
as the result of injuries, fifteen were
totally disabled for life and 103 were
injured more or less seriously.
In report to the membership OF
the Meat Cutters and Butcher Work
men of North America, just issued by
General Organizer Henry Eichelberg-
err. from the New York Office Of the
union, it is stated that the aggregate
increase in wages from September
l, 1908, to September 1, 1904, will
reach $13,OO0,000, or an average Of
$3.50 a week for each of the $4,000
members of this international organi-
zation. The Chicago membership of