Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-12-16

boys outnumber the girls almost three
to one the figures being 1864 boys
and 4S5,676 girls. That the American
nation is not made up entirely Of
workers Is shown by the total, 29,073,-
233, which is only one-half of the pop.
ulation of ten years of age and over
and about two-fifths of the entire pop
! ulation. The proportion of workers
has increased almost 3 per cent over
the former stat 'stics.
The majority and minority reports
of the committee on resolutions on the
fight in the Federation of Labor con-
vention between longshoremen and
seamen was voted down, and the mat
ter now stands as it did before the
convention met. The official count on
the minority report was announced as
1928 against and 1925 for. A roll call
was then demanded on the majority
report of the committee, which was
adverse to the Seamen's union, but
recommended that the matter be set
tied by a conference between com
mittee to be appointed by the disput-
also voted down.
Samuel Gompers was, by practically
unanimous vote, reelected president
of the American Federation of Labor.
One delegate, Victor Berger of Mil
waukee, a leader of the socialistic ele-
ment in the convention, voted in the
negative and asked that his vote be
1oI rrsxy
great ovation when he took up the
gavel. Secretary Frank Morrison and
Treasurer John B. Lennon were
unanimously chosen to serve another
term. The following eight vice presi-
dents were reelected: James Dun.
can, John Mitchell. James O'Connell,
Max Morris, Thomas l. Kidd, d. A.
Hayes, Daniel j. Keefe and William j.
Spencer.
The first two union men to work on
the Panama canal left Chicago last
week. They are William and Philip
Bates, members of the International
Brotherhood of Steam Shovel and
Dredgmen. William Bates is an en-
gineer and his wages while working
on the canal will be $3.50 a month,
with free board and living quarters
and free hospital services. His brother
is a craneman and will be paid $165
2 month. Transportation is furnished
the men from New York to Colon and
return. Thomas J. Dolan, secretary
of the organization, said that he eX-
pected about 200 members of his
union would find work on the canal
when it is fairly started While the
wages of the men are fixed at $3.50
a month for engineers and $165 for
cranemen, a bonus will be paid to
men who handle $4,000 cubic yards or
more a month.
Whatever the outcome of the pres
ent strike may be, it is a good guess
that it is the beginning of a series OF
petty and annoying strikes which the
packers will have to deal with until
they agree to meet committees from
their skilled workmen and make
agreements on sensible lines. The
unions were beaten badly enough at
the close OF the last dispute, but the
policy being pursued by the superin-
tendents and foremen is just the thing
to keep the spirit of revolt alive, and
there will be reaction some day. The
Amalgamated Meat Cutters and
Butcher Workmen's Union is not dead
by any means. The official reports
show 254 local unions in good stand
ing and paying per capita tax at the
end of October, and that is a pretty
healthy condition of affairs after a
strike such as that of last summer
Chicago Inter Ocean.
In accordance with brief notices
posted three hours earlier, the rail
and steel mills of the Illinois Steel
company in South Chicago were shut
down No date was set for the reopen
ing of the plant. President E. j. Buff
fngton of the company said it was the
regular temporary shutdown which
comes at the close of each year. The
order throws 5000 men out of work,
or nearly half of the total force. They
were among the best paid in the mills,
earning Sc to $12 day, under semi
annual contracts, on the tonnage"
system. Last June when the renewal
of the contract was sought. the CON-
pany declined to enter an agreement.
The shutdown was ordered a week
earlier in November last year. When
the mills resumed operations the pay
of practically all the workers except
those in the steel and rail departments
was cut 10 to So per cent. A still
greater reduction is anticipated by the
men now out of work.
In New Zealand the biggest bank
ing institutions belong to the people,
and the poor man gets the same terms
as the wealthy one. OF course, the
money power fought this and the pro-
gressive taxes, but the common peo-
pie held the government, and the
money power no longer rules New
Zealand. This national loan office,
with the postal savings banks and
state operation of the main bank of
issue, the heart of the financial sys-
.em taken over by the state in 1S94-5,
in the substantial nationalist
to-, Of ,r,lit opJ ouo hloc tho unvarn