Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-01-22

week, with ten hours to constitute q
days work, and expect TO secure what
they have been battling for during the
last three years. Unions in all sec.
tions Of the city declare that these
drug clerks are among the hardest
worked and the poorest paid union
men III the entire city.
The wages of 10000 coal miners and
outside mine laborers at Birmingham,
Ala, have been reduced from IL to
15 per cent by the Tennessee Coal.
Iron and Railroad Company, the Sloss-
Sheffield Steel and Iron Company, the
Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron
Company and smaller mining corpor-
atoms. Several enterprises also have
suspended operations. Total number
of men affected by suspensions, 2,770.
The greatest sufferers In wage re-
duction for 1904 seem to be the en-
ployes Of the steel trust and its allied
branches. Next to these come cotton
workers of New England, many en-
ployes being laid off on account Of the
high price of cotton, which has re.
suited in the decrease in production
of the mills. Generally speaking, or
ganized labor has succeeded in main
tanning prices for work up to the
standard of 1908
A unique act of benevolence for a
trade union was that done by the
Window Glass Workers, which sent a
check for $40 to each unemployed
member for Christmas gift, requir-
ing an appropriation of $4,000 from
the general treasury. 1t was also
voted by this union-L. A. 300, X. of
Ito assess every working member
rs per cent Of his wages toward a
fund for the continued relief of those
in temporary idleness.
The fight between the various citi
zens' alliances and the unions in the
West is getting warmer as It pro.
crosses. The Montana State Fedora.
ton of Labor, which held its conven-
ton recently in Missoula, adopted
resolutions declaring that any union
man who would vote for a member
Of a citizens alliance for any Office
should not be considered a good
unionist. The resolution also declared
against purchasing goods from any
merchant connected with an alliance,
and affixed list of names of mer.
chants in Helena who were commonly
supposed to be members.
The recent western visit of Presi-
dent Theodore Shaffer of the Anal
gamated Association of Iron, Steel
and Tin Workers has brought more
harmonious feeling between the asso-
citation and the unions at South Chi
cago and the Joliet mills, which have
been independent of all affiliation for
several years. While investigating the
Mills President Shaffer visited the in
dependent workers, and 1t is now re-
ported that plans are being made to
reissue the charters of these unions,
which were revoked during the time
of the great steel strikes, when the
western workers failed to walk out.
In recent speech, made in one of
the largest halls in London, England,
John Burns, M. p, declared that pow
erty is a social disease and ought to
be scientifically studied and cured just
as If it were matter of drainage or
water supply. you cannot cure pow
erty by dealing with individuals" he
said. Poverty is social thing just
as much as consumption is social
thing, and cannot be cured by giving
treatment to individuals. The duty Of
the city government is to do for the
individual what he cannot do for him
self, nothing more than this and moth
ing less. In every large and wealthy
city poverty is a disgrace"
The jurisdiction wrangle between
the United Brewery Workmen and the
engineers and firemen employed in
breweries has been taken into the law
courts once more. At the recent con-
vention of the American Federation of
Labor the brewers were ordered to
surrender all firemen and engineers I'M
der their jurisdiction to their respec-
tive unions. Judge Spiegel Of Cincin-
natl has granted temporary injunc-
ton restraining the American Fedora
ton of Labor from putting it's man.
date in force or compelling the fire.
men and engineers to leave the United
Brewery Workmen and join the re-
spective unions of their craft. The in.
junction was asked for on behalf of
Firemen's Union No. 223 of Indianap-
oils, which is affiliated with the United
Brewery Workmen.
A decision of interest to unionists
has just been handed down by Justice
Leventritt Of the Supreme court of
New York. Louis Quanchi and Charles
Bales, formerly members of Stereo-
typers' Union, No. l. of New York,
asked for permanent Injunction re-
straining the union from interfering
with their employment on the New
York Herald, and also seeking to re-
strain the members of the union from
refraining to work on the Herald be-
cause of the employment Of the two
men named. One Of the men was fore
man and the other assistant foreman
in the stereotyping department Of the
paper, and stereotyper who had been
discharged made complaint against