The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-06-04
SAMUEL. GOMPERS
PUTS SOME HOLES
IN THE OPEN SHOP,
Continued from page one.

from three to five acres within three
or five miles OF the city for about
the price Of town lot. They can
build just as cheaply on that as on the
town lot, have garden, chickens pigs,
COW, horse and can in fact get about
half their living off this small acreage.
get room for the children to play, fresh
air, refreshing sleep and the song Of
the birds, and hence, wherever pos
sfble, they leave the city and 20 out
along the interurban: Wherever In
teEnrhan lines come you WIN find this
cutting upsof farms and this extension
Of the city to the country" %:.
Some Facts About tho Cost Of War.
Recent war dispatches tell of ap-
propriations of 1o0,0o0,O00 yen at a
time by the Japanese for fighting pur-
poses: The public may have an exag-
gerated Idea Of the value Of the 'yen,''
It is silver coinage and at present 100,-
100000 yen Is equal to about $50, 0oo, 900
Ten yen is the decimal standard worth
100 sen or cents. The sen is divided
into ten rim, the rim into ten mo, the
mo into ten shu and the shu finally
into ten kotsu. Government transact
tions do not acknowledge anything less
than the rim, but merchants deal with
mo and shu, although there is no coin
to represent these sums, which are a
small fraction of a farthing. Yet 100,-
100000 yen is a. vast sum when it be-
comes known that the skilled artisan
of Japan is rarely paid over yen a
week-the wages of 100000 men,
skilled craftsmen for one week to pay
single war appropriation.
British Workmen Form = National As.
ISOLATION.
In the June number of the American
Federationist, the official journal Of
Thomas Reece writes interestingly Of
the trades-union matters in England.
The details of his article show that the
| unions are beginning to realize that
the American method of combining
wherever possible into national organ
izations is the strongest method to de-
fend work1nen against concerted en-
ployers' attacks. Also, that the unions
are watching more closely the estab-
lishment of defense funds. Says the
writer:
British trades unions are moving
toward greater solidarity. The pre-
ception of the magnitude of the at
tack. now being made on the rights
Of the trades unionist drives even the
most devoted believer in sectionalism
and Independence" into the better
way. The General Federation Of
Trades Unions moves steadily onward
to a consolidation Of forces which
eventually must prove irresistible. From
a doubtful experiment It has Develop
ed into new factor which cannot be
ignored, and under the gifted guidance
Of Isaac Mitchell, now labor alderman
OF the London City Council, and his
able colleagues, the pathway Of pro-
gress is being closely followed.
THE vicious attacks made upon, the
unions is their present form-first, by
the lockouts indicted by wealthy asso-
Citations Of employers, and later by
means Of that instrument for. the
wholesale plumber of union treasures,
the Taff-Vale dectsion-are having a
result little expected by the enemies
Of organized labor: 50 far from de-
stroying the power Of the working
mems societies, the campaign: of **the
capitalists aud plutocrats is tearing
away the wells and showing the British
workman that trade unionism with
national federation VIII do more Tor
him than he ever before even dreamed
Of wanting" ~ ~~'.* - -
4 = - --..------- ..Efss :.