Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1904-02-25
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD.
Items of Interest Gathered from Many
Sources.

sources.
Premier Maura announces that the
strike OF the persons employed by the
shipping interests at various Spanish
ports is at an end.
The coal operators OF Wise county.
Virginia. have made a II per cent
reduction in the wages OF miners Five
thousand men are affected.
Chicago members of the Upholster-
ers' International Union have been
notified To- stay away from Pittsburg,
where a strike OF union carpet work
ers Is on. The members at Pittsburg
are striking against wage reductions.
The steel mills at Indiana HarbOr
have been running steadily since the
settlement was made. The cut ac-
cepted by the men was 1874 per cent,
making their new scale the same as
that which wa in vogue in 1897 and
1898.
The development of manufacturing
in the Western States is shown b. the
fact that the center Of manufacturing
in the whole country is now in Central
Ohio. near Mansfield This is shown
by a new chart issued by the Depart
ment of Labor.
The gap between the work!ngman
and the professional man is being
bridged over by trade shoots, both in
America and Europe. The seventeenth
annual report of the Department of
Labor shows a wonderful amount or
progress in this line.
Two thousand men and women,
members of the Boxmakers Union,
employed in sixteen factories of Chi
cago, have made demands on the Chi
cago Paper Box Manufacturers asso-
citation for wage increases ranging
from 10 to 40 per cent.
Striking Colorado miners Of district
Is are considering the eXpediency of
withdrawing from the United Mine
Workers and joining the Western Fed
Grafton because of an order from In
dianapolis that no more relief orders
will be recognized unless they come
through Chris Evans, the national rep
resentative.
Unions now involved in the strug.
gle against disruption that the manu-
facturers in the Fox River Valley are
waging are the blacksmiths, wood
workers, painters. machinists, allied
metal mechanics, federal labor unions,
molders and lady garment workers.
A queer strike lately occurred in
Liberia, where the Kroo-boys. who do
the work of longshoremen. struck for
thirty cents a day. They were getting
twenty-four cents. The strike failed,
but it has taught the Kroo-boys the
principles Of unionlsm for the first
time
The Patternmakers' League Of
North America has adopted the sttb-
district idea, such IS prevails in the
international Association of Machin-
lists. the United Mine Workers, and
some other organizations. The affairs
in each district will be governed by
vice president.
OF the | .4S7 labor unions, with
membership of l35.626, making re-
turns to the American Federation OF
Labor for December there were IL per
cent out of employment In the pre-
ceding month Lie unions, with
membership of 65,922. reported AZ
per cent out of employment.
The Brotherhood of Railroad Train
men. the strongest of all railroad
labor organizations. paid out the sum
OF $116,900 i'm death and disability
claims for the month of December,
1903. The total paid out since the
formation of the organization is S.
9S7. 2S4.54. The brotherhood now has
a membership of 10000.
An agreement has been signed by
the seventy.five building contractors
and master plumbers of Sioux City
TO observe the open shop" policy
after March L. II was stated by John
M. shank. president of the Trades as
sembly. that this will surely precipi-
tate a strike by all the building trades,
including about 1000 men.
Employers throughout the entire
country are preparing 10 invade
Washington to fight against the anti
Injunction bill OF the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor now before the judi
ciary committee. Organized labor is
also marshaling its forces for the leg
islative battle royal. and the outcome
VIII be watched with interest.
Gput 4 Cook - -t~-