Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-04-15

of their own. The Chicago union paid
out $5,470 last year in death and dis
ability benefits.
The American Locomotive company
has discharged about one.half of its
employees in the Scranton (Pa.) shops,
including several draftsmez. Chief
Craftsman c. F. Bookman and several
of his assistants have been trans
ferred to the Schenectady shops. The
movement Is said to be in harmony
with the policy of retrenchment adopt
ed in all of the small plants of the
company.
The organized workmen Of New
York have determined to oppose any
modification of the eight-hour law and
are requesting every union and city
central labor body in New York state
to send protest to Albany against
Senator Dowling's bill, which pro-
poses an amendment to the law so
that the city Jerry boats about to be
constructed might be excepted from
it's eight-hour provisions.
The miners scale recently adopted
by vote of the states was signed by
the joint subscale committee, consist
ing of two miners and two operators
of each of the four states forming the
central competitive district at Indian
apolis, March 81. No change was
made from the original proposition of
the operators which was voted upon
by the miners. The next joint confer
ence will be held at Indianapolis Jan.
%, 1906.
Grand Army men all over the Unit
ed States are protesting against the
discharge of old soldiers from the
government printing office at Wash
ington. President Roosevelt has de-
cided that linotype machines shall be
placed in the printing Office and under
the rules made no employee over 30
years of age will be permitted to learn
to run them. This the Grand Army
men state would result in the dis
charge of many old soldiers.
The action of the executive board of
the Amalgamated Association of Iron,
Steel and Tin Workers in following
the recommendation of President The
odore Shaffer that reduction in
wages be granted the sheet mills and
tinplate mills rather than permit these
plants to be operated non-union, as
threatened by officials of the Ameri-
can Sheet and Tinplate company, has
met with general condemnation, ac-
cording to advices from the eastern
states, where such establishments are
numerous
The American district of the Anal
gamated Society of Carpenters and
Joiners last year paid out $11,655 for
unemployed benefits, 1925 for sick
benefits, $3,341 death benefits, $1,775
accident benefits, SPOTS for tools, $685.
794 for strikes and lockouts, SIPS in
old age pensions, and 1,065 for benev-
client purposes. A total of $4,000. AS
the average membership for the year
did not exceed $4,000. the amount is
over $12 per capita. A good argument
in favor of the high dues system
Chicago Inter Ocean.
According to report published in
the official organ of the organized Dak-
'ers of Holland, De Bakersbodi, night
work has been abolished in that cOun-
try by legislation. The law in qres-
ton prohibits the performance of any
work in bake shops during the hours
between 9 a. m and a. m. Work on
Sundays is no longer permitted. EN-
ployes are to work sixty-six hours per
week-ten hours per day and sixteen
hours on Saturday, or ten and half
hours every day and thirteen and a
half hours on Saturday. Apprentices
and employees under Is years of age
are not allowed to work more than
ten hours each day, and in each work
ing shift they are entitled to rest half
an hour. There are two working
shifts.
The House committee on appropria.
lions has received proposition from
p. T. Dodge, president of the Mergen-
thaler Linotype company, and j. l..
Kennedy, representing that company
in Washington, to equip the govern
ment printing Office with typesetting
machines. The specific proposition
was for the committee to place in the
sundry civil appropriation bill now be-
ing prepared an item of $154,000,
which will pay the purchase price and
supplies for forty machines, the price
of each machine being $4,000. 1t is
estimated that it will take 200 ma
chires to equip the Office, and the
plan proposed is for the purchase of
from forty to fifty machines each
year until this number has been Sc
cured.
New York painters are seeking leg
islation, to be framed on lines Of a
German law, prohibiting the use of
white le d in paint for public build
ings. The Central Federated union
has indorsed and forwarded to the
state federation's committee at AL
bany this painters bill. whose pro-
visions will apply only to work done
by the state or it's political subdivis-
ions. At the hearing the journeymen
painters representative will show how
many of their fellow craftsmen are an
nually crippled with partial paralysis