Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-10-28

| NeHtlOnS Oh lne past summer. NOW
! the railroad and commercial telegra-
| pliers organizations are talking nego-
tiatiOns so that close afiliation may
result. The reports in the CONNER
cial Telegraphers' Journal, a very
bright paper, predict meeting later
at which an agreement between the
| two unions of wire CHECKERS will be
made.
The Structural Building Trades AL
lance, composed of the principal in
dustries in the building trades unions,
is designed to regulate the organized
building trades as to bring about har-
mOny between employers and work
men throughout that industry, to en-
courage the investment of capital in
the structural operations, to substi-
tute arbitration for strikes and lock-
outs. and to make impossible any.
where such a situation as has existed
until of late in the building trades in
New York city.
A wonderfully interesting value of
500 pages is a report of the census
bureau dealing with the occupations
of the people of the United States. 1t
shows that in 1903 specified occupa-
tions there are employed in eta
United States 29,O73,233 persons, of
whom 10,SS1, 765 are engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits, 1,253,53S in profess
sional service, 4,766,904 in trade and
transportation, and 7,OS5,309 in manu-
featuring and mechanical pursuits
In the professional service there are
more teachers than physicians, more
physicians than lawyers, and more
lawyers than clergymen.
The lowest wages in Germany pre-
vail in the purely agricultural districts
in the eastern provinces. adjoining
Russia. The highest wages are paid
in the German seaports and in the
Industrial centers. The hours of la
Dor are never less than ten day, and
are frequently twelve. when it is
borne in mind that the necessaries of
life, like meats and breadstuffs. are
as high and even higher than in the
United States, and that rents OF
houses are nearly if not quite as high,
the wages of unskilled laborers seem
very low to an American" says United
States Consul Guenther, who is sta
toned at Frankfort, Germany.
do you want the eight-hour day."
That is the question now agitating the
printers under the jurisdiction of the
international Typographical union.
The membership all over North
America is voting on the question CT
indorsing the plan to inaugurate the
eight-hour day in the book md job
Offices of the country on Jan. L. 1906.
Reports received at the headquarters
of the parent body in Indianapolis
ind.cate that nearly 200 chapels in
New York and Chicago have Endorsed
the measure, and the local unions
have been instructed to take refer
endum vote, completing the vote not
later than Oct 81, and sending the
result to the International officers be
fore the expiration of the month.
The semi,annual report of the
Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators
and Paperhangers has just been sent
out to the local unions from head
quarters at Lafayette, Ind. While the
decreased activity in the building in
dustry during the year has resulted
in a loss of membership of building
trades organizations, the brotherhood
is an exception. In the six months
covered by the report 7,412 new men,
bers were added to the roll and 4,244
were reinstated, total increase of
II ,65G. During this period, however,
10,154 members were suspended, max
ing the net increase in membership
1902. Charters were issued to fifty
one new local unions. According to
the financial statement the balance
on hand Jan. l, 1904, was S1S,977.04.
and the receipts for the six months
amounted to s7o,195.32 and the expen-
ditures to $S1 ,S6706, leaving a balance
in the treasury of S12,305.o0. The
death and disability claims paid for
the six months aggregated $21,925,
and the total amount paid by the
brotherhood from March, 1887,
amounted to $179,075.15.
James O'Connell, president OF the
International Association of Machin-
lists, sends out a warning to local |
unions to be careful in their selection |
of officers, because of the detective
system through which employers are
seeking to destroy the organization.
He says: Il know of no organization
that has been so infested with spies
and spoilers as the International AS
ISOLATION of Machinists has been, and
is at the present time. Why our en-
ployers should be so persistent In
their efforts to employ so-called detec-
tives to secretly report the business
OF our association is beyond my COM
prehension. Machinists are employed
by several detective associations with
the understanding that they must
hold membership in our association.
They are advised to go into our local
lodges, make themselves active in the
work of the local, and whenever pos
sible secure appointment or election
to the position of recording or flnan-
cial secretary, or president-record-
ing secretary being preferred-in or