Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-03-18

at once. Several national associations,
among them the National Metal
Trades and the National Horseshoers'
Association, filed applications for
membership.
Suits for damages will be instituted
| by the Parkersburg wv. Va Iron and
Steel Company against the National
Amalgamated Association Of Iron,
Steel and Tin Workers and individual
members of the organization. The as
ISOLATION ordered strike and its
members working in the local plant
and the company claims to have sus-
tanned losses by alleged unlawful acts
of the strikers.
The first monument to trade union
ism was erected recently in Mel
bourne, Australia. 1t Is called the
"Eight-Hour monument" as it is In
commemoration of the eight-hour sys-
TEN, which was begun in Australia
forty.eight years ago. The monument
is tall marble pillar, surmounted by
an oblong black holding a globe and
torch. The word Prosperity is writ
ten on the globe, and three large fig
ure Fights are engraved on the block.
Efforts to fill the places of the
watch-case makers and engravers who
have been on strike for seven weeks
at the factory of the Western Watch
Case company have proved unavailing.
Charles Wendell, president of the COM
pany, has returned from an extended
trip in the East, where he went to
get workmen to fill his factory. He
did not succeed in getting one man.
The strike was called against a reduc-
ton in prices, and as it is the only
factory of it's kind in the city there
are no non-union men in the trade.
A victory was won by the United
Mine Workers in the Pittsburg field
few days ago which will have an i'm
portant bearing on the question OF
wage reduction in the competitive dis
trict About 1900 non-union miners
at the Ellsworth mines struck against
a wage reduction. They were receiv-
ing Is cents a ton less than the union
scale before the strike, and the reduc-
ton would have brought the pay down
to 35 cents a ton less than the union
rate. After the men went out they
were Immediately organized, and go
back to work at the union rate. The
main contention of the Pittsburg OPP
orators in demanding wage reduc-
ton was that non-union mines were
paying less than the SCALE
Franklin Union No. of Chicago,
was found guilty of contempt Of court
by Judge Holdom and fined $1,000.
These officials were either fined or
sent to Jail on the same charge: John
M. Shea, secretary, fined 500 and
sentenced to SIX months in jail.
Charles M. Woerner, president, $3.50
fine and three months in Jail. Jerome
Collins, two months in Jail. Harry
Brown, forty days in Jail. Michael
Flannery, thirty days in jail. Judge
Holdom's decision was based on three
points-the legality of trade unions,
the right of picketing and the pay
ment of strike benefits. The right to
organize was conceded, but the pay
ment of wages by the union to pickets
or spies sent into the employers
plant the court declared unlawful.
"These acts are akin to military
strife" he said. 1T is warfare"
The parliamentary committee Of the
trades union congress of Great Brit
ain has prepared bill which has been
introduced in parliament relative to
picketing, which is an outgrowth of
the famous Taft Vale decision. The
bill has three chief clauses Cd for
the legislation of peaceful picketing,
(2) amendment of the law of conspir-
acy, CD protection of trade union
funds. Under the first it is sought to
bring matters back to the reasonable
position that men should be allowed
to talk with and try to persuade men
who were looking for work. The sec
ond clause does away with the law OF
conspiracy as recently decided by the
Judges. The third clause is as fol-
lows: An action shall not be brought
against trade union or other associa-
ton aforesaid for the recovery of dam
age sustained by any person or per-
sons by reason of the action of men,
Der or members of such trade union or
other association aforesaid.
In a recent article on the labor sit
uation in San Francisco Ray Stannard
Baker, in speaking Of the fight made
by the employers against the Water
Front federation in San Francisco
three years ago, says that the employ
ers gave a good exhibition of how not
to fight unions. The same thing ex-
acty may be said of the Citizens In
dustrial association. 1t is giving
good exhibition of the same tactics.
Originally intended to correct abuses
of trade unions, which are oftentimes
apparent, the movement led by radi-
calls like Parry, has grown into an or
ganization the chief purpose of which
is to crush all forms of unionism and
combination among the workers. That
is where the movement is showing it's
greatest weakness, and that is the pol
icy, say union labor men, that will
lead to it's ultimate downfall, just as
surely as did the radical policy of the