Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-09-30
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD.
Items of Interest Gathered from Many
Sources.

Efforts are being made to induce
the National Shorthand Reporters AS
sociation to affiliate with organized
labor.
The headquarters of the Bakery and
Confectionery Workers international
Union have been removed from Cleve-
land to Chicago. The Bakers journal
is also removed there.
j. e. Bruner of Cincinnati, vice
president of the International Union
of Steam Engineers, has been selected
to fill the vacancy caused by the death
of President Patrick McMahan.
The Amalgamated Society OF En-
gineers (England) reported men,
bership of 95,93S on August 1. There
were 5,120 drawing assistance from
the fund for the benefit OF unem-
ployed members.
Colored washerwomen of Richmond
are said to be organizing protective
association along union lines. Ther
purpose is to fight the Chinese laun-
drymen, who have invaded their
rights, they claim.
The reelection is announced OF
Grand President John Mcneil and
Grand Secretary James Gill
thorpe. both of Kansas City, Kan, by
the Brotherhood of Boilermakers and
Iron Shipbuilders.
Theodore Shaffer, president OF the
Anialgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers, is critically i'll at his
home In Knoxville, suburb of Pitts
bug, and his physician fears an oper-
alton may be necessary.
Aberhardt G. Stanelle, a nonunion
engineer, has begun fight in the cir
cult court at Chicago against the In
ternational Union Of Steam Engin-
GERS. and Judge Mack issued a tempo
rary injunction restraining the or
ganization from interfering with his
employment.
The National Order of Railway
Clerks of America changed its name
Sept. / and will be known hereafter
as the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks
of America. j. V. Fisler was elected
grand president and r. E. Fisher
grand secretary. The headquarters
will be in Kansas City.
A referendum vote of the member
ship of the Bricklayers and Stone Ma
sons international Union on the ques-
ton whether or not the organization
shall Join the American Federation OF
Labor and the Structural Building
Trades Alliance, has been defeated.
and the organization will join neither
body.
In the last twenty years strikes have
cost the wage earners of the United
States 3 cents a month. The average
employer has one strike in every thir-
ty years, and the average strike lasts
twenty-three days. Some unions have
had no strikes for twenty years or
more. 1t is said to be the rule that
the strongest unions have the fewest
strikes.
Complete arrangements are said to
have been made at the Cleveland con-
ference several days ago between Off
GERS of the International Association
of Machinists and those of the Inter-
national Association of Allied Metal
Mechanics for consolidating the two
organizations under the name of the
former. The date named for the ANAL
gamation is Oct. 81.
German industry employs the larg-
est percentage of women in proper
,lon to the total population. They
work side by side with the men IN
the great textile factories, making
gloves, stockings, underwear, lace
and trimmings, finishing, sewing,
weaving, dyeing ard doing thousand
other things. In other industries also
they are present in large NUM- ers.
The Brushmakers' union claims to
be the oldest trades union among
English-speaking peoples. The first
union of brushmakers was organized
in England over 200 years ago. The
organization in this country had It's
birth in 1892. The Brushmakers' In
ternational union now has locals in
every large city in the United States
excepting Boston.
Six thousand men were thrown out
of work by the shutting down of the
great Mccormick Reaper Company S
nlant at Chicago. Without warning of
the event, and possibly months OF
idleness that were to come, the army
of men and women went to the pay
windows Saturday night and with
their wages received news OF the
companys decision to close it's doors
No explanation of the unexpected
move was given except that repairs
were necessary.
"Organized labor is anxious for the
maintenance of industrial peace and
the establishment of the best possible
relations between workmen and their
employers, but it may as well be I'M
derstood that labor will never surren'
der the rights secured to the work
men and the people generally. and the