Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-01-20

Closed Shop" occupied one session o.
the American Economic association
at Mandel hall at the University o.
Chicago recently. In the four long
papers and several short discussions
of the different questions it appeared
that all but one-the paper of Johr
Hubbard. president of the John Davis
company of Chicago-declared sympa
thy with the closed shop movement
The Brotherhood OF Blacksmiths
and Helpers and the Journeymer
Horseshoers' union have made ar
agreement to end jurisdiction dis
putes. The officers of each organi
cation have signed a contract thai
horseshoers will not do any black
smith work. neither will blacksmiths
do any horseshoeing, and that each
organization will at once turn over
any members of the union having
proper jurisdiction over them.
The union spirit is fast entering the
south. From Baton Rouge comes re-
ports that the eight hour day fight
VIII be opened in the spring and that
the unions Of brick makers and set
tiers have grown very strong during
the present year. Nonunion labor is
paid as low as 81 per day, according
to the official reports received at
union headquarters. Work has been
very plentiful this year, and the men
employed at cotton picking. in the oil
mills and saw mills have become or.
ganized.
Canadian statistics show that in
November eighty-seven persons were
killed and 1853 injured through acct
dents while working at different
trades. The largest number of casu-
alties occurred among the miners,
seventeen of whom were killed, while
in the printing, clothing, woodwork
ing and food and tobacco preparation
trades no deaths were reported. Fiji
teen persons in the railway service
were killed and Twenty-Five injured,
and in the metal trades thirty-three
employees received injuries.
IL 10 ollSidily dHuOuHCeu tUdJ lle
Lake Superior corporation will start
the year 1905 with sufficient orders to
keep the 500 ton rail mill in continu.
GUS operation until the end of Sep,
tember and with every prospect that
within the next month orders will be
closed to keep the mill running full
till the end of the year. OF market
of 100000 tons made by Vice President
Drummond the 800" mill will get
almost the entire amount, as the Dom.
inion iron rail mill will not be ready
for some months, and the largest Gus.
toners will be the Canadian Pacific.
the Canadian Northern and the Grand
Trunk
In referring to the lack of organiza.
ton among the farm hands through.
out the country Organized Labor of
San Francisco, arnewspaper published
in the interest of working men and
women, declares that in many parts
of California farm hands work four
teen hours day. ION many Fresno
grain farm in summer" it says, "the
plowman works like this: He gets
up at $3.50 and feeds his team, goes to
breakfast at Ais and is out in the
field by 4:45. He works seven hours
until noon, stops one hour for dinner
and then puts in six hours more be-
fore quitting time. After that he
must feed and bed-down his team, and
then he is in luck if he gets to his own
bed by $3.50 or 9 o'clock"
According to the decision handed
down by the supreme court the South.
ern Pacific railroad is liable for in
juries sustained by brakeman in
coupling an engine to railroad
coach. The suit was brought for
$4,000. The southern Pacific an.
pealed the case contending locomo-
tive was not technically car and as
such not under the law. The inter.
state commerce commission ind the
labor organizations have taken a great
deal of interest in the case, and the
final decision by the supreme court
that an engine is technically car is |
considered great victory.
The executive board of the Western
Federation of Miners has decided to
carry the case of the Center Star
Mining company against the miners
union at Rossland, British Columbia,
to the highest court in Canada, and If
necessary to take it before the privy
council of England, in order to obtain
a reversal of the decision of the lower
court awarding the plaintiff damages
because of strike of its employees.
The union was prosecuted under the
provisions of an old English law
which gives an employer the right to
sue for three times the amount of
loss he may sustain as result of a
strike of his employees.
II firmly believe the day of the
strike is over" was the declaration
made by T. V. Powderly on his arrival
1t New York recently from Pittsburg.
L don't mean that there is never to
,e another strike" added the former
thief of the Knights of Labor, but |
10 mean that each year will see fewer
,auses for strikes, and that as a nat I
,,4I \, k.,s1 4