Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-01-13

i SoLhHiiItce was appointed tO ARRANGE
for a conference with the brotherhood
to settle all differences and bring
about amalgamation.
Cancellation and educational meth.
DDS are being followed by organized
labor in Minneapolis in order to bring
about better understanding between
employers and employees. Public
meetings are being held from time to
time, at which speakers from the
various industrial and commercial
bodies are given an opportunity to
express their opinions freely.
Thousands Of idle men In Souil
Chicago were given employment on
the day following New Years. The
two largest mills of the Illinois Steel
Company started. and the entire steel
plant. for the first time in months, is
humming with industry. With the
big plant in full operation, the army
Of steelworkers, normally numbering
10000, is again busy. The returning
workers. found lower wages and more
work. In some cases, it is said, the
cut will amount to 40 per cent.
Twelve thousand bridge and struc.
tural ironwOrkers will strike May !
unless a new road scale adopted by
the executive board of the Bridge and
Structural Ironworkers' International
Union is accepted by the employers
The board has divided the country
into eight districts and fixed wages at
from 35 to As cents an hour on jobs
outside of the cities. Chicago is in
the seventh district and includes Hi
nois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas,
Minnesota and Michigan. Every man
working in this district outside of the
cities must receive As cents an hour.
Union laborers were barred from
the Inland Steel Company plant at
Indiana Harbor when the machinery
was again set in operation Jan. /.
The mills have been closed since last
July, when 300 men went out because
of a 40 per cent cut in wages. The
following notice was posted on the
mills: Jan. l we will open our steel
mill and will employ 300 men under
open shop scales No union men will
be accepted. Wages will be paid com.
mensurate with the ability of each
man. The company desires a personal
interview with each man who seeks
employment"
After nine months of the 'open
shop" the firm of John G. Miller &
Co. of Chicago, clothing manufactur.
ers, repudated this principle of the
Chicago Employers Association and
signed an agreement with the union,
governing 900 employees, and granting
strictly union shop conditions. Re.
Gently the Coles Shoe Company also
abandoned the open shop" conten.
ton and granted to all it's shoework.
ers union conditions. A member of
the Clothing Workers Union said:
This firm could not make a profit
from its sales without the label. The
label won back for us our union con.
ditions."
An insurance scheme began by coal
miners in Illinois has received the in.
dorsement of the United Mine Work
ers of America. Every miner, by the
payment of SO cents month in addi-
ton to his dues as member of the
United Mine Workers, is given a $500
insurance policy, payable upon death, !
while those paying 25 cents month
are to receive $3.50 policy.
Changes in the Michigan mining
law are being considered by represen.
tatives of Michigan operators and a
from the United Mine
Workers Of America. The present law |
Is not sufficiently comprehensive, it |
IS said, and provides for little else
han the appointment of an inspector,
whose duty it is to gather statistics.
One proposed change contemplates
more stringent regulations regarding
he supply Of pure air in mines.
1t is pretty generally known to all
that on Jan. /, 1906, the
,ight-hour workday will be demanded
n all printing concerns under the con-
rol of the International Topographic.
,al Union. The officials of that organ.
zation are aware that the bosses are
to buck the unions demand
wherever there is a chance The
United Typothetae of America is send
ng out a circular letter accompanied
" blank asking secretaries of the
organizations local branches to sup
lily information as to the number of
lnion, non-union and doubtful COM
'ositors; number of apprentices con.
lected and not connected with the
nion, and number of union and non.
nion foremen employed in their jur.
sdictions. The letter states that it is
eedless to point out how valuable
his information will be in both local
nd national work, and asks that sec.
etaries have their answers as nearly
orrect as possible. This looks like
for war.