Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-03-10

that they are all former members who
have repeatedly Joined and left the or
ganization when there was a strike on
hand.-Chicago Inter Ocean.
Contrary to the wishes of Joseph
Valentine, president of the Iron Mold
ers' union of North America the strik-
ing molders of Newport, KY, have
bought the plant of the Newport
Foundry & Machine Company of that
place and will operate it in the future
The price paid for the plant was $43,-
100. A strike has been on in the plant
since last September and the action of
the union settles 1t.
A bill presented in the Connecticut
general assembly, which was drafted
by George d. Watrous, professor in
the Yale law school, provides that
three days written notice of an i'm
pending strike must be given by en-
ployes. A provision is also made
requiring employers to furnish similar
notice to their men if a reduction of
wages or an increase in working
hours is contemplated.
The press news of the past week
gives the information that the great
New York Central railroad has sub
stituted young women for men as
symbol clerks in the big freight
yards at Dewitt, east of Syracuse, N.
Y. The duty is quite onerous, but the
system found women could do the
work and that a girl would work for
$40 a month as against the princely
salary of $50 per month paid to the
men.
No strike of the firemen on the New
York, New Haven and Hartford rail
road will be declared except as last
resort, is the announcement made by
Second Vice Grand Master Timothy
Shea. The committee called to dis
cuss the situation and count the bal
lots on the question of giving 1t power
to act stated the ballot was the larg-
est ever cast on any question by the
brotherhood Of this system. Mr.. Shea
said there could be no strike at pres
ent
Two bills affecting labor unions are
row pending in the Colorado legisla-
ture. One is intended to prevent boy
cotting, and prohibits the distribution
of unfair lists, with a penalty of $3.50
to $500 fine or sixty days imprison-
ment for violation. The other bill re-
quires labor unions to incorporate, and
provides that certified copies of the
minutes of union meetings be fur
nished on request to corporations en-
ploying members of such unions.
James O'Connell, president of the
International Association of Machin-
lists. and a committee of machinists
from the Washington navy yard called
on the President to enlist his aid in
their effort to obtain better wages.
The delegation pointed out that the
wages paid them at the Washington
yard were lower than those paid for
work elsewhere, and called attention
to the present increased cost of living.
The President promised to take the
matter up at later date.
During 1904 9,471 new members
were admitted to the order of Rail-
road Telegraphers, the year ending
with the largest membership in the
history of the order. The union secur-
ed twenty-six new and revised sched-
ules, by which the working conditions
of thousands of telegraphers were ma
terially bettered and about $l,OO0,O00
added to their yearly compensation.
During the year $93,545,3S was receiv-
ed on assessments and $72,950 dis
bursed in payment of death claims.
Compared with the preceding year
there was large decrease in the
number and magnitude of trade dis
putes in Canada during 1904. In all
there were 103 strikes and lockouts in
the past year, as compared with 100
in 1893 and 1923 in 1902. There were
approximately 1866 persons involved
directly or indirectly in industrial dis
turbances. The most frequent cause
was demand for an increase in
wages. Fewer labor organizations
were organized during 1904 than in
1903, the number of new unions being
lis, as compared with 275 during the
preceding year. Disbanded unions
number 81, as compared with "a in
1903, leaving a net increase of 81 in
the number of unions in existence dur
ing the year, as compared with an in
crease of 221 in 1908.
The Supreme court Of Vermont has
decided that the verdict of $4,000
given the F. r. Patch Manufacturing
company of Rutland, VT, in suit
against Protection Lodge 215, Inter-
national Association of Machinists, is
legal. President Patch announces that
he will collect this money even if he
has to attach the property of the in
dividual members of the union to get
it. President Patch. asserts that the
$4,000 is less than the one hundredth
part of the damage that was actually
done him by the strikers and men,
bers of the Protection Lodge, but that
he will take what is due him, though
Inadequate, nevertheless. The dam
ages were awarded for the injury
which had been done the manufactur-
ing concern by the action of the