Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-01-06


The Ouray mine managers are now
making arrangements preparatory to
the change. The adoption of the
tight-hour in the mills of the latter
city are FASTENED by the fact that mill
men were leaving there and going to
Telluride to take advantage Of the
shorter workday now prevailing at
that place.
An assessment of 81 per man has
been laid upon the entire membership
of the International Association of Ma
chinists to raise fund in aid of the
members of the organization who are
on strike against the Santa Fe Rail-
way Company. The Santa Fe strike.
though comparatively quiet affair,
has been one of the most stubbornly
contested of labor's recent battles.
Only members of the machinists'
union are on strike, the trainmen and
engineers not being involved.
Twenty-Five independent special or
der clothing firms of Chicago signed
an agreement with the Garment Work
ers Union to pay the union scale to
their 5000 employees. All the condi-
lions in force the last year will be OBJ
served by the employers until Jan. l,
1906 and they will use the union label
on their products. The unions gain
ing the agreement have 10000 other
members on strike in forty-three con-
Germs in the National Wholesale Cloth
ing Manufacturers Association.
The American Sheet and Tin Plate,
company have started thirty-seven tin
plate mills. But seven of the 242
mills are now idle. OF the idle mills
five are at Sharon, Pa, and two at
Martins Ferry, Ohio. These likely
week, and for the first time in the his
tory of the company or its predeces-
sor, the American Tin Plate company,
every mill will be in full operation.
The mills resumins were at Ander-
son, Ind. Elwood. Ind; New Kensing-
ton, Pa, and Connellsville. Pa.
THE joint trade agreement. is the
only means of preserving industrial
peace and tile great corporations of
the country must set the pace in such
matters" Such was the sentiment
voiced by Francis l.. Robbins, presi-
dent of the Pittsburg Coal company,
at recent banquet in Pittsburg. The
circumstances under which the declar-
alton was made adds to its signifi-
canoe, because the men to whom 1t
was made were the mine managers,
the superintendent and the officials
of the great company which Mr.. Rob-
bins represents.
Presidents Keller of the City Letter
Carriers union and Cunningham of
the Rural Letter Carriers association
have been removed from Office for
cause by Postmaster General Wynne.
The dismissal is the result of an in
vestigation of charges of insubordina.
tion,. of being absent from duty with
out leave, and of violation of the Pres
ident's order of Jan. 81, 1902, prohib
of government employees to influence
legislation or to solicit increase of
pay. The matter may finally be
brought to the attention of the Presi-
dent.
A well-known writer on trade union
subjects has been doing some figuring
which he used in the following man.
ner: A conservative estimate of the
number of organized wage-earners and
the amount they earn-and of neces-
sity spend-shows in truly startling
manner the tremendous power they
could WELD if their wages were al
ways spent after they had given due
thought to their best interests. TAX
ing the 2,250,000 members of trade
unions, aid basing their wages at
5 150 per day for 500 days in the year.
we find that this gives them q pur-
chasing strength of 2,5O0,0GO per
year. This sum-so great that it is
difficult and well-nigh Impossible to
appreciate it's inhuence-if used to
pay rent for homes built by union la
Dor and in purchasing the necessities
Of life, that were manufactured or
procured by organized workmen,
would soon work revolution in every
in the land.
United States Consul General F.
Auckland, New Zealand,
has reported to this government a
lew system of preventing railroad
collisions He says: AN interesting
change has recently been made in the
signaling system in New Zealand's
which 1t is thought will make
collisions absolutely impossible. For
long time, up to recent date, what
S known as the block system has
,een generally used, but the tablet
ystem has now been introduced. The
essential point in the new system
S that no engine driver is allowed to
cave a station without tablet in his
and the element of safety
ests on the fact that the machines
re so made that it is impossible for
wo of the tablets to be out at the
anne time. If driver leaves Auck-
and for Newmarket with tablet
hat tablet has to be deposited in the
Machine at Newmarket before another
ablet is issued allowing a return
rain to leave that station for Auck-