The wageworker., 1906-10-12
NEWS OF TRADE AND LABOR
General Information Concerning Those Who Are Doing
of the World

The success of trades unions in rails
ing wages may be shown by the fol-
lowing facts: In 1850 the average fac
tory wages were $247 year; in 1890,
$446. Wages in cotton factories in
1880 were A cents a day; in 1873,
s1.40.
Because the officers of the Republic
iron and steel mills at East Chicago
objected to the presence of union
agents, the engineers went on strike
and tied up the entire plant. The mill
has been run on the open-shop basis,
and it was feared that the strike
would spread to other steel in
dustries.
Unless the Grain Exporters associa.
tion increases the wages of members
of the Grain Handlers union from 35
cents to 40 cents an hour the Port
land (Ore) water front will be in
vOlved in strike affecting between
1000 and 1,20O men. The employers
say that if the grain handlers walk out
men will be imported from Puget
sound to take their places.
| From the headquarters of the
| American Federation of Labor, a re-
DolJ 10 IuduS DIS W Tic SIdlS VI GILL
ployment during the last month. The
| report states that of the 500 unions
| making returns for that month, with
an aggregate membership of 63,500,-
| there was IA per cent. without en-
| ployment. In the preceding month
| 937 unions, with membership of 85,-
| 800, reported 1.5 per cent. unem
| ployed
1t is reported that the bricklayers'
unions of New York city are about to
establish permanent headquarters for
a general secretary and treasurer.
They also propose to create board
which shall examine into the qualifi-
cations of all applicants for member
| ship of the unions. 1t is said that this
| procedure has become necessary, as
the city is overrun with incompetent
| bricklayers, who, as stated by a secre-
tary of one of the unions, were for
merly peanut venders, car conductors,
| bootblacks and laborers.''
I'VE, the committee of the Switch
mems Union of North America, repre-
senting the switchmen employed on
your system, respectfully submit the
following for your consideration, and
demand that we be given a hearing on
or before 12 o'clock noon, October %,
1906: Article 1. Eight hours to con-
stitute days work at the following
rates of pay: Foremen, 40 cents an
hour; helpers, 3S cents an hour Over
time to be paid for at the above rates.
Strict seniority to prevail, the switch
men longest in service shall have pref
| n1I.
posed represents an increase in pay
of about 20 per cent, with a shorten
ing of time from 12, Ia and 16 hours
day to a universal eeight hour day"
Impetus has been given to the la,
Dor movement in politics by President
| Roosevelts order directing the rigid
| enforcement of the eight hour law"
declared Samuel Gompers, president of
the American Federation of labor. 'It
certainly will encourage labor to pur-
sue it's work of organization in the
campaign, which has been mapped out
in the hope that larger degree of
| justice may be attained" 1t is under
stood the order is meant particularly
to meet conditions in the interior de-
partment, which has charge of reclaim
alton work in the arid land regions of
the west, where it was charged the
eight hour law was not observed.
Buildings erected under the treasury
department are also public works
where the eight hour law must be en-.
forced.
Information has been received that
Conductor E. P. Curtis, of the NJ, K.
& T. at Smithville, Tex, will be ap-
pointed grand senior conductor of the
Order of Railway Conductors of the
United States to succeed A. P. Clark,
who vacates that Office to take posi-
ton on the interstate commerce COM
mission, to which he was recently ap-
pointed by President Roosevelt. Mr..
Curtis is one of the best known rail-
road men in the southwest, and was
formerly chairman of the o. r. C.
grievance committee on the NJ, K. &
T. railroad.
The right of labor unions and their
sympathizers to call on their friends to
withhold patronage from a nonunion
tradesman has been declared legal by
: Justice Stafford in the district SUI
preme court of Washington, D. c.. In
making this decision Justice Stafford
dismissed the temporary injunction
against the bakery and confectionery
workers international union, which
had been obtained by a baker who al
legged that he was being harassed by
means of systematic boycott, and
that many of his customers had been
asked to trade elsewhere. The prin-
: ciple at stake, the justice suggested,
was the right of individual liberty.
The last annual convention of the
| Pottery Workers association placed
ban on the practice of holding raff1es
for the purpose of raising money.
, At the recent meeting of American
labor commissioners, stat.sticians,
etc., at Boston, the adoption of the
, Dominion fair wage schedule was high
ly praised and many decided to advise
it's adoption.
| The Iabn I1niODS of