Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-01-19

Twenty of the leading builders and
contractors Of Lancaster. Pa, have sign
ed a working agreement with the local
Carpenters Union.
The biennial convention Of the Grand
of the brotherhood of Railroad
Freight and Baggagemen of America was
held In Lancaster, Pa. .'
For the first time since the great strike
twenty years ago, the c., b. Q. railway
has recognized the engineers, an agree
nent having been made with the broth
.rhood recently.
Per capita tax was paid for 3O5.ooo
members In the United Mine Workers
for the month Of November. Eighty
thousand of these are in the anthracite
fields. This is the largest number in
the history Of the organization.
Machinists and other workers are in
demand at the new shops of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad Company at Cayre, Ia.
Several men left to seek employment
elsewhere recently, and the ompany
seems to have difficulty in obtaining 9TH
ers.
The Western Federation of Miners
claim credit for the favorable decisions
obtained in Nevada and Missouri, the
elSnt-nOur laWS OIL NHIcH Sth'SS CIV
been declared constitutional. The miners
say they spent thousands Of dollars to OBJ
tain the results. r.. aas.
The proffer of 40 cents an. hour after
May /. next, an increase of five cents an
hour, voluntarily made by the Master
Carpenters Association of Philadelphia
to those of their journeymen who would
agree to have nothing to do with sympa-
thetic strikes, has been rejected by the
District Council of Carpenters, with q
membership Of 1900.
Charles Moore is champion cord-woed
cutter of Berks county, Pa, Mt the pres
emit time. He has a record OF 2o,Ouu
cords of wood since he has been IN pusi-
Tess. He supplies the city OF Readlng.
He pays his laborers at an average price
IF 60 cents a cord. A few experts can
| .ut four cordsra day. The average Is a
title above two cords.
The strike Of, the cigarmakers of San
! francisco to secure an increase, In their
schedule of, prices has ended, the UNION
having succeeded in securing the consent
Of all manufacturers to pay the new
rates. There were about 100 cigarmak-
ers on strike in the various, Ia ctoEies'
and these men returned to work promptly
when their employers signed the unipn
schedule. .g.E$@ ~ 80
No other branch Of the steel industry
has made such rapid progress in the mst
five years as wire. Five years ago the
country was consuming about 10000 tons
of wire for fencing purposes. Last year
about $4,000 tons were sold. This IL
/ but one instance OF the rapid strides OF
the wire Industry, the capacity OF the
mills having increased 81 per cent since
the organization of the United States
Steel Corporation.
Labor unions are organized for tbs
protection OF workiug-nen and women
not to antagonize the interests OF employ
ers. Workingmen are part of the masses
of the people, and their interests arr
not separate from the interests and wei
fare of society. Workingmen and WON
en- are producers, but they nre also con
sumers, and measures that, tend to ad
vance their interests MS producers mus
result to their advantage as consumers
In almost every wooden manufacturing
center in New England a new and high
er scale OF wages was put In force witt
the beginning Of the new year. This ad
vance In wage will involve nm n
increase in pay rolls Of approximatel,
$500, O0O. About 5000 mill operatives
participate in the increase, at q percent
4 age ranging from 6 to 10. In a majorit,
of cases the increase was made VSluntar
lily by tho manufacturers, although de
mands for increased wages q beer
made at many of the mills.
Grand Chief Warren 8. Stone of thu
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineer
says that there Is no let-up In the scare
ity of engineers at present prevailing al
over the country. Besides" he says
mo relief is in sight. The brotherhood
now has requests for $50 engineers from
railroads, none of which requests car
be cared for" As to the cause, Mr.
Stone says: "The men are not to be
found. Few men who lenve school care
to tackle the monster engines of the day
The work Is too strenuous