The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-01-11
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD
Items of General Interest for the Busy Work
ingman and His Friends

ufactuFtng company announced an all
vance in wages Of about five per cent.
The new rate goes into effect Decem'
Der 81. About 5000 are employed.
Lawrence, Mass.-Notice of in.
creases in the wages of 5000 employees
Of the Pacific mills and the l,2OO EN-
ployes Of the Everett mills We're post
ed. The amount of the increase will
be about TX per cent.
Schenectady, N. Y.--The strike at
the General Electric Works Is settled
and the men returned to their places,
The men have waived the reinstate-
ment Of three discharged draughts-
men, for whom the strike was called.
Pittsburg, Pa.-Tha extra Christmas
pay at the mills, furnaces, offices,
stores and factories in the Pittsburg
district exceeded $4,000, 900. This
estimated was furnished by the banks
which make up many of the pay rolls.
Joliet. Ill.-The United States Steel
corporation announced that the wages
of Its 5000 employees in the Joliet mills
will be increased January l. Common
laborers will receive ten cents a day
additional and the other grades Will
be benefited proportionately.
st. Paul, Minn.-RepresentatfVes of
the Brotherhood of Trainmen in the
west are congregating in this city for
the purpose of entering a demand for
an increase in pay. They represent
the lines west Of Chicago. The de-
mands grow out of concessions grant
ed the switchmen by the railroads last
October.
Chicago-Twenty thousand men,
$4,000 of this number living in and
around Chicago, employees Of the Hi
nOis Steel company. We're notified that
the company would put into effect a
ten per cent, increase Of wages Janu-
AIRY /. The increase in wages will add
between 81, 500, 900 and So, 900, 900 per
annum to the %company's pay roll.
Chtcago.-rhis city never was so
free from strikes and lockouts as on
this Christmas. In many cases en-
ployos have voluntarily increased
wages from five to ten per cent, and
in neither the Federation of Labor nor
the Associated Building Trades is
there a strike pending of any magni-
tude.
Salem, Nassau increase of five
per cent. in wages was announced at
the mills Of the Naumkcag Steam Cot
ton company of this city, The in
crease went into effect December 81.
and will apply to about 1900 en-
ployes. The Naumkeag company has
never cut the wages of its mill hands
to conform to the prices paid in other
cities.
Braddock, Pa.-Twenty-siX thousand
employees of the United States Steel
corporation and 1900 wOrkmen of
the Westinghouse industries in this
vicinity had the shortest possible holi-
day this season. Pressure of big Or
ders for quick shipment has kept all
the mills and factories working to the
highest capacity the past four years
almost without cessation Of a day.
Washington.-An important decision
has been rendered by Secretary Straus
Of the department Of commerce and
labor as to the right of a state to in
duce immigration to that state. The
decision holds, in brief, that in the cir
cumstances there is no violation of the
immigration laws or Of the law to pro-
hibit the importation of alien con
tract laborers lin the action of the
state Of South Carolina, in this partic-
ular easel, in encouraging immigra-
tion to that state or in paying the nee
essary expenses of the immigrants in
coming 10 the state.
Easton. Pat was announced here
that the Lehigh Valley Railroad com.
pany had increased the wages of its
employees in the transportation de-
partment. The advance ranges from
10 to 20 per cent. and dates from De-
cember J..
Indianapolis.--It is announced that
the Big Four will grant an increase of
eight per cent. to the engineers over
its entire system. This is said to be
agreeable to the men. The increase
is to become effective on the first Of
the year.
Chicago.-A general demand from
members of the Order Of Railway
Conductors and the Brotherhood of
Railway Trainmen, the two big rail-
way unions, is to be presented to the
arrangements of railways west of Chi
cago. Eight-hour days and an in
crease of Is per cent in wages Is the
demand to be made, which in the ag.
gregate will metn an increase in pay
of nearly 20 per cent Dispatches from
st. Louis received by local railway
men announced that the action was
taken by the railway men in that city
and it is expected that similar de-
mands will be made by the local
unions.
Baltimore, Md.-About 1000 EN-.
pIoStS VI the western MARY ltnu Idli-
road were given a substantial advance
in wages beginning New Years day.
The trainmen, engineers and yardmen
are the workers who gain by the ad-
vance.
Fall River, Mass.-ln a letter to the
employees Of the Bourne mills of this
city. announcing the regular nroft
sharing dividend, Treasurer George A..
Chase informed the operatives that a
ten days vacation would be given
them in the summer of 1907, and that
a so per cent. extra dividend would be
paid In connection Herewith.
Nienna.-Count Andrasy, minister
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