The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-02-01
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD
Items Of General Interest for the Busy Work.
ingman and His Friends.

6oo66SS6G6SSG0
| Spokane.-Hindoo laborers driven
out of British Columbia have begun to
flock into Washington seeking for
work. The immigration officers, faced
with a probable influx of clannish for
eigners who are not wanted, are help
less to prevent their coming, for the
Hindoos have money enough to guar
antee their present needs.
Budapest.-Owing to a threatened
strike of farm laborers in the county
OF Bekes, Hungary, the agricultural
society of that district has decided
unanimously in the event of the labor
ers proving obstinate, to hire 10000
Chinese coolies to replace them. 1t
is extremely doubtful, however, that
the government will permit such a
step.
Boston.-Trades unionists are much
dissatisfied with the operation of the
elght-hour law in this city. At
meeting it was declared that the law
is practically ineffective on the most
important points it is supposed to
cover. It was decided at this meet
ing to employ attorneys to bring civil
action against the city contractors
Who are violating the statute.
Chicago.-The joint conference
board of the international unions in
the printing trades have invited the
photographers to join that body. The
board held a meeting in Indianapolis
and prepared an i, agreement which
will be submitted to the unions inter-
ested for approval This provides for
rules governing the membership of
the five unions.
Berlin.-Whereas, in the seventies
of last century, the 12-hour day was
the rule in the building trade in Ger
many, there were, in 1895, already 436
towns with ten-hour day, 103 with
1Os hours, 818 with II hours and IS
with more than II hours In 1905
there were 247 towns with a nine-hou
day, 293 with nine and one-half hours,
7,643 with ten hours, 1,453 with 10k
hours, 1924 with II hours, and only
lat with over II hours.
Washington.-Thom ]. Dolan, gen.
eral secretary-treasurer of the Nation
al Brotherhood of Steam Shovel and
Dredge Men, with headquarters at
Chicago, called on the isthmian canal
commission and presented the request
for revision of wages of the steam
shovel men at work on the canal The
following increases were asked: En-
gineers, from 1920 to $500 per month;
cranemen, from $3.50 to $3.50 per
month; fremen, from $50 to $11O per
month.
Springfeld.-W D. Mahon of De-
troit, international president of the
street car men, will attend the ses-
sions of the Illinois state legislature
to look after the interests of his mem
bers. The legislature has several
bills before it which the labor men
desire enacted into law. The en-
ployers' liability bill is probably the
most important to the street and
steam railroad men, and they are
urging it's passage. The street car
men have strong lobby at Spring
field
Ottawa, Canada.-Rudolph Lemieux
recently introduced bill in parlia-
ment to prevent strikes in all public
utilities, such as street railways, coal
| mines, steamship lines, and steam rail
roads. The bill empowers the minis
ter of labor to order an investigation
when disputes arise between labor
and capital, and pending this investi-
cation work must proceed. The strike
or lockout must terminate after the
award has been made, and it will be
left to public opinion to have it en-
forced.
Chicago.-Several of the labor
unions of this city have taken action
favoring the restoration of the army
canteen. At a meeting of the car
penters it was resolved chat the de-
privation of the soldiers of their can
teen privileges was a class of slavery
that should be deplored by every lib
erty-loving American"
Chicago-The conference between
the general managers of the western
railroads and the locomotive engi-
neers ended with the announcement
that the railroads had agreed to an
advance in wages for the engineers.
The increase will affect between 49,
900 and 10000 engineers on all rail
roads west of Chicago to the Pacific
coast, north to the Canadian border
and south to the Gulf of Mexico. The
advance will apply to all classes of
engineers. On passenger locomotives
the engineers will receive fve-cent
increase on 10O-mile run. On freight
engines the increase will range be-
tween eight and twelve cents per 100
miles. In all the larger freight yards
the switch engineers will receive adj
ditions of from SO to IS cents a day,
with the assurance that they shall not
be kept out more than IL hours.
New York;. Pierpont Morgan be-
lieves in short workyear While he
has opposed the short workday for
workmen he takes three months every