The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26

lars a day from sun-up to shutdown.
To-day the union has $4,000 members,
who receive from three dollars to five
dollars a day of eight hours.
Birmingham, Ala. - The trades
unions are agitating for repeal of
the system, in vogue for a number of
years. of compelling students in the
high schools and in the state universe
ties to pay tuition or get out. The Ia
Dor people say it has operated to keep
out of the schools altogether the very
children the common schools aim tc
reach.
New York.-The New York Labor
Bulletin. just issued by the department
of labor, gives the number of organ
lied men and women in the Empire
state as 39S,494 About two-thirds OF
all the trade unionists in the state are
situated in the city of New York.
which has CTS organizations, with
260,008 members. In four counties
Hamilton, Lewis, Schoharie and
Schuyler-there are no labor unions.
Danville, Ill.-Judge James w.
SIdiS, VI Tic CITCuil COURT, HAS Icu-
dered decision which settles what is
meant by 1.-The prevailing rate of
wages" and, incidentally gives a
boost to trade unions. The decision is
to the effect that tine only scale of
wages known to the general public is
that maintained by the unions. and.
unless otherwise stipulated in con-
tract, union wages must be the stand
ard of wages figured on.
earners directly concerned in strikes
and lock-outs begun in the last quar-
ter Of 1906 (9.1O0) is very small COM
pared with the number that obtained
improved conditions of employment
without any stOppage of work. Every
important railway company, for ex-
ample, has adopted new wage sched-
ule providing for the higher wages
or shorter hours, or both, asked for by
hut the single instance of the Buffalo
yards was there any interruption Of
work.
San Francisco-Hostility of the
Southern Pacific company to organized
labor unionism was admitted before
the arbitration board which consid-
cred the demands made by the teie-
graph operators of the road. General
Superintendent Palmer, in response to
structions were given by the general
manager over a year ago to the end
that no dispatcher or other employee
could expect promotion to an Official
position as long as he retained his con.
nection with labor organization, and
that he must show his willingness to
take the side of the company as
against an organization or to be abso
lutely independent.
Chicago.-All danger of a strike
which threatened to tie up the entire
west has been averted. A settlement
was reached by the railways making a
slight concession to the employees
which was gladly accepted and peace
was declared. The men accept the
ten per cent. increase offered by the
railways and by the concession grant
ed some of the employees will get the
full u per cent that the men were
demanding. The only point on which
the men lost is in their demand for a
ninehour day, which demand they
waived in the interest of peace. Each
side can claim a victory, but the en-
ployes would seem to have the better
claim, as they have added $500, 900
annually to their incomes.
Chicago.-A general demand all
over the country for nine-hour work
day with the present pay has been
made by the Brotherhood of Silver
Workers.
Washington. Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, is now engaged in the prep
aration of the manuscript for work
on the origin, rise and progress of Or
ganiZed labor in this country, giving a
complete review OF union labor and
what it has accomplished for the Ia
boring man. In all probability the
work will take up two or three large
volumes.
Chicago.-The general managers of
81 western railways gave their locomo-
tive firemen a general wage increase
averaging slightly over ten per cent,
representing an addition to the annual
pay roll of the combined roads of
81 900. 900. The men waived their de-
mands for a nine-hour day with the
granting OF the wage increase. The
change affects $4,000 men, Firemen in
switching yards and on construction
trains will work two hours less day.
The firemen are the last of the broth
erhoods to receive a wage advance
from the general managers.
Chicago.-Many members of the
United Association of Plumbers, Gas
Filters and Steam Filters are urging
that the organization establish home
for the aged and infirm. along the
same lines as the typos.
San Francisco.-The board of arbi
tration which has been considering
the dispute between the Southern Pa
cific company and the Order of Rail