The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-02-26
A Brief Review Of Some Of
Labor's Important Battles
FIGHTFOR EIGHT HOUR DAY
Splendid Contest waged by the Printers
for Shorter Workday---What the Min
ers Accomplished--Tendency Of
Ways Has Been Upward

Grant In the Chicago Record Herald.
Most important among these, at least
In point of numbers, was the strike Of
coal miners, which took place April
and involved approximately 100000
men. The miners in the bItuminous
coal fields demanded q restoration OF
the wages paid them In 1908. In 1904
the bituminous miners accepted a re-
duction Of sos and signed a contract
for two years on that basis. The opera
tors admitted that the reduction had
not benefited them, as they had been
forced 10 make reduction in prices to
the railroads and other large consum-
ers, and the miners determined to
have the old wages restored. The OPP
orators eontended that there was moth
ing In the market conditions 10 war
rant an increase; that coal was selling
lower than when the reduction in
wages was made, and after two weeks
Of argument at Indianapolis the joint
conference broke up without an agree
ment being reached.
Believing that a strike Of such pro-
portions would seriously interfere with
the commercial interests Of the country,
President Roosevelt requested both
sides to meet again and make another
effort to adjust their differences. The
second conference was held In Indian
apolis In March, but neither side would
yield, and after three weeks Of fruit
less argument both sides prepared for
/ the cessation Of work which appeared
inevitable.
For two months, during April and
May, the situation remained unchang-
ed in the bituminous fields, the oper-
ators making little attempt to procure
| nonunion men. When the supply of
coal was nearly exhausted and both
sides grew tired Of the prolonged idle
ness a settlement was reached which
gave the men the wage increase they
! demanded The miners made some
concessions in the way OF working
conditions, especially in Illinois, which
the operators claimed about Offset the
wage increase, but the strike was gen
orally regarded as a victory for the
miners.
The dispute in the anthracite regions
came about when the award OF the ar
bitration board appointed by Presi.
dent Roosevelt in 1902 expired. as the
men had no working agreement. De
mands were made for an increase In
wages, which the operators refused. al
though they offered TO renew the arbi-
! tratIon board award. All work was
suspended for about month while
I negotiations were carried on between
the operators and officials Of the Unit
I ed Mine Workers, and the men finally
I agreed to continue work under the old
conditions. The outcome Of the dis
pute was that the United Mine Work
ers secured recognition from the an
thracite operators for the FIRST time in
the existence Of the organization, but
the men got no increase In wages.
Another strike OF national Importance
was that of the printers for an eight
hour day. The strike became general
Jan. /, although 1t was in effect in
number of cities before that date, being
forced by the employers. 1t has been
carried on with the utmost tenacity by
both sides since that time and has cost
the international Typographical union
close TO $3,000000. The number OF
men involved at the start was about
10000, and about one-third Of that
number is still on the payroll.
The membership OF the international
Typographical union. however, Is AZ
O00 and more than 10000 of that num-
Der are now working under the eight
hour plan. The officers of the organi-
cation claim that the shorter workday
! is established, but 1t Is true that 10
number OF the larger cities the big
/ shops are filled with nonunion men
working on the open shop plan. In
| Chicago there are more union printers
at work today than there were before
the strike began, but a dozen shops,
\ two or three Of them being among the
largest in the city, are nonunion. The
men have no idea OF giving NJ the
struggle, however and they expect TO
eventually bring into line the nonuniop
shops.
| The tendency TO increase wages noted
In Chicago has prevailed in all sections
Of the country. Most OF the railroads
have granted advances. as have the
largest corporations in manufacturing
lines, so that fair estimate OF the in
crease granted labor In the past year
may be placed at $60000,000. Part Of
4 this increase has come voluntarily
from employers where their men were
not organized, but three-fourths Of it is
the respit OF organized effort on the
part % the men through their trades
unionE,
The membership Of labor unions
throughout the country shows in most
Instances slight increase over last
year, although the figures do not come
up 10 those OF 1903. During that year
the membership Of unions affiliated
with the American Federation Of la.
Dor reached the high water mark, and
they fell off In the two years following.
Toward the end Of the year 1904 and
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