The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-07-11

Marion. Ill,-Contrary to the general
report over the state. the mines will
not be closed owing to the new min
ing law. now in effect on that date and
which provides for the appointment of
a board of three members in each
ccal-mining county. whose duty ii will
be To examine miners as to their COM
poSeccy as practical miners. II was
at first thought that owing to the fact
that the first examining board could
not be appointed and empowered until
the day the law making il violation
for the employment of those not ex-
amiued went into effect, and that
conflict would result. il has just been
given out officially that such will not
be the case. However. some miners,
those who have worked for less than
two years. will be obliged to cease
work until they can be examined.
; Pittsburg. Pa,-Reports from coke
operators in the Connellsville field
show that during the coming week
more than 1900 additional ovens will
be out in blast. calling to work be-
tween $500 and 5000 workmen. The
demand for coke has increased stead
lily since the influx of orders for pig
iron. Prices are firmer and the in
ducement for starting more plants has
been so strong that even the Rafney
interests are preparing to blow in a
block of their ovens which has been
idle for months. The lakewood mine
of the Pittsburg Coal company. near
Carnegie, resumed operations. Two
hundred men are affected.
New YorS-Grand President Frank
]. McNulty of the International Bro
therhood of Electrical Workers urges
the creation of large defense fund.
one so large as to be useful in cases of
differences between employers and
employees. He also advocates the CEN
tralizing of sick and death benefit
funds, He holds that if such funds
were paid from the treasury of the in
ternational body. instead of being paid
by the individual unions. better results
would obtain. and that it would then
be possible TO raise death benefits
from 500 to $500 and sick and disabili-
ty benefits from S. to $40 week.
London. Eng.-From a report on
British trade unions recently issued,
1t is shown that this form of labor or
sanitation is steadily increasing in
membership and strength. Returns
were received for 1906 from CAS- unions
with a membership of 1,71s.o3l, an in
crease of 1852 over the report of the
previous year. Their income for the
same period was approximately $13.-
10000. an increase of $7S0.000. Their
expenditures aggregated $11, 400. 900.
or $l,10o.000 less than the year previ-
Gus, AT the present time the funds of
these unions total about sas. 900. 900.
Canton. nl.-National President
Lewis of the United Mine Workers in
the course of an address at the miners
celebration here. said: One of the
two worst enemies of organized labor
is organized labor itself because of the
tendency of some supporters to criti-
else the faults of their fellows rather
than to commend their virtues. and the
other is the abnormal appetite of some
members for strong drink. which pre-
vents clear Judgment on any question"
Mobile. Ala.-The twentieth an
nual convention of the International
PreSsmen and Assistants Union of
North America adjourned. The law
committees report was made at this
session. and over as amendments were
suggested. but very few were adopted
The finance committee made its an
nual report, showing the International
union to be in fairly good condition.
New Haven, Conn.-The announce
ment is made in railroad labor circles
here that q coalition has been accom-
plished in the allied trades ON the
New York. New Haven & Hartford
railroad system and that all trolley
employees will work in harmony with
the organizations on the steam road.
Labor men claim that $4,000 trolley
employees and $4,000 men on the steam
system have been brought under one
controlling body.
Wsshington.-The American FEEDER
alton of Labor has filed in the dis
trict court of appeals the transcript
of record in its appeal from the de-
cision of the district supreme court
in the case of the Buck Stove &
Range company of St Louis against
the federation. in which the lower
court had restrained the labor organ
ixation from publishing in its Fedora
ZIONIST the company's name as ''un-
fair"
Boston. Mass.-The International
Ladies' Garment Workers union will
hold its convention in this city next
year, In the interval special attention
is to be paid TO local organizing work
by the local organizers and also by
special International organizers.
Chicago.-To solve the problem of a
normal living wage in city like Chi.
cago or New York an Investigation
was recently conducted by a commit
tee of charity workers, sociologists
and college professors. 1t showed that
$656 a year was the normal minimum
wage for a fair standard of living for