Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-10-01

@WfN


American Federation of Labor in Fargo,
n. D.
The 300 bridge and girder workers on
strike at Wolverhampton, Eng. recently
resolved not to return to work on the
terms offered.
The International Brotherhood of
Painters and Decorators of America ha
increased its membership more than 6,OOQ
since April l.
San FRANCHISES carpenters will exert
strong efforts to obtain the convention of
the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners in 1910.
According to a recent report of the As
ISOLATED Blacksmiths' Society of Great
Britain, the surplus funds of the organ
ization amounted to over $4,000.
Belfast (Ireland) employers have Civ
en- notice of a reduction of shillings a
week in the wages of iron molders. 1t is
rumored that the men will resist the re-
duction.
Under the revised law governing the
employment of women and children in
Italy, night work is forbidden for all fe-
males and for males of less than fifteen
full years.
There is a movement to organize all
the unskilled workingmen of Montreal,
Canada, into a big federation along the
lines of the Knights of Labor which ex-
listed in that city about twenty years ago.
The railway trackmen are planning for
the establishment of a home for their
aged and INDECENT members. 1t is pro-
posed to acquire a tract of 500 acres near
Fort Scott Kan, as the location for the
institution.
Swansea carpenters and joiners have
made a demand for an advance in wages
of a penny per hour. AS Cancellation
boards now rule the rates of wages in the
British building trades, the matter will
doubtless be settled by Cancellation or ar
bitration.
The officials of the International
Bass Molders' Union, which was organ
lied in October, 1904, report that their
membership has now reached 10000 in
this country. The union has established
sick benefit fund and also a death and
burial fund.
Sacramento, CAL wishes to have a la
Dor temple, and has sent to each union
copy of the plan to raise funds to erect
the structure. 1t is proposed that each
member of a union shall buy $15 worth OF
stock and pay it in sixty monthly in
stallments of % cents.
In Denmark several stoppages of work
have taken effect. Owing to the litho-
graphic workers insisting on eight hours,
which the employers did not see their way
clear to comply WITH they went out, to
which the employers responded by lock-
ing out the men within the printing Tex
cept the daily press), and the paper in
dustries and bookbinding, the men ir
their turn striking at all the daily papers
in the country, except the socialistic.
The Frick Coke Company of Pittsburs
having decided to start up at once 10 per
cent of all its ovens, and requiring 5000
men for that purpose, has sent word to
the cokewOrkers who returned to Hun
gary last fall that they are now wanted.
The Prick people claim that their efforts
to man the ovens with home labor have
proved fruitless. Nevertheless, labor
leaders say that they will force the con.
tract labor law into action to prevent the
unemployment of the men from Hungary.
Socialists and members of labor unions
thorough the country are taking up
the case of Jan Pouren, a Russian revo-
lutionist who recently was arrested in
Philadelphia on the demand of agents Of
the car that he might be extradited and
tried in Russia for high treason. Peti-
tons are in circulation pointing out that
Pouren, being political refugee, should
not be sent back, and urging the federal
authorities to release him. Delegates
from various labor bodies are to present
the petitions to the president.
President Lewis of the United Mine
Workers signed an order calling off the
strike in the coal district of Birmingham
Ala. Thursday, the chief reason given be-
ing that Gov. Conner had prohibited the
use of tents to house the striking miners.
| This and other severe measures employed
by the authorities had discouraged the
strikers. The owners said that most of
the 1900 men would be taken back on
the open shop basis. The 800 militia on
duty for the two months during which
the strike existed were sent home.
At Dunmore, Pa, near Scranton, when
the managers of the Mountain shaft OF
the Pennsylvania Coal Company were
taking to work 800 strike breakers to take
the places of men and boys who had gone
ont as a protest against the discharge of
breaker boy, and because of excessive
docking. a fight took place between the
strikers and the state troops, who had
been called to protect the property of the
company. Several yolleys were fired be-
fore the angry workmen would disperse,
and two women. one carrying a baby,
were mortally wounded.
Labor unions were almost unknown in
Newfoundland up to 1892. Then the
only organization for the protection Of
the employed was the Typographical
Union. Since then, and especially of re-
cent years, unions and societies have
sprung up on all sides.
Owing to the failure of the coal oper-
ators in Wyoming to reach scale agree
nent with the United Mine Workers, all
tbe miners were called out on the 3Oth
to the number Of 1000. The operators
had demanded reduction of - cents
day for some classes of workmen and 10
cents for others.
British coal owners in the federation
area have given notice Of per cent
reduction in wages; the matter will. in
due course. come before the Cancellation
board. Il the parties are unable to agree,
the dispute will probably be referred to
Lord James, of Hereford, as umpire by
the consent of both parties.
Employers of the metal industries in
Finland have had considerable trouble
with the men in some places, and notice
was given last week to the effect that
lockout would be declared for all metal
industries in Finland, outside Helsingfors.
if the metal workers at Jacobstad and