The wageworker., 1908-02-28

requires interstate railroads 10 pldce
their train dispatchers on nine-hour
schedule. A ruling by the interstate
commerce commission practically de-
stroyed the hope of several railroads
to have the day put off until they can
provide themselves with extra en-
ployes and make arrangements for
putting on nine-hour Shifts-a duty
they say it has been impossible to per-
form up to the present. The decision
by the commission settles a controver-
sy that has been on for several weeks
between the heads of certain railroads
and that body, and unless congress in
tervenes with an extra proviso to the
law passed last March the railroads
will have to come to time on March
and arrange their telegraphy shifts in
such manner that no man shall serve
more than nine hours out of "a in
offices operated night and day.
Chicago.-In spite of reductions in
all departments of the railroads dur
ing the last two months of last year.
when the financial stringency was
most keenly felt, reports of earnings
and expenditures of the road filed
close the fact the aggregate amount
paid by the roads in salaries far ex-
ceeded that of previous years, and
reached the immense sum of $1,041,-
10000. This aggregate pay roll in
cluded the names of 1,6O7,78 employees
over $4,000 miles of track, or "a per
cent of the total mileage of the com
pany The average yearly salary for
1907 was $647.
Washington.-There is at present
before congress bill regulating child
labor in the District of Columbia.
Among intelligent persons there is no
longer any difference of opinion as to
the evils resulting from this form of
| labor-eyils to the individual affected
and to the whole social system as well
and nearly every state has some
legislation more or less effective in
remedying these evils. Still, there is
vast room for improvement, particu-
| larly in the mill districts of the south,
and it is to be hoped that the good
work will go on.
| London, England.-In England the
strike of hatters terminated some
what unexpectedly, but the terms are
creditable to both parties and resulted
| in an agreement for five years. The
agreement provides that the terms
! and conditions in force on July 80 last
| shall remain in force for five years
from that date. Employers are to find
work for all the old hands and ap-
prentices are to be fairly distributed
over all departments.
Boston-An effort is being made to
| bring all the teamsters' unions into
| one big joint council. Some of the
biggest and strongest of the teamsters
! unions have not been members of the
local council, owing to certain conten-
tions, and their demand for enforce
ment of law adopted at the last con-
| vention.
London, EngIand.-One of the first
| fruits of the railway settlement in
England is the action of the Midland
Railway company's order relating to
| Sunday duty. In certain limited
sense six-day week is established;
the grades required to work seven
days a week are to receive extra pay
for Sunday duty.
! |"
Iron and Steel company posted notices
that it would start up its pipe and roll
ing mills at Columbia, near here, and
its rolling mill at York. The plants
employ from 200 to $500 men.
New Bedford, Mass.-For the pur-
pose of adopting some measures of re-
lief for weavers who are working on
short time in the cotton and yarn
| mills here, the executive board of the
! weavers' unions issued a call for a
meeting of the unions. The call states
that some heads of families have only
from a day to a day and half of
work q week and that there is much
suffering.
Chicago-Two thousand men were
put to work when the plate, slab and
structural mills of the Illinois Steel
company in South Chicago were re-
opened Five thousand more men will
| be put to work at once, according to
William A. Field, the general superin-
| tendent The men who were given en-
ployment were laid of three weeks
ago when the mills were closed for re-
pairs.
Springfield, O.-The American Seed
ing Machine company has resumed
normal operations in each of its four
factories in Springfield, Richmond,
Ind; Louisville, KY, and Shortsville,
IN. Y. The Springfield plant of the
American Radiator company has re-
eumed full operations after shut
down of two months.
Washington.-Order have been is
sued at the navy department to put
into effect . furlough system at the
| Washington navy yard as a means Of
amelforating the conditions arising
| from a lack of funds to carry ON the
rolls, the full force of employees needed
at the yard. BY this system each en-
ploye will lose several days a month,
hut all will ha retained on the rolIs