The wageworker., 1909-10-16

workers mad q membership OF 246, ,6OZ
September 1, a gain of 51,654 during
the fiscal year, according to the an
nual report of Secretary Edwin Perry,
made to Secretary Frank Morrison of
the American Federation of Labor,
The report covers the year from Sep
telnber l, 1908, to September 1, 1909,
and appears in the current issue of
the United Mine Workers Journal. 1t
shows that the number of charters is
sued to locals since September 1, 1908
was 1853, and the number of charters
surrendered was 1877. The number of
strikes during the year was between
thirty and forty, and two-thirds of all
strikes were won. The number of
persons involved in the strikes ranged
from 800 to 5000. The cost of strikes
during the year is shown to have been
$472,1S9.09. Six local and two general
injunctions were issued against mem
bers of the organization during the
year.
Chicago.-Suit for $4,000 damages
against the w. B. Conkey Company
was begun in the superior court by
Edward E. Bessette, a member of the
Chicago Typographical union. Bes-
sette alleges that the concern libeled
him in circular published recently at
Hammond, Ind. warning striking
bookbinderh that ii they interfered
with the operation of the defendant
nompany'a plant they might expect to
receive the punishment meted out to
Bessette, who was fined and sent to
prison" According to Attorney John
J.. sonsteby. Bessette was fined on a
contempt citation eight years ago be-
fore Judge Baker in the United States
district court at indianapolis,
Butte Mont-As a result of juris-
diotion fight between the Western
Federation of Miners and the hoisting
engineers four~flfths Of the mines Of
the Butte district were closed. A ma
iority of the members of the eng1-
neers' union have seeded from the
Western Federation OF Miners and or
ganized a new union. The Butte
Miners union ordered it's members not
to go to work in mines employing
members of the new engineer body.
Unless the men settle their differences
soon all the smeiters at Anaconda
and Great Falls and In this city will
close and more than $4,000 men will
be out of employment.
Pittsbu1g, Pa.-Representative of
the Glasa Bottle Blowers association
and the manufacturers reached a
wage agreement which with slight
notifications ia practically the 1905
scale. This agreement came after a
four.daya' conference. The manufac-
turers opened their plants at once,
and most Of the 10000 men out of
employment in this industry resumed
work, At the conference in July tho
manufacturers demanded a large re-
duotion, but the blowers refused to
accept. with the result that all tho
factories have since been closed.
Helsingfors. Finland.-In textile
trades two-thirde Of the work is done
by women: in the paper trade one
third of the labor Is female. In the
eawmills one-tenth OF the hands are
female. Forty per cent. Of the bakers
are women, and 80 are IS per cent. OF
the brewers. Women represent So
per cent of tobacco factory hands.
During the last ten years female la
Dor In Finland has increased by 20
per cent, partly due to the great sur
plus of women, and partly to the emil
grafton Of men.
New York.-The international Typo
graphical union was organized in 1850;
the hatters, finishers, etonecutters and
tackmakere' unions, 1854: iron mold
ers, 1859: Brotherhood Of Locomotive
Engineers, 1858: oignr makers, 1884;
brioklayers and masons, 1865; railway
conductors, 1868; locomotive f1reEen.
1873: horseshoers, 1875; iron and steel
workers. 1879: window glass blowers,
1877; granite cutters. 1887, and rail-
way trainmen. 1883.
Hammond. Ind.-The 200 bindery
girls employed by the W. B. Conkey
Company, who agreed to strike in
sympathy with the men who walked
out for eight-hour shifts and the same
wages an paid in Chicago, were dis
suaded from their course by tho men
themselves, who said that no good
| could come of a walk-out. Seventy
one of the men sued the company for
pay alleged to have been duo before
| the strike started,
Chicago.-John L. Sullivan OF the
| Sullivan Boiler and Tank works asked
the superior court for an Injunction
restraining labor officials, who recent.
| ly called strike at his plant, from
interfering with his business. Several
| of the Sullivan employees were not
union men and a strike was called
| September 16. Sullivan charged Do
heny attempted to intimidate the
| workmen VINO remained loyal to the
| company.
New York.-The Retail Clerks In
| ternat1onal Protective association has
| decided to put on an extra assessment
| on the members for the purpose of
creating defense fund. The growth
of the clerks association has been
phenomenal, A referendum vote will
soon be taken to elect national secre-
tary to OCCUPY the chair recently va
Gated hy the death Of Max Morris.