The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-04-17
BY Peter Power.

Il II workingmen want to know
something about the ravages that
tuberculosis is causing in their
ranks they should send for Bulle-
tin No. 70. Just issued by the bu-
reau of labor, department of
commerce and labor, and read
what Mr.. Frederick l.. Hoffman,
an expert on this subject, discov-
cred in his Investigations.
II Some medical men have been
saying that an average of one
workingman In ten dies of con-
sumption. That would be bad
enough, but Mr.. Hoffman makes
the startling declaration-after
carefully studying conditions in
AZ occupations-that nearly 10
per cent of all males who die at
10 years or over are victims of
consumption.
But the mortality in the So
called dusty trades Is truly alarm
ing. A fraction less than 81 per
cent of the workers employed in
occupations where they inhale
metallic dust, such as metal pol
ishers, brass workers, printers,
etc., are carried away by the
white plague. The workers
among whom the highest death
rate from consumption exists are
the grinders. just about one-half
of them becoming victims of the
disease.
The most dangerous period, &C.
cording to this government ex-
pert, is between the ages Of rs
and "a years. The proportion of
d,aths from consumption for that
age group is 57-2 per cent among
those exposed to metallic dust, a.
condition that is almost beyond
belief. The mortality lists among
those exposed to mineral dust,
such as stonecuters, and vegeta-|
bye fiber dust, as weavers and
garment workers, are slightly
lower.
Mr.. Hoffman estimates that by
the adoption of intelligent meth
DDS of ventilation and dust re-
moval alone fully 22,238 human
lives could be saved annually.
Figuring the economic value of
a human Fife at the low rate of
5000 year, this expert shows
that the economic gain to the
nation would represent the enor-
nous total of SOS, $4,000 as the
aggregate annual financial value
in the probable saving in years
of adult human life.
A new idea in the strike line
has been given to the country by
/, the Colorado State Farmers
, union. At their recent conven-
> ton in Pueblo the farmers made
demand for an increase of
: wages or prices for raising sugar
beets, declaring that not a pound
of that product would be deriv-
cred short of IS per ton flat rate.
OF course, without sugar beets
the American sugar beet combine
could neither produce saccharine
products nor keep its stock at
par. So the trust yielded and
the labor power of the union
farmers of Colorado will this
year yielded about $3'5O,O00 more
than in 1908.
This is one of the few instances
on record where wealth produc-
ers have whipped a trust to a
standstill. The cotton growers
and tobacco raisers are trying to
emulate the example of the beet
sugar producers, and this Colo
RADIO victory is sure to attract
the attention of the agriculturists
of the whole country. Mark the
prediction: Inside of five years
the American farmers will, from
the organization standpoint, have
all the other producers beat a
mile.
Il An all-British labor movement
is in process of formation. The
q Canadian organizations are being
sounded by the British labor par
ty upon the proposition of hold
= ing congress in London next
year to amalgamate the labor
forces of England, Scotland, Ire
land, Wales, Canada, Australia
? South Africa( India and lesser
countries under the British flag.
9 This worlds movement is to be
political as well as industrial.
Home rule, opposition to war
and an Industrial democracy will
be some of the principal issues
that will be promulgated.