The wageworker., 1910-01-22

Philadelphia.-At a special meeting
of the board of directors of the Phila-
delphia Rapid Transit Company held
here, it was decided to give $500 free
insurance to all employees in the serv-
ice of the company 1t was also de-
cided to give pensions of $40 month
to all employees who have been 25
years in the employ OF the company
and have attained the age of 65 years.
A new scale Of wages, to become ef-
fectfve on July 1, 1910, was also
adopted. On that date the wages of
motormen and conductors, which have
been % cents an hour, will be In
creased to % cents. These wages will
be increased one cent an hour every
two years until the maximum of Is
cents an hour is reached. A similar
increase will be granted the employees
Of the elevated road. The maximum
for motormen on the latter line will
be 28 cents an hour
indianapolis additional paid
organizers Of the Journeymen Bar
bers' International union, headquar-
ters of which are in this city, will
start out in the field next Monday.
The country has been divided into
four districts-eastern, central, west
ern and Canadian, and an organizer
will be placed in each of these dis
tricts. There will also be a general
organizer, who will travel in these va
rious districts. The BARRIERS interna-
tional Is showing substantial growth,
having issued ten new charters since
November 1. The charters were Is
sued to locals in the following cities:
Anadarko, Okla; Columbia, Mo-;
Lethbridge, Alberta; New Rochelle, N.
y; Charlerooi, Pa; Mangum, Okla;
North Yakima, Wash, and Hutchin-
son, Kan.
Chicago.-No increase will be grant
ed the switchmen in the Chicago dis
trict unless it should come through
board of arbitration. The managers
submitted their proposition to the
union committee, and in substance 1t
refused every demand which the union
made. The demand of the men for
time and one-half for overtime and
Sundays was answered by the state
gers and freight the railroads got no
extra compensation for holidays and
that work performed on such days
must be regarded as regular work and
paid for at regular rates.
South Bethlehem, Pa.-As a result
of conference between General Man
ager Mcguire of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad Company and committee of
conductors, the conductors will re-
ceive substantial increases in their
pay. Ten hours instead of IL will
constitute a days work. Passenger
conductors will receive $500 day in
stead of $3.50 Through freight con-
ductors will be paid $3.50 instead of
three dollars, and the wages of local
freight conductors will be increased
from $3.55 to 1885 About 1900 men
will benefit.
San Francisco.-Every law pertain
ing to or bearing on labor and in
force in California at the present
time has been condensed into one
small compact volume by the state
labor commissioner. This is to meet
a constant and increasing demand for
such a publication by lawyers, public
officials and others interested in vari-
Gus ways.
Boston.-Thirty-fi hundred con-
ductors and motormen employed by
the Boston Elevated Railroad Com
pany received New Years gifts from
the company of so and $25 respec-
lively as reward for good records in
1909 The company distributed this
year $4,000.
Sacramento, Cal.-At the next meet
ing Of the federated trades council an
effort will be made to amend the con-
stitution to the extent of making it
| obligatory for every delegate to wear
a unfon-made hat.
Boston.-More than 100 delegates
will represent New England at the
| biennial convention of the railroad
clerks, to be held at New Orleans next
| April
westinghouse convention of the
International Transport Workers
| Federation meets in Copenhagen Den
! mark, next August.
Laramie, Wyo.-a state federation
comprising in it's membership about
| 5000 miners was, organized recently
| IN wyoming.
| New York-Organizers are. at work
| in this city trying, to form an interna-
tional union of typewriters and stenog-
raphers.,
| Augusta, Me.-A new eight-hour law
has gone into effect in the mills and
factories of this state. The running
time hitherto has been so hours
| weekly.
| observation-disclosures has almost
| 10000 trade unionists
| Washington.-Since the adjourn
ment of the American Federation OF
Labor convention, renewed activity in
the ranks of the International Mill
Employers union has resulted in the
| return to the union of five locals, that