The wageworker., 1910-01-22

Boston-Several hundred thousand
operatives in mills and factories OF
Massachusetts and Rhode Island be-
gan work on shorter schedule OF
working hours in consequence of the
new 56-hour laws passed by the last
two state legislatures becoming effec-
tive. While the new statute applies
only to women and minors, the manu-
facturers find it impossible to separ-
ate the departments so that the men
can work longer than the women and
children, and have therefore brought
all their operatives under the new
schedule, which allows them to work
not more than Sc hours a week. In
Rhode Island it is estimated that the
10000 operatives affected will lose
total of 2,080,000 working hours
year. Many of the great textile mills
in Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River and
New Bedford, had already reduced
their working hours in conformity to
the policy OF curtailment of produc'
ton.
Paris, France.-Off1cial statistics of
the strikes which occurred In France
they show that there were in all 1,073,
in which 99,O42 persons, mostly men.
took part, leading to idle days esti-
mated at the huge figure Of 1,720,743,
including 241,672 days lost by the fact
that 9,196 non-strikers were unable to
work. This is, however, an Improve
ment on 1907, when there were 1,275
strikes, with a loss of 3,562,22O days,
and a still greater improvement on
1906, when the total number of lost
days amounted to 9,43S,594. 1t is ex-
planned that the strike movement has
a marked tendency to coincide with
prosperous years, workmen expecting
to obtain more concessions from
thriving employer than from one who
can just make both ends meet. Most
of the strikes have emanated from the
refusal of an increase of pay.
Washington.-Officer of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor have issued
call to the 100000 members of the
organization, calling on them to sub
scribe to fund with which bitter
fight is to be begun against the United
States Steel Corporation. The cor
poration, the call sets forth, is inim-
ical to both the interests of labor
and to the country at large, and is
termed "a bold and daring violator of
the laws. The sum of $154 900 will be
raised by this first appeal, but fur
ther calls will be issued as the fight
progresses. The action is the result
of the conference held in Pittsburg on
December 13 and IA between the
Amalgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers, the Tinplate Workers
Protective association and the Long
shoremen's and Seamen's union.
Chicago.-Committe representing
the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
and Order of Railway Conductors on
nearly forty railroads east of the ILL
nois Central and north Of the Chesa-
peake & Ohio presented new wage
schedules to the general managers. A
standard scale on all lines is asked,
which would require advances ranging
from five to forty per cent. About
125,0O0 employees are interested. Lo-
comotive firemen employed on the
same railroads are also considering
new wage schedule equal to that paid
for the same work west of Chicago.
The result will be known in a few
weeks.
Boston.-Clarence L. Mitchell, sys-
tenn chairman for the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Engineers on the B. G M.
system, is authority for the statement
that the general committee of that
organization for the road has not as
yet met to consider any wage increase
requests. 1t is stated, however, from
a railroad source, that a request for
a better arrangement of hours and
working conditions for the engineers
of that system has been suggested.
Memphis, Tenn.-Believing in char
ity of a definite and helpful form,
Memphis Typographical union has in
corporated in it's book of laws a pro-
vision that annually an assessment of
one-half of one per cent. on the Oc-
tober earnings of it's members shall
be levied, the sum realized to be sdi-
vided equally between the day nursery
and the founding home.
London, Eng.-In reference to the
workings of the liability laws of Great
Britain, the usual plan is weekly pay
ments of compensation, but under
some circumstances, as where a work
man is incapacitated for the work in
which he is engaged, and he desires
to go into other business, an arrange
ment Is made by which he receives a
| lump sum-
| Boston.-National executive board
| of the federation of state, city and
town employers unions has decided
that the annual state convention shall
be held at Lynn, Mass, February 6.
Mount Vernon, N. Y-John Mitchell,
the labor leader, who was asked by
the Temple club of this city to de-
scribe what he regarded as an ideal
relation between capital and labor,
| has replied as follows: 1T is my