The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-01-18
PROGRESS OF STEEL FIGHT
LEGAL WAR FOR WOMEN
WORKERS ERDMAN LAW
OF ARBITRATION.
BY Peter Power.

The industrial battle between
the allied unions in the American
Federation of Labor and the Unit
ed States Steel corporation is
commencing in earnest. Scores OF
organizers have been thrown into
the Pittsburg district, and many
men are entering the mills under
cover" to proselyte among the
non-union iron and steel work
ers. The plans of the unionists
will be guarded carefully for the
time being, and not even the re-
cruits won over to the union side
will be informed OF the progress
that is being made.
That the millionaire trust is
becoming extremely nervous at
this secret attack upon it's lin
ards" is demonstrated by the fe-
yerish manner in which the octo-
pus is attempting to shackle the
nonunion workers to their jobs
by selling them watered common
stock. The trust claims that 49,
600 employees are stockholders.
and the number will be increased
to $4,000.
But the labor officials declare
that the workmen trust mag
mates" are for the most part
clerks, bookkecpers and other Of
flee help, and not mechanics and
laborers-the real producers in
the. mills. The latter, as a rule,
have never been able to save
enough from their meager wages
to invest in stocks. To bait these
the trust announces a free gift of
81 100000 worth of stock to be
divided among those who will
make beginning to become Gown
ers" of the United States Steel
corporation.
The laborites come back with
the declaration that 10 per cent
increase in wages, a reduction in
hours of labor from IL to 8 per
day. and strong union will be of
much more material benefit than
to possess watered stock, depend
upon market fluctuations and run
chances of being dumped over
board whenever the steel barons
choose to unload.
A fierce legal struggle is in
progress in Illinois that is attract
ing the attention of the whole
labor world, Recently the state
law limiting the employment of
women in shops and factories to
10 hours per day was declared I'M
by a Chicago court.
Now the case has been appealed
to the Illinois supreme court.
The Illinois Manufacturers asso-
citation is attacking the law. All
the women's clubs, unions and
many public-spirited citizens are
defending it. Attorneys for the
latter have filed brief of nearly
1000 pages, showing the effects
of woman and child labor upon
the working class and society as a
whole.
One of the peculiar features of
this contest is that the lower
court granted an injunction, not
only to restrain the criminal
courts from enforcing the penal
provisions of the law, but prohib-
iting public prosecutors, grand
juries and criminal courts from
taking cognizanee of new cases.
Another remarkable feature is
that the Illinois Manufacturers
association is pending the free
dom of contract" and has put for
ward two women employes-who
have worked faithfully for 16 and
SO years, respectively-as plant
ifs, who plead that neither OF
them receives sufficient wages in
10 hours of faithful and compe-
tent work each day to support
themselves! This in Illinois, not
pauper Europe!
Considerable criticism has beer
aimed at the striking railway EN-.
ployes of the northwest because
they refused to submit to arbitra.
ton under the so-called Erdmar
act (the national arbitration law
The reason that the workers re-
jeeted the proposition is this
briefly: Under the Erdman law
the railway men aver, the mag
mates could tie their hands for a
year or perhaps two years, and
withhold every concession, and
probably grant none in the end.
Even if the arbitrators original.
ly decided in favor of the EN-.
ployes, after the lapse of consid.
cradle time in arriving at ar
award, the railway magnates can
under section of the Erdmar
law, take exceptions and file an
appeal in the circuit court within
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