Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-05-22

respect to the dispute in the NorWe-
bian printing industry, we are inform
ed that the government announced
that they would not stand by and do
nothing during a strike for the re-
duction of working hours in the print
ing trades, but would rather make the
eight-hour day compulsory for the
whole trade through the law. Since
the decision of the government became
known, negotiations have been open
ed anew and the employers have been
obliged to abandon their former prin
ciples opposing any reduction of hours.
These negotiations are still proceed
ing.
RvssiG-
The st. Petersburg and Moscow
into state Of great excitement on ac-
count of the many catastrophes and
accidents which are occurring every
day with the loss of many lives. The
great~dangeR. attending the work and
the want of effective precautions are
vividly exposed by these happenings.
Even the most shortsighted worker is
commencing to recognize that better
conditions can only be obtained by
united effort and organization. = In
Nikolajew CSouthern Russia) 5000
shipward workers laid down their tools
upon their demand for the dismissal
Of one of the factory policemen who
had mishandled workman without
any provocation, being refused. The
strike, ended week later in complete
success for the men. The Russian
employers are taking a lively interest
in the pernicious exploiting system
which halls from America under the
name of the Taylor System; which
system, by controlling every moment
of the workers time and also his
every movement, reduces him to a
mere part of the machine. Unfortun-
ately, the workers who are to be
blessed. with this invention, are too
badly organized as to successfully
fight its introduction in Russia.
Germany
The Stone Workers Union number
ed 28,875 members on January list of
this year, of which 218 were females.
Among the members are 14,173
stone cutters, 2,051 stone polishers
(including SO women), 4,744 stone
breakers, 1922 paving stone workers,
3,S11 laborers (179 females), 2 stokers
and 172 tool smiths. 16,499 members
work in hard stone, 1886 or 43 per
cent, in sandstone, limestone marble,
etc. The union controls funds to the
extent Of over a50,0O0. = The devel-
opment OF the collective agreements in
Germany is shown by the following
figures taken from official reports:
1907 1924 111,050 974,564
1908 5,671 120,401 1,026, 435
1909 6,578 1924 y1,107, ATS
1910 1928 1881 1861, 086
1911 1O,52O 1S3,232 1,552,S27
The workers organizations made
great strides forward in the year 1912
but equal progress is reported by the
employers combinations. In the last
year no fewer than 1S2,4S5 employers
were organized in their various associ-
ations that have been established fol
the special purpose of resisting and
fighting the workers unions. These
organized employers control 4,378, 275
workpeople. The growth of the en-
ployers' organizations may be judged
by the following:
1910 2,613 115,O95 3,S5468(
1911 1925 127, 1926 4,027,44(
1912 3,OS5 132,185 4,378,2 7s
The above figures include greater
numbesr of employers connected with
the building trades than with any
branch Of industry. in the last yeal
there were 49,177 builder employers
employing 5O0,92 workers. combined
in Industrial organizations. In point
of organized workers the engineering
trades show the most significant fig
ures, Is, 752 organized employers, tc
1856 ,2S8 workpeople. - The city Of
Hamburg is distributing yearly s107E
for the feeding OF hungry school chill
dren ~ When the Transport Workers
Union was founded in Berlin in 1897
Iit had 452 members. This union. which
today Is q local branch OF the Nationa
Union of Transport Workers, has nov
50. 942 members in Berlin and suburbs
tThe national union numbers more thai
E250, 900 members. = The membership
i Of the Gardeners National Onion ros'
/ from 6,113 to $3.50 last year.
Anstri0-
Il The Austrian Carpenters Union de
cided to make q levy in the shape Q
four weekly subscriptions in orde
4