The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-12-10
WORLD OF LABOR

Officers of the International As
sociation of Machinists have pub
lished report that includes gains
made since their last list was is
sued. 1t is shown that approxi-
mately 10000 If these workers
have secured either the eight hour
day or other substantial reductions
in hours, while wage increases play
a prominent part in the gains made.
About II, 900 other employees have
benefited, the machinists say, by
their agitation.
Organized labor cannot advance
by the commission of crime" said
John R. Lawson, in a speech in
Pueblo, Col Education and NOR
al courage are the two great assets
of our cause. AS yet all laboring
men have not the moral courage to
stand up and demand that their
rights be considered. But a new
era is dawning, aud through these
two assets we will win" A large
crowd welcomed the miners official
who visited this city for the first
time since his nnj:1st conviction in
Judge Hillyer's court. He made
but one reference to his imprison-
ment, and then in a humorous
manner.
Thousands of men and women
working in the upper floors of hun
dreds of ramshackle buildings In
New York hourly face the peril of
death, according to members of the
State Industrial Commission, who
are investigating the fatal Diamond
candy fire in Brooklyn. 1t is i'm
possible, they said, to see that each
order for the safeguarding of en-
ployers' lives is obeyed. They
must depend upon the conscience
of the employer to prevent a repe
tition of such scenes as that when
at least twelve girls and men per-
ished at the Diamond fire, and Of
the Triangle shirt waist factory,
when the dead numbered 147.
Rubber manufacture involves the
use of numerous poisonous sui
stances, says report on this ques-
ton, issued by the United States
department of labor. The danger
Gus nature of some of the com
pounds useo in the rubber industry
Is not as yet commonly known, so
that cases of industrial poisoning
may occur without being recog-
nized as such and ascribed to their
true cause. Trade secrets make it
impossible to investigate this in
dustry Thoroughly, but enough is
known, says the report, to make it
possible to equip and manage a
rubber factory SO that exposure TO
the various industrial poisons will
be reduced to an insignificant
minimum or wholly eliminated.
Relatively little, however. seems to
have been done in this direction.
The Pennsylvania State Prison
Labor Board, created by the last
legislature to supervise the work
of prisoners in State penal and re-
form institutions, organized last
week. Under the law the board
receives an appropriation of S75, 900
to purchase machinery and supplies
and establish the system. The
supplies will be sold only to State
institutions and prisoners are to be
paid from 10 cents to so cents a
day. Three-fourths of earnings
go to the dependents of prisoners.
Where there are no dependents the
money is credited to the prisoners,
who will receive third when
discharged, one third three months
later and one-third six months la
ter. 1t Is hoped that this plan will
be extended, thereby solving the
convict labor problem. The Office
of the State prison labor will be at
Philadelphia.