The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-09-17
UNIONS ACTIVE IN
new ENGLAND
Strengthening Their Forces Fol-
Future Needs.
WAR BUSINESS An AID.

Many Strikes Have Been Avsrtsd by
Employers Concedins Shorter Hours
and Higher Waaes-Textils Workers
and Marble Cutters Organizations
Increasing Membership.
Industrial New England is today
generally quiet and prosperous, and
while extraordinary efforts are being
put forth by organized labor In these
states to perfect and strengthen their
organizations, labor disturbances are
comparatively rare, says correspond
ent of the Philadelphia Ledger.
The Boston headquarters Of the
American Federation OF Labor today
estimated the number of strikes In
ent time at not over six. All these
strikes are being conducted by local
unions, and none, 1t Is said, under the
management of the American Fedora
tion of Labor.
Unemployment has steadily improved
during the last few months, due large
ly to war business, which has greatly
improved conditions recently in the
building trades. owing to the additions
that have been made to many manu-
featuring plants as result of the sud
den expansion Of their business.
Labor itself, though prosperous, Is
unsettled Advantage Is being taken
Of the immense volume OF war bust
ness to secure concessions as TO In
creased wages and shorter hours, but
most OF the adjustments, and there
have been many OF them during the
last few months, have been conduct
ed quietly by arbitration and by ami
cable agreements between employers
and employees. Grievances OF troll
ley men In Rhode Island and at Holy
oke, Mass, have been adjusted. and
serious complications between manu-
facturers OF war munitions and their
machinists appear TO have been con-
fined 10 a few places In Connecticut.
Many strikes have been averted at
cost of shorter hours and higher wages,
capital having evinced a reasonable
willingness to share its extraordinary
profits with labor
1t cannot be foretold with any degree
OF accuracy what the immediate future
holds for the textile industry in New
England. Conditions in that trade are
not satisfactory to labor. Just prior
to the machinists' strikes at Spring
field and elsewhere there had been
great activity In the machinists'
unions. The strengthening Of their or
ganizations by largely increased
membership, to obtain which great ef-
forts were put forth, was followed by
demands which employers generally
have met The same strengthening
process is now In progress among the
mill workers in the big textile centers-
The natural inference is that when the
unions have been made ready they will
follow the example of the machintsts.
One OF the principal ideas TO which
expression was given at the annual
convention OF the A r. Of L. of Yer
mont, In It's session at Burlington,
was contained In speech by Frank
81. Mccarthy of the Massachusetts
branch, when he declared against COM
pulsory arbitration and served notice
that organized labor does not propose
TO surrender the right TO strike.
Labor proposes to perfect its organi-
zations In Vermont, especially In the
textile and marble cutting trades, In
which conditions, from the point OF
view OF labor are said 70 be unsatisfac-
tory. Some political significance will
be attached TO the Vermont conven-
ton by reason OF the character of the
resolutions adopted. The convention
pledged its support to the woman's suf-
frage movement, action which, 1t Ia be-
ueved, may be followed by the Massa-
chusetts convention which meets at
Fall River on Sept 20. The indorse-
ment by organized labor OF the suf-
frage amendment to the constitution,
which will be voted on In the Bay
State this fall, may carry that amend
ment-a contingency not heretofore re-
garded as likely.