The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-06-23
WORKERS SAFETY
is WAR MEASURE
Reduction of Human Wasts Je
in Industry Necessary, Says
Labor Commissioner.
REGIMENTS ARE ANNIHlLATED
Average Of $50 Men Killed Each
Month in Pennsylvania Alone
Thousands Are Incapacitated
for Further Service

for Further Service.
safety in industry has become a
war measure" said Commissioner of
Labor and Industry Jackson OF Penn
sylvania In statement urging the I'M
perative need for that states wagirg
the most vigorous and intensive cam
paign for Industrial safety ever con-
Quoted.
1.-THE conservation of man power is
an economic problem of first impor-
tance," he declared. with the ineyi-
table expansion and readjustments
J that must follow Americas entrance
/ into the war, human wastage must re-
ceive the same careful consideration
from the industrial captains that it re-
ceives from the military leaders, if
the country at large is intelligcntly to
undertake the task of cutting is sac
rifice to the minimum.
During the past year two and one
half regiments of the industrial army
of the state were annihilated. Since
January 1, 1917, 80 workers have
been killed in this state. That is an
average of go month. The total
number of workers killed or injured,
either seriously or slightly, since the
first Of the year is 64,32S. OF this
number thousands of the injured were
incapacitated for further effective
service.
In the main. the causes of indus
trial accidents are:
"Carelessness, speeding up, the new
man hazard, unguarded danger points,
failure to keep in constant service
safeguards provided, lack Of Ameri-
canization.
speed in industry, a direct result of
great demand for production. must be
conducted under the most rigorous
and constant vigilance both by en-
ployers and employees"
Fully 5000 workmen are building
the government-owned railroad in
Alaska between Seward and Anchor
age and Fairbanks. distance of 40
miles, and are doing good work under
the eight-hour system, according to
William c. Edes, one of the three
"A li.xskE faffTJaG commissioners. 4
James Wilson, president of Pattern
Makers League of North America !;
Frank Rist, editor of the Cincinnati
Chronicle, and Thomas Jones of the
Carpenters union, have been elected
members of commission that win pre-
pare a municipal charter for Cincin-
natl.
The executive council of the Cali
fornia State Federation of Labor has
decided to cooperate with the State
Building Trades council of California
in invoking the initiative on the bill
defeated In the legislature to abolish
! privately owned employment agencies.
/ The official tabulation of the referen-
dun vote of the Iron holders union
( to raise dues from 40 to 80 a cents a
/ week shows that 14,040 favored the in
crease and 6,392 opposed. The vote
was the largest In the history of this
organization.
/ Plans to enlist 10000 boys of Utah
aid Idaho into a crop-raising camp fol
the summer months under the direction
of the Mormon church and the Utaf
Agricultural college are completed.
Strikes In all branches of industry
, throughout Finland are reported in @
dispatch from Helsingfors. In some
districts the strikes have been accom-
, panied by acts of violence.
A Greek sponge fisherman's dive t.
depth Of 262 feet in the sea is be
lleved to be the worlds record for {
man unprotected by any sort of divin,
: apparatus.
Wages have been increased to g.
, cents an hour by organized painter
and paperhangers in the twin cities
Marinette, Wis, and Menominee, Mich
The textile workers Of Crimmitz
schau, Saxony have voted strike fo
. 70 per cent increase in wages be
= cause of the increased cost of living
The Connecticut state senate ha
passed a bill that would prohibit tn
: attachment of the body of union mai
e In court action growing out of strikes
' Twenty-four women are studyin
e wireless telegraphy preparatory t
their replacing the men operators EN-
ployed at the navy short stations.
e Attleboro, Mass, jewelry worker
9 have organized to reduce their work
8 day from ten to eight hours.
Ohio has appointed a commission 70
the study and report Of health insur
: ance and old-age pensions.
: Masons at Newburyport were pre-
= vented by law from demanding NOR
than $3.50 day in 1882.
At the present rate the losses by &C
:, cidents In Pennsylvania this year W.T.
: aggregate 100000.
S Berlin Germany Cooperative SC
! ciety has 125 branches supplying tn
working classes.
There are more working women 4
n New York state than In any other stat
y In the Union.
Il In England many unskilled woma
munition workers are earning SIS
week.
Transfers at Paterson. N. j., hav
l. 4 II.