The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-06-30
Report Says Workers Were kb-
sent From Posts Nearly TO-
000,0 600 Days in Year.
AGREEMENT AvERTS WALKoUT
Five Thousand Clothing Workers in
Boston Get 10 Per Cent Increase
and 4s-Hour Week-other
News of Labor World.

strikes during the nScai year enueu
June 3, 1916, have been compiled by
Deputy Commissioner Thorn of the
New York state bureau Of mediation
and arbitration. There were in the
state during this period 1913 industrial
disputes, in which 22.325 persons were
directly and 31,629 indirectly involved.
Because of the disputes the former lost
SLABS days and the latter 1896, 725
days. Demands for increase of wages
caused the majority of strikes, but 20 of
them grew out of demands for recogni-
ton of the unions. In Is cases strikes
occurred through refusal of requests
Tor shorter hours of labor.
A strike of more than 5000 clothing
workers employed in 100 local shops
has been averted by an agreement
reached between the Boston Clothing
Manufacturers association and repre-
sentatives of the Amalgamated Cloth
ing Workers of America. The new
agreement gives the men and women
hands wage increase Of 10 per cent
and the 4S-hour workday in place of
the 5O-hour week. Although the in
crease In wages does not give the de-
sired advance the compromise reached
has been ratified by both sides.
Wage increases involving approx
mately $1,920,000 a year have been
granted to over 5000 shopmen and
foremen in the employ of the Louis
vile & Nashville railroad, whose nine
hour day was reduced to eight. The
pay of machinists and boilermen was
Increased from 40 to 4S cents an hour.
Car repairmen, helpers and appren-
tees shared in the increase, which
ranges from 21a cents an hour to four
cents.
The amalgamation of the National
Federation of Post Office Clerks and
the Brotherhood Of Railway Postal
Clerks, both affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor, has been eff
fected under the title of National Fed
Grafton of Postal Employees.
The children's bureau of the fed
efaf eue rtmefft Of labor emphasizes
the Importance Of strict enforcement
of all child labor and school attend
ance laws and generous development
Of infant welfare work by public and
private agencies in war times.
The ~ leading Detroit automobile
companies are at present engaged in
charging their plants. Tho total
amount of this increase is given at
$5,000,00O cost $1,000 square feet OF
floor space, offering employment tC
5000 additional men.
In the metropolitan area Of Berlin
there are now twice as many women
and girls engaged in industrial plants
as men and boys, the number being re-
spectively 125,000 and 10000. The
number of male employees has de
creased from 161, 600 year ago.
Women are helping South Jersey
farmers grapple with the labor prob
lem. A serious shortage of farm hands
Is TEDOt ltls anu llflNt DSti
obliged in many cases to pay double
and triple the wages which formerly
prevailed.
The Pennsylvania Railroad compan,
has given its pledge to the Nationa
American Woman Suffrage association
that the principle Of equal pay TO
equal work will be followed by tina
| company wherever 1t employs women
The Chicago & Alton railroad an
| nounced increase In pay Of all sector
men at the Chicago terminal Of from
50 to 1925 day, and at other point
of from $190 to So The company f
short so per cent of men needed.
Federated shop men of the Bostoi
& Maine railroad have raised wage
two cents an hour for all crafts ant
secured a Saturday half holiday durin,
July and August without loss Of pa,
or working extra time.
| Governor Whitman vetoed the Brow
bill, designed to authorize the Ney
York state industrial commission t
suspend the operation of the labo
laws during the war.
Russia has placed an order witt
American manufacturers for 500 loco
motives to cost approximately $25, 900
900, and 10000 cars Mt $15,000,O00, |
Is reported.
| Connecticut's public welfare com
mission will make a study of occupa
tional diseases and report to the mex
legislature.
A British munitions girl was recent
ly sentenced to six weeks imprison
ment for smoking pipe In munltion.
factory.
Female schoolteachers in Boston
have won the first step in the figh
to give them equal salaries with thu
men.
Russian municipalities are about Il
engage in the boot and shoe business
| Cohoes IN. " Central Labor unior
has formed woman's label section.
Omaha (Neb.) sheet metal worker,
have a 55-cent-an-hour minimum.
Hosting and portable engineers al
Baltimore get 70 cents an hour.
Bookblnders are conducting an or
ganizing campaign in the South.
Union labor in Massachusetts, I.
after a bO-hour law for women.