The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-12-22
GENERAL LABOR NEWS

The New York Delicatessen Clerks
union, organized and chartered four
years ago. has made demand on en-
ployers for better pay and shorter
hours. The union claims that many of
its G000 members are now compelled
to work from 10 to ii hours day, and
that large proportion of the employ
crs make farce of the six-days-a-week
labor law, which the clerks wish to
have enforced; that while their own
cost of living has increased and their
employers are forcing housewives to
pay exOrbitant prices for delicatessen
supplies, there has been no increase
during the past four years in the wages
paid to the clerks.
After holding conventions for 35
wears in November the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor voted, 255 to 81, to
meet hereafter in June. The talk of
PFepaptea ft7attfsa ,rateA
Gompers to state emphatically that the
federations policy of nonparticipation
in partisan politics had not, and would
not, be changed by the adoption of the
resolution. eve will continue to fight
for our friends and try to defeat our
enemies, no matter what their politics
or creed he said.
President .GOmpers startled the dele
gates to the A. F. of L. convention by
announcing the deputy collector of
revenue had decided unions must pay
10 per cent on all dues collected over
S12 a year. The convention protest
ed, and if the ruling is not rescinded
the executive officers were instructed
to appeal to President Wilson or to
congress to change it if necessary.
Equitable working agreement be
tween employers and workers was one
of the first war problems undertaken
in England by the ministry of mum
lions, declared Sir Stephenson Kent
head of the British munitions mission
to the United States, in an address
at dinner given in the missions
honor by the New York United En-
cheering Societies.
One hundred and fifteen woman
track workers now are welding picks
shovels and crowbars, maintaining tn
roadbed Of the Pennsylvania railroa
between New York and Pittsburgh
President Rea in testifying before tn
interstate commerce commission. CAV
this example of the difficulties tn
roads face in holding their men.
. Woman employees in Grand Rapids
Mich, factories and workshops, as
result of war conditions, will be pal
I according to their production. TIL
. standard of labor must be the sam
a rs given by men. There are now en-
I ploycd in factories and shops NOR
than 500 women.
Several thousand men with exper
u ence as mechanics, machinists, blacl
T. smiths and storage battery eXper
e are needed for the motor section
the ordnance department of the arm
Applicants will be graded as first-cla
II sergeaut3 or ordnance sergeants aft
T. n special course.
III War upon merchants in mining ce
ters Of the state who are said to ha'
increased prices Of foodstuffs and OF
Vi or commodities to keep pace with a
II vances in wages to Illinois miners h
10 been declared by Frank Farrinstc
Ut president of the Illinois miners orga
lzation.
The first call for women for n
u chanlcnl war work to be issued by t
pc United States was authorized at t
IT. Portsmouth IN. H.) navy yard, whC
women and girls are needed in the
Sembiy room Of the electrical shop
u after being on strike for o we
lD' several hundred carpenters employ
as on government contracts at Newp
News returned to work when motif
tnat wage increase had been grant
ch The Canadian disputes investigat
AT act, which has been in operation Sill
90 1907, was the result of prolonl
u" qtrilfe In Western coal fields wh
was settled by federal intervention