Tensas gazette., 1917-12-28

A change in working conditions, in
the Southern Pacific shops at Sacra-
mento, Cal, said by railroad officials
to be tantamOunt to an increase of
121s per cent in wages. was announced
by A. ID. Williams, superintendent Of
motive power. The new system, which
became effective November l provides
for Il basic eight-hour day at the same
wages now paid for nine hours work
and time and half for overtime. The
increase became effective at the same
time at all Southern Pacific shops in
California.
Ray +. Rucker, assistant superin-
testifying at st. Louis before the con-
gressiOnal riot investigating committee,
said his company had been offered i'm.
munity from labor troubles If the COM
pany would pay $4,000 to a certain
man, whose name he gave to the COM
mittee. This man, he said, was not a
union man, but was an official of an
organization formed at the plant after
the strike of last October.
Notwithstanding the great increase
in male employees in Detroit factor
les, the number of women engaged in
industrial occupations Is increasing
three times as fast, according to sta
tistics compiled by the state labor COM
missioner, Richard III. Fletcher, which
include only shops employing more
than 500 laborers. The number of
women in higher positions has in
creased proportionately. as have fe-
male. wages.
Plans were announced for adding
fully 1000 men to the Washington
navy yard list of employees. With
the additions to the yard the city will
have the largest gun factory in the
United States. The proposed improve
ments, which will be made within the
next few months, will cost about ST.
100000. Navy officials declare that
the factory rs proposed will be the
most complete In the world.
More than 600 trainmen and all 9TH
er employees of the Capital Traction
company, Washington, were notified
that they would be paid additional
wages while the high cost of living
remains acute. The cOmpany's vOlun-
tary action means an addition to it's
annual pay roll of between $4,000 and
100000. All corresponding increases
are to be made to all other employees
of the company.
Despite the presidential decree an
nouncing the end of the railway strike
in Argentina, and the agreement by
the companies to increase wages 10
per cent, the majority of the strikers
are refusing to resume work. The
strike has lasted nearly a month and
its effects have been aggravated by
the simultaneous paralysis of ocean
and river traffic and the destruction Of
telegraph lines.
The strike of the workers in the pc
troleum fields at Baku, Russia, which
began in the early part of the mCnth,
has ended. The proprietors of the oil
properties granted most of the de-
mands Of the strikers.
Settlement of the strike Of 400 rail-
way clerks on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. between Cumberland. Md,
and COnnelsville, Pa, was announced
by the federal department of labor.
Low wages and long hours were in
dicted by Probation Officer Heney of
the District of Columbia at an unem-
plOyed conference under the auspices
of the federal department of labor.
Secretary of War Baker has notified
the adjutant general of the army to in
struct all department commanders that
children under fourteen years of age
are not to be employed at government
forts, posts or other reservations.
Regardless of the fact that the laws
of Arizona permit picketing, the Bis
bee Loyalty league has induced city
authorities to pass an ordinance
against picketing.
At Carney's Point IN. JD plant Of
the Du Pont Powder works, arrange
ments are being made to increase the
force CT 200, women in the smokeless
powder department.