The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-05-26
FEDERATION MAKES BIG GAIN
Membership Of American Labor Body
Increased 2s6,74o in Five Months
Three Million Is Goal.

| bership of the A. r. of L. will total
close to 100000 before the end Of the
year 1917.
| Canada today, with the great de-
mand that is made upon 1t for food
stuffs, finds itself almost in the throes
of labor famine. A novel means Of
solving the problem has been evolved
| by the Canadian government at OF
tawa when it was decided to practical-
| ly bonus every farm hand going to
Canada by giving him 100 acres free as
n homestead and allowing the time he
would be working out for the good
wages offered to count as residence du-
ties on the homestead.
In Italy (and particularly in south
ern Italy and Sicily the employment
of women in munition factories has
met with passive resistance in some
districts on the part of employers, In
others on the part of workmen. or.
owing to prejudice and traditional nos
lions, on the part of the women them
selves, whose aversion has been unnis-
taxable and persistent.
! Salary increases, in some cases as
high as % per cent, and aggregating
more than $1.000000 annually have
been granted to several thousand EN-
ployees of the Great Northern railway,
"such as clerical forces and others that
I have not in the past received general
advances" it was announced by Presi-
| dent L. w. Hill.
Organization of q company with
capital of $1,00O,000 to erect homes for
working people was decided upon at q
meeting of directors Of the Williams
port (Pa.) board of trade recently. A
tract of IS acres in the western part OF
the city has been purchased and
model village is planned.
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 275,000 and 10000. The
number of male employees has de-
creased from 161 900 a year ago.
The San Francisco Labor council VIII
Join with the Grand Army of the Re
public in requesting the supervisors to
make an appropriation of $4,000 60
proposed fund of $4,000 for the erec-
ton of suitable memorial in the civic
center to Abraham Lincoln.
i A lockout of 10000 building work
men, members of the Building Trades
council in effect for six weeks, was
ended by the Building Trades Employ
ers' association. 1t is estimated that
$2O.OOO,0 1000 worth of construction WORK
was held UP by the lockout
OF Al employees 3ofza Ri tigsszs
who were of military age as feperef q
in the Shoe Manufacturers Monthly,
81 entered the army or navy and sfV1
en- were rejected SO the bank Is n9w
employing 80 lady clerks"
The Baltimore & Ohio railroad mas
appealed for women to work in IFS 9li-
vision shops and terminals at Lorafn,
O., as car inspectors, crossing guarIds
and cleaners. They will be paid Hle
same as men,
Membership of the United Mine
Workers Of America has increased py
nearly 10000 members during hve
- years-mOre than 0ne-third of the total
increase of the American Federation3of
r Labor.
. During 1916 100000 pounds of but
ter were manufactured by the Cana
dian government cooperative cream
cries in Saskatchewan. In 1907 the TO
: tai OUTPUT was only $4,000 pounds.
=. A minimum of So per day for all
laborers in the Boston city service
was agreed to by the city council The
laborerS formerly received $3.50 pei
4 day. M
CITY teamsters, laborers and fore
men of Fostoria, o., have been voted
- an increase in wages to 30 cents an
hour by the city council.
During 1916 9,29553S ounces of gold
were taken from mines In the Trans
= vaal This establishes new RECORD
for the Rand
Building trades mechanics OF Sar
Francisco and vicinity are enjoyinf
better working conditions than ever be
fore.
a Employees of the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe railroad are to receive =
: bonus of 10 per cent on July !, 1917.
8 The number Of married womef
v working as wage-earners has doublef
s. In the last year
The Wyoming legislature passed th'
If labor commissioner bill and 52-houl
e week for women.
+ Grand Rapids (Mich.) horseshoer'
have secured the eight-hour day ana
J. Saturday half-holday.
: Manchester tEnglanO Co-OperatiV'
e Wholesale society has 2,535,9T2 mem
berS.
d woman nurse has been appointe'
0 assistant sanitary inspector Of Dover
Z. England.
Municipal firemen at Seattle, Wash
l. have organized
: Denison fTex.) butchers have abol
ished Sunday work.
n Hours Of Ohio woman workers ar
: limited to 80 week.
e Hamilton (Can) labor unions VII
erect labor temple.