The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-01-04
INDUSTRIAL AID ECONOMIC

Inc Outstanding feature OF the year
in the Industrial world was the threat
ened strike of the 400, 900 members of
the four great railway brotherhoOds,
which was prevented only by the pas
sage by congress Of the AdamsOn bill.
The demands Of the four brother
hoods. representing the engineers, fire
men. conductors and trainmen, were
made upon the railroads early in the
year and after fruitless conferences
between the representatives, Of the
brOtherhOOds and the committee OF
general managers representing prac-
ticalIy every railroad IN the United
States. a strike vote was taken among
the members of the brOtherhOOds. On
| July &c It was announced that the
vote had been overwhelmingly in favor
| Of a strike unless the demands of the
men were granted by the railroads.
The federal board Of mediation i'm
mediately offered its services in an eff
fort to prevent a strike but on August
| y the board announced that it had
| been unable to bring about an agree
ment and on the following day Presi-
I dent Wilson summoned the general
managers committee and the brother
| hoods representatives 10 the White
House for a conference. This confer
| ence produced no result. the railroad
managers offering to submit the whole
controversy to arbitration but the
brotherhood representatives refusing
to agree 10 arbitration of their eight
hour day demands. August %, Presi-
dent Wilson, with a promise from the
brotherhood leaders that they could
rescind their strike order, already is
sued, If a law were passed providing
for the placing of their wage scales
on an eight-hOur basis. went before
congress and asked the passage Of
three bills which he deemed neCes-
sary to meet the situation. One OF
these bills provided that eight hours
shall be deemed the measure or stand
ard of a days work for the purpose Of
reckoning the compensation for serv-
ices of all employees" operating trains
in interstate traffic.
Other bills proposed by the president
provided for the compulsory suhmis-
sion of rail labor disputes to a board
Of mediation to be appointed by the
president before a strike could be de-
cIared and for government operation of
the railways in case OF military neces-
sity.
The bill embodying the provision for
the efght-hour basis for wages, known
as the Adamson bill was rushed
through the house September l and
was passed by the senate September ,.
The order for a strike which was TO
have gone into effect September I was
then rescinded. The session of con-
greSs ended shortly afterwards and
consideration of the other measures
proposed by the president was post
poned until the next session.
Strikes were in progress in q num-
Der of industries during the early part |
of the year and some were marked by
scenes of violence. April "a, striking
employees of the Westinghouse COM
pany. led by a masked woman, rioted |
in East Pittsburgh Fatal strike riots
occurred at the Carnegie Steel works |
in Braddock. Pa, May >. A big strike |
was started by the Chicago garment !
May 9. Express drivers in
Chicago struck May IS and consider
able violence marked the strike. ex-
press wagons being operated under pO-
lice protection. July Is, state troops |
were sent to La Sale. H., to Quell /
riots of cement works strikers.
4 strike of street railway men |
stopped all surface cars in the Dor
oughs OF Manhattan, Bronx and Rich
mond, New York, August ;, but the.
strike ended TWO days later tempo
rarily. September 6. a strike of all
men on the subway. elevated and sur
face lines in New York was called.
Serious riots marked the street car
strike in New York, particularly on
October ).
November 8, a large party of I. W.
W. members from Seattle engaged IN
4 battle with a sherif's posse at Ever
EFT. Wash. Seven men were killed dur
ne the fighting.
November 10, the National Industrial
Board was organized by
of several aSsOCia tons
If manufacturers said to embrace 10
100 employers, giving work TO approx
nately 100000 persons. The board
{ was announced. will look after the
of employers in their rela-
ions with labor.
November %, Judge Hook of the
,nited States district court ut Kansas
'ity No. held the Atkinson eight-hOur |
NV unconstitutional and an agreement
vas reached between the representa- :
ives of the government and of the rail :
Dads for an appeal to the United ,
rutes Supreme court in an effort to I
btain Il final decision on the validity ,
f the law as soon as possible.
The year was marked. especially. in e
be latter portion. 10y marked increases 4
, wages i'm many industries Increases p
{ 5000 900 annually were granted in g,
he soft coal fields March 6. The Uni i
ed States Steel Corporation. NOvem- =
er p, announced 10 per cent in Y
reaSe of wages, amounting to approx c
.ateIy S2OOOO.OOO annually. NOvem- {
er %, New England cotton mills an Y
OunCed Il general increase in wages. n
'ages were increased during the year 7
the packing industries and in many d
.her fields. C
The year was one of great prosperity II
all manufacturing and agricultural 2
idustries. Foreign trade of the Uni "
ID States. as shown by reports Of the h
apartment of commerce reached n
,tal of 1853. OOO.OiW BOO na wear end II