The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-09-22
IMPORTANT NEW LABOR LAWS
Eieht-Hour Workday for Railroad En-
ployees, and Legislation Affecting
Child Labor Are of Significance.

1890 i~"S VI tiiC uuIcuu VI iuUOT STA
stistics, which has been issued as Bull
letin 21s, Is the act of congress estab-
fishing eight hours as standard work
day for employees operating trains on
steam railroads in interstate commerce.
Next to this may be placed the federal
statute excluding from interstate traf-
nc the products of the labor of chill
dren under the age of sixteen, en-
ployed in mines or auafries, or under
the age of fourteen years in mills, can
nerles factories, etc.. the hours of la
Dor * tiren tnder sixteen years Of
age mus act exceed eight per day, nor
may such children work between z
p. m. and a. m.
Official announ cement was made by
the Dupont Powdee company that 1t
Will employ woman munition makers
at war plants" at Carneys Point, N.
j., where the bulk of smokeless pow
der is made for this government and
the allies. They will be employed in
cutting powder, this work being light.
This step was decided on as the draft
is expected to affect their supply of
labor. The woman employees will be
properly housed and fed, with matrons
in charge, and the plant contemplatcs
system of welfare work.
The Seattle labor council takes the
stand that there is place in the Ia,
Dor movement for every workingman
and woman, no matter what their eco
monte or religious beliefs, and that ii
has no idea of driving industrial
unionists out of the movement. II
does maintain, however, that effective
action is impossible with divided al
leglance and asks all /. w. w. men,
bers to remain out of the unions or
give up their I. w. w. allegiance.
Settlement of shipbuilders' strikes at
Wilmington, Del, and Portland, Ore,
was announced by the department of
labor. The men at Portland agreed to
take their grievances into conference
and thrash them out. These two strikes
had threatened the big government
shipbullding program. The department
also announced settlement of machin-
lists strike at Grand Rapids, Mich.
Several hundred members of the
Metal Mine Workers union went on
strike at the Washoe Smelter of the
Anaconda Copper company, Butte,
Mont. The plant is one of the largest
of its kind in the world. Street car
men, who went out in sympathy, were
ordered by union officials to return to
work.
A general increase of from / to a
per cent has been granted employees
working in the mechanical and car de-
partments of the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad, according to an official an
nouncement The increase became eff
| fective at once. -Four hundred men
employed in the departments are af-
fected.
Several hundred members Of the
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
went to Galesburg, ILL.,, Labor day to
take part in the dedication of monu-
ment over the grave of p. III. Norris
Sey, for many years head of that or
ganization. w. G. Lee, president Of
the trainmen, and other officials were
present.
AS the result of conferences con-
Guided at Washington, in which repre-
sentatives of shipbuilders, the shipping
board and the American Federation of
Labor participated, a strike of more
than LOCO shipbuilders In the Grays
Harbor district of Washington was de-
clared off.
Another New York shipbuilding COM
pany Of New Jersey granted It's strik-
ing machinistS a war rate Of $3.50
day in accordance with the terms of
the Marine Trades council, making the
fourteenth plant to yield to the de-
mands of the union since the strike
began.
Miners and operators of 60 of 200
mines in the Kentucky and Tennessee
coal fields, where 10000 had been on
strike two weeks, reached an agree
ment and returned to work Recogni-
ton Of the union and an eight-hour day
were the basis of settlement.
All the commercial coal mines in the
McAlester-H aileyville (Okla.) district
were shut down, temporarily throwing
1900 miners out of employment. OPP
orators claim the shutdown was made
necessary by the cancellation by con-
signees of shipments.
Claiming his industrial plan is fail
ure, miners will petition John D.
Rockefeller, Jr.. to recognize the union.
Recognition of the union was the issue
which caused the bloody strike of 1918.
The present demand brings danger Of
another industrial war; 1t is feared.
After a three-days' conference be-
tween the railroad telegraphers and
the management of the Oregon Short
Line Railroad company, the officials Of
the company granted an increase in
wages of telegraphers to the amount Of
$32, 900 a year, effective August /.
"The steel manufacturing interests Of
the United States will be equal to all
demands of war, both in volume Of
output and speed of production" said
Judge Ebert II. Gary, president Of
the United States Steel corporation.
1ots fan nj H.