The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-11-17
Seek Increase in Wages Amount
ing to Not Less Than 20
Per Cent.
REFERENDUM WILL. BE TAKEN
II Members of the 5rotherhoods Sup
port Their Chairmen Negotiations
Are to Begin at once-Gen-
eral News of Interest.

| uuIpIo lIIul lllCy IIUlu LHtl
employers wage increases of not les
: than 20 per cent. The workers ir
v0lved are trainmen, conductors, bag
gage men, brakemen and yardmen
The vote in favor of the demand fol
increased pay was unanimous on thu
part of 104 chairmen of the Brother
hood of Railroad Trainmen and the
Order of Railway Conductors, who were
in session for three days. The ques
ton will be submitted to referendum
of the members of the brotherhoods
and If their vote is affirmative nego
tiatronS with the railroad companies
will be begun. If the increases are
granted they will mean the addition OF
millions of dollars to the annual pay
rollS of about fifty companies which
are involved.
American strike-breaking methods
were used for the first time in Austria.
liza during the general strike of $4,000
men against the american Taylor
SYSTEM" which marked the month of
August in New South Wales. But
there was this difference-here it was
done, not by corporation, but by the
government of the state, and the
strike-breakers were volunteers-men
and wOmen-some of whom refused to
accept the pay offered. Rural residents
fiocked to Sydney by hundreds and the
situation presently became practically
one of the country against the city.
Leaders Of the strike were prosecuted
by the national government, headed by
the acting premier, George w. Fuller.
Some of them are awaiting trial on
charges of conspiracy or sedition. Fifty
odd Industrial Workers of the World
were arrested and most of them were
sent to Jail for six months. This is
the extreme penalty under the unlaw-
full associations act lately passed by
the federal parliament.
Charles r. Van Etten, vice president
and general manager of the Metropoli-
tan By-Products company, which oper-
ates the garbage disposal plant on
Staten Island, New York, announced
that the company was ready to en-
ploy number of women to fill vacan-
cies in its clerical force due to enlist
ment of employees "The management
offers the women of Staten Island d
chance to do their Bit" says the an
nouncement. The women will be trans
ported to and from their homes daily
by automobile at the expense of the
| company.
The strike of the sugar mill mechan-
IC5 in Santa Clara province, Cuba, ap-
pears to be near d settlement. The
mill owners oppose an eight-hOur day,
claiming it would interfere with The
full operation of the mills in crop
time, when the men must work twelve
hours day. Government officials pre-
sented a request to the mill owners
that the eight-hour day be recognized,
the men obIigating themselves to work
twelve hours when necessary if paid
on the eight. hour basis, agreeing also
to accept pay for overtime at the same
rate. On this basis most of the mill
owners have signified their willingness
to grant the mems demand.
The strike of $4,000 coal miners call
ed in all mines operated by members
of the Southwestern Interstate Opera
tors association in Missouri, Kansas,
Oklahoma and Arkansas was called
off following receipt of q telegram
from President John Whitet of the
Mine Workers, saying that the pro-
posed strike violated the terms of the
national agreement recently signed in
Washington between the operators and
miners.
At the Philadelphia navy yard there
Is an urgent need for machine wood
workers, cabinet makers, boatbuilders,
fine joiners, tube men, acetylene weld
ers, machine operators, toolmakers,
sheet metal workers LAYOUT" men, as
semblers and varnishers. Among the
machine woodworkers needed are
channelers, shapers, band saWyers,
planners, reuters and millwrights. APP
plicants for positions at the navy yard
must take civil service examinations.
Cracker manufacturers and other
war contractors at Omaha have APP
pealed to the State Council of Defense
to stop enforcement of the nine-hour
day law for women, saying they are
unable to fill orders. Members of the
council oppose granting the request.
Carpenters at Camp Custer, Battle
Creek Mich, struck for one hour more
of work ds.y. They won.
Springfield Ull.) municipal firemen
have organized and are chartered by
the American Federation of Labor.
Similar Illinois organizations exist in
Chicago, East st. Louis and Rock Is
land.
The strike of $500 workers in the
Seattle shipyards ended, following the
action of the Metal Trades Council In
voting to return to work pending the
awards of the federal labor adjust
ment board.
In nearly all the shipbuilding plants
In England and Scotland women are
employed there In large numbers. One
plant alone employs over 5000 Of them.