The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-01-04
INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC

| The outstanding feature OF the year
| in the industrial world was the threat
ened strike of the 100000 members or
| 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, IRE
| men, conductors and trainmen, were
made upon the railroads early in the
year and after fruitlcSs conferences
between the representatives or the
brotherhoods and the committee or
general managers representing prac-
tically every railroad in the United
States, 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 strike unfcss the demands of the
men were granted by the railroads.
The federal board of mediation i'm
mediately offered its services in an ef-
fort to prevent strike but on August
II the board announced that 1t had
been unable to bring about an agree
ment and on the following day Presi-
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 10 submit the whole
controversy to arbitration but the
brotherhood representatives refusing
to agree to arbitration of their eight
| hour day demands. August 20, Presi-
dent Wilson. with a promise from the
brotherhood leaders that they could
rescind their strike order already is
sued, If 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 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 submits
sion of rail labor disputes TO board
| of mediation to be appointed by the
| president before q strike could be de-
clared and for government operation of
the railways in case of military neces-
Sity.
The bill embodying the provision for
| the cight-hour basis for wages, known
as the Adamson bill, was rushed
through the house September ! and
was passed by the senate September :.
| The order for strike which was to
have gone into effect September 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 III num-
Der of industries during the early part
scenes of violence. April "a, striking
EMPLOYEES of the Westinghouse com
pany, led by masked woman, rioted
| in East Pittsburgh. Fatal strike riots
occurred at the Carnegie Steel works
in Braddock, Pa, May 2. A big strike
was started by the Chicago garment
workers May o. Express drivers in
Chicago struck May 16 and consider
able violence marked the strike, eX-
press wagons being operated under po-
lice protection. July -, state troops
were sent to La Sale, ILL.,, to quell
riots of cement works strikers.
A strike of street railway men
stopped all surface cars in the Dor
oughs Of Manhattan, Bronx and Rich
mond, New York. August 5, but the
strike ended two days later tempo
rarily. September q, 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 3.
November 8, a large party of !. w
w. members from Seattle engaged IN
battle with n Sherirf's posse mt Ever
EFT, Wash. Seven men were killed dur
ing the fighting.
November -, the National Industrial
Conference Board WAS organized by
representatives of several associations
Of manufacturers said to embrace 10,
900 employers, giving work to approx
mately 100000 persons. The board
II was announced. VII look after tn
interests of employees In their rela
tons with labor.
November o. Judge Hook OF tn
United States district court At kansa
! City. Mo-. held the AdamSon eight-hou
law unconstitutional and IN agreemen
was reached between the representa-
7 tives of the government and of the rail-
2 roads for an appeal to the Unlte
! States Supreme court In an effort I
7 obtain n tln,l decision on the fnlidit
/. of the law NJ soon rs possible.
! The year WAS marked, especially, !
r the latter portion, by marked increase
T. in wages in many industries. Increase
e of $1,000 600 annually were granted |
the soft coal fields March 6. The U1
$ ted States Steel Corporation, Novel;
I Der 81 announced Il 10 per cent II
/ crease of wages, amounting to approx
mately S20O00,0O0 annually. Noven
l. Der %, New England cotton mills a.
n nounced general increase In wage
n Wages were Increased during the yea
4 in the hacking industries and In man
: other fields.
;. The year was one Of great prosperi'
| a., al ,,,.,,, rn ~ a ~ and uurtrlltIrl