The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-02-24
BRITISH WOMEN N FACTORIES
Halt Million Already Engaged in
Making War Munitions, and More
Are Said to De Needed.

/
$4,000 additional women are being EN-
ployed monthly, but even this number
is not sufficient. Doctor Addison said
another 1000 was required each
month.
Steel merchant vessels to the num-
Der of 403, aggregating the largest
tonnage in the history Of American
shipbuilding, were under construction
or contracted for in private shipyards
January l. The department of COM
merce announces that the vessels ag-1
gregate 1,495,601 gross tons, and In.
clude number for foreign account.
During December American yards fin
ished nine steel American vessels.
AS result of the appeal of Albert
| Thomas, minister of manufactures, the
striking French employees at the
Schneider steel works have returned
to work. The employees of Schneider
C Co. at Harfleur, the second largest
steel works in France, went on strike
some days ago NJ. Thomas appealed
to the workers to abandon the strike
on the ground Of patriotism.
Wage raises. ranging from to 10
per cent were given to 1,118,000 work
ers in the United States during No
vember and December, Secretary Will
son of the labor department estimated
in compilation of figures covering
80 states and showing that 52e estab-
lishmentS increased the size 81 the
pay envelope.
Twenty claims aggregating $5C,O00
have been settled by the Elgin Ma
tional Watch company under the Ill.-
nois workmen's compensation act In
dividual claims range between 1850
and $500. The payments are to fam
lilies of 20 employees who died from
drinking impure water from well at
the factory.
In 1916 Kentucky made the thirty-
! fifth state to enact workmen's compen-
sation laws, so that practically three
quarters of the total number of states
in the Union has made available the
newer method of compensating acct
dents within the short period Of less
than six years.
1t is said that an organization of
women in Japan numbers 100000 men,
bers, who have sworn never to parry
unless their prospective husbands
agree to support a movement for OBJ
tanning for them equal treatment with
men and an improved economic posi-
ton.
| The question of jurisdiction between
the{ sheet-metal workers and carpen-
4 ter$ regarding the making of metal
window frames ana the seiSiairs
has been referred to special confer
ence of representatives of both sides
and representative of the A. #. of l..
Shirtmakers affiliated with the United
Garment Workers union of New YORK
city demand a 20 per cent wage an
crease for piece work, So increase for
week work, time and One-half for over
time. Saturday half holidays and So
weekly minimum for beginners.
Massachusetts bureau of labor sta
tistics estimates that rs per cent of
the adult working population Of the
state are paid rates less than So a
week and 500 per cent, or over one
half, were paid rates between So rad
$15 week.
During the first nine months et 1916
the International Molders' union has
made net gain in membership Of ap-
proximately 5000 and has paid out In
sick and out-of-work benefits For the
same period a total of $126,827.20.
1t is stated that probably 100000 OF
the women war workers" in Britain
have been recruited from those former
ly engaged in purely feminine occupa-
tiOns-domestics, dressmakers, ulillin-
ers, etc.
Earthquakes cause electrical waves
and an Italian has invented apparatus
which has registered them several
minutes before seismographs have
shown earth movements!
g Belgian refugees have opened a
horse slaughtering house at Halifax,
Yorkshire, and are teaching British
workmen to eat horse meat.
Women were employed in Pennsyl-
vania last year as teamsters at 81
day, owing to scarcity of male labor
An agreement has been reached by
which skilled machinists are exempt
ed from military service In Britain.
Wheeling CIV. Va.) stogie makers
have won their strike for wage in
crease of ST per thousand.
San Francisco building material
transfers union has received an in
crease of so cents day.
Shoe clerks, grocery clerks and sales
men in dry goods stores are fairly
well organized in every city in Cali
fornia.
Plymouth (England) cooperative
employees strike, which lasted more
than ten weeks, has not been settled.
SO short is the supply of threshing
hands in Yorkshire, England, that boys
/, of twelve are being employed.
Vancouver (B. O. women have petit
toned to be allowed to become mem
bers of the municipal council.
Victoria, Australia, has 1885 regis.
tered factories, employing 81 1888 work.
ers.
; Japan has a compensation act apply
ing to certain classes of factory work.
ers.