The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-11-10
Forwards Congratulations to
Organized Labor Movements
of Chile and Peru.
FOR BASIS OF UNDERSTANDING
Labor Circles Eager for Mutual Good
viii in Present World Crisis
Women May Take Places of
Men in War Industries.

Is in line with the American labor
movements work in behalf of a Pan
American Federation Of Labor, will
help materially to cement the North
and South American workers in bonds
of unity. Mutual understanding in the
present world crisis is looked upon in
By unanimous vote the striking en-
ployees of the Twin City Rapid Tran
sit company agreed to an order of the
Minnesota public safety commission
which terminated the street car strike,
four days old. The union trainsmen
returned to their old runs, and those
who were discharged before the walk
out was ordered, whose reinstatement
was the first issue in the strike, are
to apply for unemployment to their
former station foremen, and if refused
are to submit their claims to the COM
mission, which will effect adjustment
Of individual cases.
Women will be needed to take the
place of men rs war industries expand.
A naval expert is authority for the
statement that fully half the labor to
be expended upon the gigantic air.
plane manufacturing program must be
supplied by women. This proportion
will be maintained in recruiting an in
dustrial force for the naval airplane
factory now under construction at
Philadelphia. Women already are en-
ployed in large numbers in clothing
factories which are QUILTING the army
and navy.
Cotton pickers are making So and
81 day in many sections of the South.
A few years ago such amounts would
have represented pay for week,
Thousands Of cotton piclers are need.
ed to gather the fleecy staple. Cot
\ ton is commanding more than 20 cents
a pound, compared with 10 cents O
hfe! years ago Time was when 75
Reants to 81 hundred POUNDS was con
'gfdeefeu high wages for picking, but to-
day pickers are paid from $3.50 to
SITE hundred.
"Good wages were paid in this
country during the war; high wages
were the rule after hostflities broke
out now an era Of extravagant wages
seems to have set in" said G. e. Bill
ton, president of the New York Manu-
facturers' association. Workmen in
factories here, he said, are getting
$50 week in a large proportion of
cases, while $40 and up is not uncom-
mon. All lines Of manufacture are af-
fected.
An increase of IS to 80 cents per
ton in the price of soft coal to the pub
lie is the meaning of wage increase
of about 80 per cent granted bitumin-
GUS miners. The agreement, following
conferences which began on September
%, provides for an increase of 10
cents per ton to pick and machine
$1.40 day advance for day
and Is cents for dead work, |
yardage and room turning.
The court of appeals at Albany, N.
Y, has upheld in q decision just hand |
ed down the principle that labor unions
have the right to circulate by letters |
or publications requests that their
refuse to assist in the con-
struction of buildings in which NUM-
lions are used, when such circulation |
is not done maliciously, but solely for
the benefit of the members of the |
unions.
On account Of the shortage Of man
power, due to war conditions, women |
will soon be employed as subway
guards during rush hours by the
Rapid Transit company.
About fifty women will be employed.
The manual labor involved is light,
as the doors of the subway cars are
operated by air pressure.
The strike of Baltimore & Ohio rail-
road yard and tally clerks, switch
men, freight handlers and call boys at
Brunswick and Connells-
vile, Pa, and Keyser, w. Va, was set
tied and the men returned to work.
The settlement is claimed by the men
to be a virtual recognition of the
of Railway Clerks.
4 strike of railway clerks and sta
ion employees of the Northern Pa
life railway, which threatened TO tie
ip the entire freight system of the
'oad, was averted when an agreement
vas signed granting the employees
most of their demands.
Five mines Of Anaconda have been
shut down since resumption of work
,wing to shortage of men. Those
mines which are in operation are said
% be running with only about 20 per
,ent Of their normal working force.
The end of the strike of 300 work
RS at Peet Bros soap plant in Kan
as City, Kan, which lasted four
weeks, came when the strikers voted
o ratify the terms of settlement Of
cred by the company.
The railroads OF Argentina have set
led the strike, offering concessions to
he strikers. The marine workers
oined the general strike.