The labor standard., 1918-04-15
ADJUSTED MANY
 LABOR DISPUTES
Good Showing Made by Depart ment in First II Months
 of War.
STRIKES HAVE BEEN FEWER
Statistics Show Industrial Disturb ances Lessened Since the Entry of
 the United States Into Conflict ,s
 -GeneraI Labor News. T'

the war ended March the department of labor has handled SO7 industrial controversies. affecting directly 1,2OO,- GOO workers, the department announce ment said. Of these 539 were adjust ed by the department alone, while 1O9 were settled by state and local boards of mediation, with the assistance Of the department. Efforts failed only in T cases, involving mostly small SDn- cerns employing less than 100 men. The department is now handling "A disputes, only IT of which involve men actually on strike. Strikes have not been as numerous since the war start ed as in normal times, the depart ment's records show.
 A reduction of two hours week in the working schedule with an increase of 10 per cent in wages was announced by the Otis Elevator company at it's general works in YOnkers, N. Y., where 5000 men and women are employed. General Manager Edward Fitch said that hereafter the plant will work 4S instead of 50 hours week, which gives employees the long-sought eight hour day. In addition to making ele- vators the company is working on mu- nitions for the government.
 Demanding their old schedule of double time for overtime work instead of the new schedule of time andla half, between 1000 and 5000 shipbnilders at the Hog Island plant of the Ameri- can International Shipbuilding corpo- ration struck. The walkout, it was &ofa ,4 <1a,s- standing and was quickly adjusted.
 Leon Jouhaux, secretary of the French Federation of Labor; J. s. Thomas, representing the National Union of Railwaymen of Great Brit ain, and Belgium representatives will form, it is said, a delegation to visit the United States to discuss the pro- ject of an international labor confer ence with Samuel GOmpers.
 The Industrial Council Of Passaic Wool Manufacturers voted to grant a . wage increase of $5OOOOO to employ ees in the various mills. This is the third voluntary increase made since December, 1916. The mills employ 12,- 500 persons. The mills granting the increase have no German connection.
 Union fremen employed in cotton mills in Fall River, Mass, voted to strike unless their demands for closed shop conditions were granted. The union asked for shorter working hours and an agreement for the employment of none but union fremen.
 Official announcement will shortly be made regarding scheme for large ly increasing the cultivation of flax in Ireland, the proposal being to secure lands in the midlands and south and subsidize the farmers to the extent of SIG, ,OOO, 900.
 In his annual report, Louis l.. Allen. Tennessee's state factory inspector, says the average weekly wages of male adults in Tennessee for the last five years were: 1913, $12.6s; 1914, $12.17; 1915, $1240; 1916, $12.15; 1917, $1283.
 More than 100000 mechanics have enrolled as shipyards volunteers, the labor department said. Illinois, which reached it's quota of 23,662 some time ago, is still registering men who volun- teered.
 Mobilization of 3,OOO,OO0 workers for agriculture, shipbuilding and war con- tract plants has been intrusted to the United States employment service by the department of labor.
 In certain cities of Pennsylvania recent investigation showed that more than per cent of the white wage workers were disabled by sickness of serious nature.
 Creation of volunteer reserve of 250,0OO shipyard workers is planned by the shipping board. The men will be recruited with the assistance of state defense councils.
 Agitation by the Teamsters' and Chauffeurs' union for wage increases resulted in the Team Owners associa- tion voluntarily raising wages in Ia coma, Wash. '
 Women factory workers in France threaten to strike unless they have holidays at the same time their hus- bands are home on leave from the war front.
 Canada will create committee of representative labor men who, during the war, will advise with the govern ment on all questions of labor.
 A record production of Portland ce- ment was established last year, the production being 9,544OOO barrels.
 The superintendent of New York state prisons suggests the utilization of convict labor in munitions making by enlarging prison shops.
 The British parliament proposes to apply supplemental sum of about $25O,OOO for the purpose of intermedi- ate education for Ireland.
 England has issued a call for wOm- en in the navy, not as fighting sailors, but to replace men doing clerical and repair work on land.
 The carpenters new wage scale in San Francisco is $6 for an eight-hour day. Carpenters in the shipyards re- celve $6.6O a day.