The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-07-20


membership of eight unions. The
new scales, running from % to SO per
cent over schedules established In DC
tober, 1917, give inside day workers
the lowest rate of SO cents an hour.
increasing for more skilled trades to
a minimum of so cents an hour for
mechanical repairmen.
A minimum of 81 cents pound for
news print paper was fixed June 10 by
the federal trade commission, the pre-
vious figure having been cents.
The 1000 women employees of the
federal bureau of engraving and print
ing were accorded the minimum wage
they have been fighting for when the
senate passed the $2O22,000,O0O sun
dry civil bill. The bill now goes to
conference, and if house conferees ac-
| cept the senate amendments the women
in the big bureau will receive what
amounts to minimum wage of 1920
a year. This figure contemplates final
enactment Of pending legislation ac-
cording flat increase of $120 year
to government employees.
The unstinted and unlimited patri-
otfsm of the cotton mill operatives Of
the country was voiced by James Tan
sey, president of the National ANAL
gamation of Textile Operatives, in his
annual address to the convention Of
| the amalgamation in New York.
President Tansey declared that the cot
| ton mill workers are prepared to make
any sacrifice that is necessary to have
the war brought to victorious conclu-
sion.
The strike of street car men, which
began at Dayton, Ohio, short time
| ago, was brought to an end through
the efforts of Gov. James M. Cox.
Through an agreement, presented by
the governor and signed by both sides
in the strike, all disputed points will
| be referred to the national war board
for settlement. The men demanded in
crease in pay and recognition of their
union. All Dayton car lines were af-
| fected by the strike.
AS a result of the application of the
| Springfield (Ohio) Street Railway
company to the city commission FOR
relief in an effort to raise the paSSof,
the etaBapAssyses aFsiSr meet ~ y.
lions City Manager Charles q. Ash
burner recommended that the book
ticket rate be suspended and that
straight cent fare be permitted,
which it is estimated, will return ST.
900 annually and allow the company
to raise the men cents an hour.
A strike of 1000 employees of the
Midvale Steel company in Philadel-
phia was reported to the department
of labor by e. e. Greenewalt, federal
| conciliator. Minimum wages of II
cents an hour, with time and one-half
for overtime, and the discontinuance
of the practice of teaching women to
operate machines alongside men are
demanded.
All strikes in the Chicago building
industry were called off, and the Build
ing Construction Employers associa-
ton withdrew the notice that lock-
out would begin. The strikes were on
a number of hotels and apartment
buildings. The grievance will be ar
| bitrated.
A bonus of TO per cent weekly to all
| shoe operatives not under contract was
voted by the Haverhill (Mass.) Shoe
Manufacturers association and put in
the pay envelopes of approximately
| 5000 employees. The bonus affects
about two-thirds of the operatives and
will amount to $650,000 year.
Official statistics show there is less
poverty in England at the present time
than there was before the war. When
a census of homeless persons in Lon
don was taken recently only nine
cases were discovered, against close
on five hundred in 1913.
The strike Of machinists and tool
makers at the three plants of the Cur
tiss Airplane and Motor corporation
| Wdo NullSu Ou anu Tic lueII were UT
dered back to work by Andrew I. Nc
Namara, representing the Internation-
al Machinists union.
Six hundred union carpenters enl-
ployed on the Azelea IN. c. hospital
for tubercular troops went on strike.
They demanded 25 per cent increase
of their present wage of so cents an
hour and time and a half for over
time work.
For the first time in the history OF
Wheeling, w. Va, women and girls
are employed by building contractors.
Women who can stand the work now
wheel brick and mortar for the skilled
men.
The Thomas A. Edison Affiliated In
terests, the largest open shop In the
United States, located at New York,
announced to their 5000 employees
that, starting at once, they would be
given an eight-hour day. Time and
one-half for overtime will be paid.
This means wage increase Of approx
imately half million dollars per year.
The largest Edison plants are at West
Orange, n. j., and Silver Lake, n. Il.
Over a million and a quarter wciu-
en- have replaced men in British in
dustries.
| Mexico forbids the employment Of
| rh{I1YnIN nm 81. ia - 4.