The labor standard., 1918-05-01
GIVE IDLE MEN WORK FIRST
Women's Defense Council Diseouraues the crowding of Women Into
 Industry.

The national conference of the wom- ems committee of the national coun- cil of defense has adopted the policy of discouraging the industrial employ ment of women until idle men are set to work. . Members of the conference assert that there are nifty thousand unemployed men in New York and re- ports show that other cities have com paratively large numbers. The dele gates to the conference at Washington decided no emergency had arisen for day nurseries and the employment of mothers with dependent children should not be encouraged.
 Union printers working in Indian apolis on hand job work are to re ceive $26 week wages until the Unit ed States concludes peace with Ger many and $25 week for three years thereafter, according to an award handed down by the board of arbitra- tion between the Union Employing Printers association in Indianapolis and Typographical Union No. l of In- dianapolis. They were awarded back pay from January 1. The present scale is. $22 a week. The board was ap- pointed to effect new agreement to take the place of the one that expired January l.
 The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey granted all of it's refinery plant employees except bricklayers and watchmen flat wage increase of 10 per cent to become effective at once, The general increase will affect more than 30,OO0 employees and will ulti- mately be extended toN the subsidiary corporations. In addition the officials announced new plan of insurance for all employees and old age pensions.
 All the anthracite mines in the Le- high field except two at Lattimer, Pa.. were operated on Good Friday in re sponse to appeals of the union leaders, the coal companies and the clergy that the men remain at work to meet the wartime demand for fuel. Some of the collieries were short-handed. This is the first time in many years that the breakers have been run full blast on a Good Friday.
 z The Bethlehem Steel company an- ounced that, effective April 16, an in- crease of approximately 15 per cent would be made in the general labor rate at all the company's plants. at Bethlehem, Pa., and at SteeltOn, Pa: Lebanon, Pa, and Sparrows Point, Md. Adjustments will be made in other po- sitions directly affected by the increase in the general labor rate.
 Organization of the 5OO,OO0 steel workers in the United States was ask ed in communication addressed to the, American Federation of Labor by the local organization. President John Fitzpatrick declared that conditions in the steel industry today compared with those in the stockyards year ago.
 The Massachusetts legislative com mittee on social welfare voted, 6 to.5, to report a bill providing for a 5O-hour week for women and children employ ed in all industries. The present law limits employment to 54 hours week. The American Federation of Labor had petitioned for reduction to 48 hours.
 Universal enforcement of a national minimum wage, democratic control of industry, a revolution in national finan- ces and the surplus wealth for the com mon goOd-these are the four cardi- nal points of British labor reconstruc- ton after the war.
 An Amsterdam dispatch reports that a colossal strike at Krupp's gun fac tory is threatened. Five thousand men at the Essen works have issued an ul- timatum demanding one complete days rest in every week and more and bet ter food.
 By vote of the executive commit tee at Springfield, Ill.,, the United Mine Workers of Illinois will invest $155, GOO for the third Liberty loan, bringing their bond purchases to half a million dollars.
 The president of the National Union of Manufa cturers at meeting at Lon don, said the recent 12k per cent b0- nus to munition workers is costing the country f14O,OOO, 900 yearly.
 The new bylaws which provide for the early closing of all retail grocers and meat dealers in the city were pass ed by the city council at Vancouver, B. c.