Connecticut western news., 1920-01-01
Labor and Industrial.

Labor and Industrial.
 Serious industrial disturbances were prevalent during the greater part of the year in all countries that had been engaged in war. The series of great ! strikes in the United States was in- augurated on January 9 by a walk out of marine workers in New York. This strike was of short duration, how 1 ever, as 1t ended on January 12, pend ing an arbitration of the dispute hy ! the war labor board. South America apparently was affected also '% nov conditions as %.t;;: s:r.E}s were ih progress during JanGary in Argentina and Peru.
 1 On February the country was startled by annoUncement of gen eral strike in Seattle called in sup port of striking s'snbuilders. Author ! ities announced that ,hi& strike was forced by the radical labor element and prompt measures were taken by Mayor Ole Hanson to suppress it. As ] a result the strike ended on February 10. On February 16 q natiOn-widc ; strike of building trades workers was ! started and on March the marine workers in New York again went out. On April 15 a strike of girl operators tied up the telCph0ne service through out the New England states, but this was ended on April 20 by cOmpro- mise wage increase.
 On July IS the Building Employers association of Chicago, combating a strike of building workers, locked out 2OO.GC0 employees. On the same day Boston street car employees went on strike. Chicago surface and elevated car men struck on July % but the strike ended three days later with d compromise wage agreement. Rail way shOpmen throughout the country struck on August 1 for an increase from 6S cents to & cents an hour, but the strike was called off on August II.
 On August there was inaugurated in New York one Of the most unusual strikes on record-a walllout of actors. The strike spread to Chicago and was not settled until September 6 whCn the actors won.
 On September the largest part of the Boston police force went on strike after the suspension of patrOlmen ac- tive in forming union. Rioting fol- ! lowed in which seven persons were killed. The striking policemen voted on September 12 to return to duty. On Septcmbcr 22 steel workers throu%hout the country went on strike. demanding wage increases and shorter hours Many plants were closed for a short time but the strikers soon weak encd and within few weeks prac- tically normal conditions were re- stored.
 On October an industrial confer ence called by President Wilson. rep resenting labor, capital and the public, opened it's sessions in Washington but after fneffectual attempts to agree upon q proposal to recognize the prin- ciple of collective bargaining, tIl" la- bOr members withdrew on October 22 and two days later thp conference came to an end without having ac- compliShCd any result.
 On October 15 bituminous coal min CTS were ordered to quit work or Oc- tOber 31 upon failure of the miners and operators to agree upon new schedule of wages and hours. Ire leaders of the miners refused to con slider an appeal hy President Wilson to call off the strike. pending an ef' fort to effect a compromise, and the government proceeded to take vigOr ous steps to prevent the shutting of the mines. The department of jus tfce obtained an injunction from Fed eral Judge Anderson at Indianapolis to prevent the leaders of the union from directing the strike, which, how ever. began on November l.
 The shortage of coal. especially in the middle and western states, became alarming and the situation was fen dered lwOrse by a severe cold wave The fuel administration and lOca commissions put into effect drastic orders for conservation of coal. Pres ident Wilson then proposed that tke miners accept a wage increase of T. Der cent and return to work at once and that a commission of three to bt appointed by him investigate and set tie wages and conditions for the fu ture. This plan was accepted by the miners on December 10 and coal pro ductiOn was resumed.
 Mexico and the United States
 Conditions in Mexico continued tt