The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-01-07

Belgium. King Albert ana Vuee"
Elizabeth of Belgium, and the prince
Of Wales.
During the closing weeks OF the
year a determined attack upon the
wartime prohibition act held the at
tention Of the country. On October "
President Wilson vetoed the stringent
prohibition enforcement bill passed.
by congress on the ground that the
emergency for which the prohibition
law had been enacted, had passed.
Congress Immediately passed the Dill
over the presidents veto and II De-
came q law. Attacks were made upon
the prohibition law in federal courts
In all sections Of the country and vary
ing decisions were given. Appeal was
taken to the United States Supreme
court which on December Is upheld
the act.
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 8 by a walk
out Of marine workers In New York.
This strike was Of short duration, how
ever, as 1t ended on January II, pend
ing an arbitration of the dispute by
the war labor board. South America
apparently was affected also by new
conditions as great strikes were IN
progress during January in Argentina
and Peru.
On February 9 the country was
startled by announcement Of a gen.
eral strike in Seattle called in sup
port Of striking shipbuilders. Author
tiles announced that this 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 a nationwide
strike Of building trades workers was
started and on March the marine
workers in New York again went out.
On April Is strike Of girl operators
tied up the telephone service through
out the New England states. but this
was ended on April 20 by a compro-
mise wage increase.
On July IS the Building Employers
association Of Chicago, combating a
strike of building workers, locked out
100000 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 a
compromise wage agreement. Rail-
way shopmen throughout the country
struck on August 1 for an increase
from 6S cents to IS 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 walkout of actors.
The strike spread to Chicago and was
not settled until September when
the actors won.
On September 8 the largest part of
the Boston police force went on strike
after the suspension of patrolmen &C.
tive in forming a union. Rioting fol-
lowed in which seven persons were
killed.. The striking policemen voted
on September IL to return to duty.
On September % steel workers
throughout the country went on strike,
demanding wage increases and shorter
hours. Many plants were closed for a
short time but the strikers soon weak
ened and within a few weeks prac-
tically normal conditions were re-
stored.
On October 6 an Industrial confer.
ence called by President Wilson, rep
resenting labor, capital and the public
opened its sessions in Washington,
but after Intellectual attempts to agree
upon a proposal 10 recognize the prin-
ciple Of collective bargaining, the la
Dor members withdrew on October 90
and two days later the conference
came to an end without having ac-
complished any result.
On October Is bituminous coal min
ers were ordered to quit work on Oc-
tober 81 upon failure Of the miners
and operators to agree upon a new
schedule of wages and hours. The
leaders of the miners refused to con-
slider an appeal by President Wilson
to call of the strike. pending an ef-
fort to effect compromise, and the
government proceeded to take vigor-
Gus steps to prevent the shutting Of
the mines. The department Of JUS
tice 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 1.
The shortage Of coal, especially in the
middle and western states, became
alarming and the situation was rem
dered worse by severe cold wave.
The fuel administration and local
commissions put into effect drastic
orders for conservation Of coal. Pres.
ident Wilson then proposed that the
miners accept a wage increase Of II
per cent and return to work at once
and that commission of three to he
appointed by him Investigate md cot