davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
GUN MEN ACQUITTED
 OF SELLINS' DEATH

Pittsburgh, Pa, June 15.- Ajury has acquitted two strike guards who were charged with the murder of Mrs Fannie Sellins, organizer of the United Mine Workers, and Joseph Stirzlecki, a striking miner. The shooting was at Natrona. near here, at the mines of the Allewheny coal and coke company on August %. 1919 The jury said the deaths were the result of a battle be- tween strike guards and miners.
 The prosecution produced photo graphs taken just before the shooting to sustain its claims that the firing was unprovoked, and that the miners were not in hostile attitude
 James Oates organizer of the United Mine Workers. testified that the strikers and their wives were orderly and were joking with the strike guards before the tragedy. The organizer said he went to Natrona with Mrs. Sellins and when shots were heard she hurried up the hill to protect the women and children. The witness identified one of the accused guards as the man who shot Strzlecki ln the back.
 Organizer Oates testified that Justice of the Peace Conway declined to go up the hill with him to identify the n1ur- derers, and he finally induced the chief of the county detectives to visit the scene of the shooting.
 Numerous strikers testified regarding the inaction of officials and the brutality ot mine guards toward citizens.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
MINIMUM WAGE LAW
 GETS ANOTHER BUMP

Boston, June I5.-The publisher of the Boston Transcript has been fined SIoo in the municipal court for refus- ing to print a report of the Massachu- SettS minimum wage commission. The decision has been appealed and be- cause of the unconstitutional points involved, the case will undoubtedly go up to the supreme court
 The minimum wage commission has no authority to enforce it's decisions, which are supposed to depend upon the power of public opinion. The law empowers the commission to publish the names of firms that refuse to ac- cept its wage awards. This proee- dure has been followed as a matter of form, but snag was struck in the case of the L. P. Hollander company, dealers in fashionable wearing ap- parel for Boston's exclusive set
 The commission found that this concern was paying less than the min imum wage of $o a week for begin ners, ST for those of experience and $I4 for experienced women and girls
 The commissions announcement was printed in several other Boston papers, but the Transcript refused on the ground that it might lay the pa per open to civil action. The Trans cript also claims that the legislature has no right to say what paper shall publish
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
HOLDERS REPORT CONDITIONS GOOD
 IN THIS DISTRICT

Business Representative John H. Dunn, of the Connecticut Valley sCon- ference Board of Iron Mclders, reports good conditions throughout said district at the annual meeting of-s.Sshoard held 1T, Norwich, Conn.,. Friday and SaturL day of last week. The conference some time ago made a demand for S20 per day for hte members of their craft. and have placed the same in effect in New London and Stamford with prospects very good for adjusting the new wage agreement in Bridgeport and Derby. New Haven was also reported to be in very good condition as there is no molders out of employment in the city Owing to the faithful services rendered and as a reward the conference re- elected the same officers. President. R. J. Skehan; vice presidents. William Hearing of Stamford, William Brew of Westfeld secretary-treasurer Michael Connors; Business Agent. John H. Dunn.
 The delegates to the conference were entertained on Friday evening at smoker arranged by the local union of Norwich. Eugene Murphy, business agent of the eastern New England con- ference board, was visitor at the con- vention and reported very favorable conditions for the holders in his district.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
EIGHT HOUR DAY PROVEN PRACTICAL
 IN BIG IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY
Federal Council of Churches Receives Report of Colorado Fuel & Iron Company-Surprised These Facts Were Not Included in
 Report to President Harding.

company and representatives of the employees and followed numerous re- quests made by employees after the adoption of our employees represen- tation plan early in 1916, that the I2- hour work shift be eliminated.
 "The immediate results from the standpoint of production per man hour and of labor cost per unit of output were satisfactory, and where conditions have been comparable 1t has been evident that we have lost nothing either in producing cost or output by reason of the change.
 "At blast furnaces the labor cost per ton immediately following the i'm troduction of the eight-hour day with the increase of 10 per cent in wage rates, increased slightly over one per cent. above former costs. At open hearth furnaces it increased one and half per cent, while at our rolling mills there was a substantial reduc- tion in the labor cost per ton.
 Recent careful analyses of oper- ating results between various I2 and eight-hour work periods have been made and show these results to be even more satisfactory than we had realized The trend of production per man hour, with unimDortant ex- captions, has been upward since the adoption of the eight-hour day; and in every department of our steel manufacturing operations, from blast furnace to the wire mill, our produc- ton per man hour is now greater than 1t was when all of these activ- ities were operating on the I2-hour shift. Comparing these results of the last few months with periods of simi- lar production when basic rates were 10 per cent. lower than Current rates and the working time I2 hours per day, we find that almost without ex- ception our labor cost per ton is lower than in the earlier periods.
 Furthermore, whenever the ques- ton of change made in the length of the working day has come up for dis cussion between officials and em- ployes' representatives, satisfaction with the change has been expressed by the employees. It is obvious, there fore, that our change from a I2 to an eight-hour day was practical and has been successful
 "A factor of added interest is the fact that with almost capacity opera tions at our steel plant during the last few months and employing over six thousand men, we have experi- enced no shortage of labor. Our op- erating officials have frequently ex- pressed the belief that this condition is due, in large part at least, to adop- ton of the eight hour shift"
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
LOCAL CARPENTERS
 HOLD LIVELY SESSION
Large Attendance On Hand For An
 nual Election of Officers.

Local Union, No. 7o, Carpenters and Joiners elected officers on Monday even ing for the ensuing year. The contest that developed between the various candidates brought. forth a very en- thuSiastic attendance and many times during the evening it was quite evident from the expression of opinions that the members were desirous of complete change in officers and so voted. There was none of the old officers elected that had any opposition except the recording secretary.
 The officers for the new term elected were: William Therrien, president; A. R. Starno, vice president; recording secretary, John Fly Smith; financial secretary, John Strachan; treasurer, Fred Snyder; conductor, Paul Jackel j; warden, A. J. Mcdonald; trustee, A. w. Branch; delegates to the District Council. John Strachan, Henry Mayer, John Fly Smith Fred Snyder, Clyde Adams, William Therrien, Paul JaJckel, A. R. Starno and John Daley; delegates to the Trades Council, John Fly Smith, Clyde Adams, Fred Snyder, John Strachan and Paul Jackel. The election of business agent takes place on the last Saturday in June at the Trades Council Hall, 215 Meadow Street. The candidates nominated for the office are: A. w. Branch and John Strachan. Fred ODell IS now acting as business agent pending the election the later part of the month.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
HARTFORD JOINERS
 ELECT OFFICERS
Especial to The Labor News.) }

Hartford, Conn, June I4.-At the annual meeting of the Carpenters and Joiners, held in Carpenters hall, on Market street last Monday evening, June 10, the following officers were elected: President, w. B. LiIvae: vice-president, T. H. Russel; record ing secretary, J. Mulvae; financial sec retary, H. P. Grace; treasurer, Charles Taylor; conductor E. P. Riley; war den, A. McNeil; trustee, J. Sullivan; business agent, D. J. Donovan.
 The members of the local Carpen- ters union will be without the services of Brother George Gerety owing to the fact that he has been made build ing inspector. His position, however, will no doubt be capably filled by D. J. Donovan who is exceedin1y popular with the members not only of his own local but with those affiliated with other locals as we'll.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
LABOR GLAD TO SEE KANSAS
 INDUSTRIAL COURT FALL BY
 THE WAYSIDE, SAYS GOMPERS Governor Allen, Who Has Just Returned From Europe, Sure to Be Disappointed.

There is to be neither price-hxing nor wage-hxing in connection with the butcher, the baker, the tailor, the wood- chopper, the mining operator or the miner We are left to wonder what is to be the case with other industries.
 We learn from the decision that one does not devote property or business to the public use or clothe it with public in terest merely because one makes com modities for and sells to the public in the common callings of which those above mentioned are instances
 Labor is glad to see the Kansas court fall by the wayside. Labor knew long before that court was established that such an institution could neither function satisfactorily nor long survive
 If it is permissible to fegard the req soning of the court as an indication of a tendency to life the hand of politics and political influence from the industrial world we may express some measure of satisfaction. The difficulty, however, Is that it is difficult to divorce this most recent opinion from the opinion in the child labor case after which there is no other conclusion to be reached except that anything Is within the realm of possibilities where Supreme Court decisions are concerned.
 "The public may expect anything and If there IS a progressive result occasional ly 1t is quite as likely to be by accident as by design.
 q wonder whether Governor Allen would now care to resume the debate we had on the Kansas Court" .
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15

Commenting on the decision of the Su- preme Court in the case of the Kansas Court of Industrial Relations Act, Presi- dent Samuel Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor today said:
 Labor maintained at the outset that the Kansas law was in violation of the Constitution, because 1t imposed com pulsory labor. In spite of the propa- ganda of a host of self-appointed evangelists of industrial peace who saw in the Kansas law either an end to labor's struggle upward or a Utopia es- tablished by law, labor maintained its position as the one great force in the country holding fast to the tenets of democracy and truth that is in the Con- stitution. On this point the reasoning of the court fully sustains labor. Kansas one again is headed toward freedom. Governor Allen, who has just returned from Europe will be sorely disappointed, but except for some corporations he will be almost alone in his sorrow.
 While the decision of the Supreme Court applies only to limited extent, 1t will, nevertheless, serve to so restrict the activities and work-of the Kansas court as to make that court practically inopera- tive.
 ''It is not easy to know exactly what IS in the mind of the Supreme Court in connection with this decision and per- haps the Supreme Court does not intend that 1t shall be easy. QQuite clearly, however, the doctrine of laissez faire is to govern industrial relations over at least a portion of the field
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
HIGH COST OF GOVERNING U. S b" --
 IS APPALLING

Minneapolis, June I5.-Costs of governing the American people has reached appalling figures, according to a letter from President. Harding to Prof M B. Lambie of the University of Minnesota.
 The chief executive stated that the census bureau prepared the figures for him, and show, for example, that rev enues from all sources of the state governments in 1913 aggregated S368, ,ooo, 900 and in 1921 $o5o,ooo, 900, an increase of IoI per cent Expen- ditures arose from $383, 100000 in 1913 to $I,oo5, ,ooo, ,ooo in 1921, an in crease of I63 per cent Indebtedness increased from $423,ooo,ooo in 1913 to SI,oI2, 100000 In 1921, an increase Of I3o per cent.
 "The figures hardly require com ment because they demonstrate so conclusively, 1t seems to me, that costs of state government are rising at rate which at least justifes the most serious consideration" said the Presi- dent
 Along with the foregoing data re- garding the cost of state govern ments, the census bureau has furnish ed some figures on the increase in cost or Clly governments. IHeSe hS ures are based on the erturns of the government of the largest cities in the country.
 "It is shown that for cities in this group revenues in 1913 amounted to $500, ,ooo, ,ooo and in 1921 $I,5o7 ,ooo,- 900, an increase of 76 per cent. For the same group expenditures were ST. o1o,ooo,ooo in 1913 and in 1921 ST., 726 ,ooo,o 1000, an increase of 7I per cent. indebtedness of 1913 was $2 ,ooI 100000 and in 1921 $4,334,- COG, ,ooo Jan increase of 4o per cent"
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15

Connecticut is not the only place 1t seems where coolie labor is not wanted, even though this class of la Dor has very staunch advocate in Speaker of the House of Representa- tives L. J. Nickerson. It will be re- called that a few weeks ago in an ad- dress delivered before the farmers of Connecticut MT. Nickerson signalized his appointment as a judge of the Superior court by coming out strong 1y in favor of importing coolie labor for certain period to work on the farms in this state and then bundle them together again so they could be shipped out of the state, whether to be dumped into the sea or not, he forgot to mention.
 Extolling the virtues of the coolie he told how they could be counted on to work long hours without making any complaint, but very discreetly failed to mention the most important reason for which they are wanted, that of the low wages which they could be made to work for
 A recent investigation by officials of the United States Government dis closed the fact that great numbers of coolie laborers were being used in factories on Long Island The inves- tigation was brought about when citi- zens, American Legion officials, mem bers of organized labor and many public officials filed protests with Secretar yof. Labor James J. Davis that coolies were being used in viola ton of the law at the plant of the Nichols Copper Company and other factories along the Newton Creek
 In a raid conducted by United States agents assisted by the local police more than 100 coolies were rounded up and rushed aboard the government boat, the William C. Moore. They were later conveyed to Ellis Island where they are now awaiting deportation This is the first of series of raids planned by the same officials, and 1t is expected that more than. 500 coolies will be taken from this district alone.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
l. I. U. TO START CAMPAIGN OF MAKING
 BETTER PRINTERS

Indianapolis, Ind, July 15.-Plans for an educational campaign to instruct union members on the true relationship of Communistic ideas with the labor union movement and to equip each mem Der with arguments in favor of encourag- ing ur1ionisrn through use of the union label have been formulated b ythe Allied Printing Trades Council. according to an announcement made at headquarters of the International Typographical Union here.
 Headers of the printing unions be- lieve that more general recognition of the justice and soundness of the trade union principle will go far toward preventing spread of dangerous and troublesome ideas of governmental reform" said J. W. HayeS.- -secretary-treasurer of the Typographical Union. "Sympathies of sensible men can be drawn to revolu- tlonary movements only when no other avenue for escaping economic hardships can be discovered
 Tt is hoped that by arning each craftsman in the printing trades with a thorough understanding of union aims and policies many thousands of men and women, outside the ranks of union- ism, may be reached Each union man may be able to clear up misconception in the minds of frineds and ac- qua1ntances."
 Aims and objects of the Typographical unions are given as follows:
 ''To establish and maintain an euuita- ble scale of wages and project ourselves from sudden and unreasonable f1uctua- tons Tn pay; to protect just employers from unfair competition; to defend our rights and interests as working men; to create an authority whose zeal shall con- stltute a certificate of character, inte1li- gence and skill to build up an organi zation in which all worthy members of the craft can participate in the discussion of problems affecting their welfare; to foster fellowship and brotherhood and Shleld from aggression the isolated to1ler; to aid the destitute an dunfortu nate and provide for the decent burial of deceased members; to develop and stimulate by association and social con- verse those kindly instincts of humanity that most highly adore true manhood; to encourage the principle and practice of conciliation in differences between cani- tai and labor; to incite honorable effort tor better conditions of labor and greater enjoyment of the amenities of life: to concomitants of culture and civilization to defend the defenceless, befriend the tr1endless, and in all charity inculate lessons of justice and good will among men,"
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
A VICTORY FOR LABOR

As of the United States Supreme wherein held that under conditions the Industrial Relations Act without authority enforce provisions wherein its firmly believed the could be forced bow the will favored few Labor has notable victory and the justice of its contentious have been upheld.
 The workers have maintained from the that the violation of the rights guaranteed all citizens under the Constitution and the United States Supreme Court has approved that by latest decision
 While this decision but portion of the provisions of the law the decision of sufficient indicate that the time gradually approaching when it will be univer sally recoggngzed that Labor commodity to be traded bartered bushels of pounds of hour but s a human element and must be considered
 has taken long bring about legislation and laws for the and advancement of human life and health distinguished from prosperity, and indications multiplying that the rights of live fruits of their efforts of equal importance least the of and this decision of the United States Su Court Is but another step this direction though a mighty important though applies to only ton of the act in question. I. M. ORNBURN.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15

New York, June 14.-With the statement that the American Iron and Steel Institutes committee in it's re- cent unfavorable report on the aboli- tion of the 12-hour day had failed to give the public the other side of the question, the research department o1 the Federal Council of Churches to- day continued the fight against the long work day.
 The department made public a let ter from J. F. Welborn, president ot the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, of Denver, in which John D. Rocke- feller, IT,, has an interest. Tn it MT Welborn tells how his company dur ing the last five years has demon strated that the abolition of the I2- hour day is entirely practicable.
 The letter was addressed to Ray mond B. Fosdick, of New York, di- rector of the company, and was tran smitted to Rev. F. Ernest Johnson, director of the Federal Councils re- search department, in answer to a re- quest for information concerning the company's experienced
 In giving it out MT Johnson ex- pressed surprise that the testimony which it contains should not have been secured by the Iron and Steel Institutes committee for inclusion in its report to the President of the United States. The covering letter from MT. Fosdick to MT. Johnson is as follows:
 Dear Mir Johnson:
 "Ini reply to your question as to the experience of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company in substituting the eight,hour day for the I2-hour day in its steel plant I am sending you herewith a letter which I have just received from Mr. Welborn, the presi- dent of the company, which is a more complete answer than I could my self give you"
 The letter of MT. We1born to Mr. Fosdick says:
 "In reply to your request, I am glad to send you a statement of the results of the change from I2-hour to an eight-hour shift at the steel plant of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company.
 "The change, as you know, was made November I, 1918, the hourly, tonnage and piece rates being in creased 10 per cent. when the work ing shift was reduced from I2 to eight hours. Our rates, prior to No vember I, 1918, had always been on the same basis as the steel industry generally paid in the East.
 "The changes both in working hours and basic rates were arranged at conferences between officials of the
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
Meat Trust Not a Trust

Chicago, June I6.-The meat trust that has been formed by the Armour and Morris plants is not trust, ac- cordfng to a statement issued by the former concern. The secretary of agriculture, the federal trade commits sion and other government officials oppose the trust. The only exception is Attorney General Daugherty. Now the Armour concern, which has swal- lowed the Morris company, declares that the latter concern was taken over Gin the interest of producers and consumers"
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
NICKEL TRUST PROSPERS.

New York, June 15.-Last year the International Nickel Company changed a deficit of $7o7,746 the previous year into net profit of $47,17O, This profit IS announced after salaries are paid officials and substantial amounts are set side for depreciation and depletion and all taxes are paid.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
STREET CAR MEN GAIN.

Dubuque, Iowa, June I5.-Street car employees have negotiated a new agreement which provides for 40 cents an hour the first year of serv- ice; IA cents the second year, and 4o cents the third and following years. The old rates were 35, 38, and AZ cents.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
ACCIDENTS INCREASE.

Seattle, June I5.-Industrial acci- dents in this state last year increased 43 per cent. over the previous year. There were 3o,o2I non-fata1 and 352 fatal accidents from April I, 1922, to April I, 1923. This includes accidents in industries coming under the industrial insurance law
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
URGE SUGAR BOYCOTT.

Chicago, June 15.-The secretary of the city council high cost committee urges women to boycott sugar. He calls 1t reducing the consumption of sugar" He says there are 564.O00,0OO pounds of sugar stored in one warehouse in this city.
The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-15
STEREOTYPERS TO MEET.

Omaha, Neb., June 15-The annual convention of the International Stereotypers and Electrotypers' union will be held in this city begin ming July I6. A home for these aged unionists is one of the issues.