1
To Save Children.
More vigorous and thorough
enforcement of the truancy law.
Extension of, industrial edu
cation. A maximum working day of
eight hours for children. .
Requirement of, a' minimum
amount - of school .'attendance
before children are allowed per
mits to work. .
State agents and officers
should be allowed broader dis
cretion in refusing working per
mits for children.
Employers should be held
more strictly responsible for the
physical and moral environment
of children who are employed
by them.
TYPOS GET MORE WAGES.
New Scale For Book and Job Printers
of New York.
A' new scale for the book and job
printers of Typographical union No. C,
New York City, has Just been success
fully negotiated with the Printers'
league. The former scale was $21
per week. The new scale provides for
a gradual increase up to $24 and $26
for day and $27 for night work.. The
scale went into effect on Oct. .10 and
wiH run to Oct. 1. 1915. From Oct.
10 to Sept. 30, 1911. hand men will re
ceive $22 and machine men $24; from
Oct 1, 1911. to Sept, 30, 1912. $23 and
425." respectively, and from Oct." 1,
1912, to Oct. 1, 1915, $24 and $2G. For
night work $27 will be paid to both
hand and machine men from Oct.' 10
of this year to Oct. 1, 1915.
The union at a recent meeting took
the view that this scale negotiation
might not be put through without a
strugggle, and so a 4 per cent assess
ment was laid to meet the anticipated
resistance. The resistance, however,
If such were contemplated, proved to
be a flash in the pan, and the assess
ment was. called off. Both parties to
he contract are to be congratulated,
for it insures to each Ave years of
leace in the book and job printing in
dustry. TRADE UNION BRIEFS.
The United Brotherhood of Carpen
ters and Joiners has funds in bank
to the amount of $325,000.
The United Labor party of Penn
sylvania is lined up against the Re
publican nominees for congress.
The Missouri State Federation of La
bor has declared its opposition to state
wide prohibition of the liquor traffic.
It has been decided by San Fran
cisco Shoe Clerks' association .to issue
several thousand circulars notifying
all ' unions of the names of the firms
fair to these unions.
A total of twenty-seven members
of congress who were the most con
spicuous opponents of labor's requests
have been defeated in the primaries
through our activity. We are going
to be active from now on. Samuel
Gompers.
Germany is experiencing the great
est industrial disturbance it has ever
known and one of the greatest any
country has ever known. The .strik
ers and the objects of lockouts are
counted by hundreds of thousands, and
they comprise the workers in several
of the chief industries of the empire.
How Leap Year Started. -
Hampson, in his "Medli OEVI. Ka
landnrlum," quotes the following
quaint tradition ; from an old Saxon
treatise: "Some assert that the bis
sextu's or leajHlay comes Through this,
that Joshua prayed to God that the
sun might stand still for one day's
length that he might sweep the hea
then from the land that God had grant
ed him and his followers. It is true that
the sun did stand still for one day's
length . over . the city of . Gebaon, but
the day went forward in the same
manner as other days. And the bis
sextus is not through that,' as-soine do
think." , ' , ... ....;,?;..;.'
In France and some parts of Spain
and Portugal there exists a tradition
known as "the ghost of leap year."
Believers in this say that a marvelous
monster annually appears on 1 sap day
and disarranges human affairs' for the
remainder of the year.
LABOR IN MISSOURI.
State Federation Demands Important
Changes In Laws.- j
The Missouri Federation of Labor at
its convention in Jefferson Cily last
week declared war on convict labor.
Among other things, the federation
demands that all goods manufactured
by convicts shall be so stamped that
purchasers may know what they are
getting for their money.
Other demands which the conven
tion will present to the next legisla
ture are:
The enactment of a law creating the
"Missouri employers' compensation
commission" to investigate the sub
ject of compensation of injured work
ingmen. . - ,
The enactment of a law that no
property shall be exempt from levy
and sale on judgments obtained for
work in certain cases. r
Strengthening the employers' liabil
ity, state factory inspection and child
labor laws of the state for the better
protection of workingmen, women and
children.
Providing exhaust fans in foundries
to carry off gas and smoke.
A law creating a fifty-four hour
work week for women.
A law providing for free textbooks,
clothing, food and shelter, etc., for
orphan children or children of wid
owed parents.
Insurance For Brewery Workers.
Pittsburg United Brewery Workers
have sanctioned a plan of insurance
in which both workers and employers
will co-operate and by which some 6Q0
members of the three local unions
will be benefited. Employers will pay
$18 a year for each member .of the
union employed into a fund into which'
the union will pay $6. The fund will
be controlled by a commission of sev
en members, three chosen by the em-',
ployers, three by the union and the
seventh by the six representing em
ployers and einployeas. A workman
Injured in the course of his employ
ment shall receive 65 per cent of the
amount of wages earned, provided the
disability continues for more than ten
days. He shall not receive compensa
tion for any one injury for a longer
period than fifty-two weeks. In case
of death through accidental injury an
amount equal, to four years' wages
shall be paid the dependents of the
.workman. It is expected that in time
there will be sufficient cash reserve to
permit of an old age pension fund.
A GEM OF POESY.
Maybe It Was the Heat That Made It
Burst Into Being.
Stewart Edward White, William
Kent and myself were hunting moun
tain sheep in the ranges of -Mexican
California. Perhaps because the. sav
age heat of the desert which we were
crossing had somewhat gone to our
brains we fell to making poetry upon
various aspects of desert life.' White
rhapsodied upon . the, tarantula; .Kent
ditnyrambed"verhe"pacB mule"; I
sang the dispraises of the jack rabbit.
Finally White, who was cook for the
day.' offered a special prize of . duff
with raisins (the last remnant of our
store) for the premier verse to be
turned out before sunset. At noon we
met up with a wandering prospector,
who introduced ; himself as J. : Noel
Benson. - native son of California, and
observed upon learning of our literary
efforts that he was some poet himself.
On being invited to enter the list he
retired to the top of a mesa, where the
thermometer was something like 110
in . the absence of shade, and after
half an hour of self communion re
turned with the following gem of
poesy: -THE
GNAT.
The gnat he is a noisome mite.
. He loves to buzz. He loves to bite.
He crawls upon you when you're hot.
1 love the naughty gnat nit not!
The duff was awarded to him with
out protest from the other contestants.
Success Magazine. v:
WORKERS' COMPENSATION.
Validity of New York Law Upheld by
. the Court.
A decision has. just been handed
down by the New York supreme court
in Erie county holding the workmen's
compensation act of 11910 chapter 071)
constitutional. The question was rais
ed before Justice Pound. The ease is
Ives versus South Buffalo Railway
company. The plaintiff stated in his
complaint that he was employed as a
switchman by the South Buffalo Rail
way company and was injured, in the
prosecution of his work without negli
gence on his part and without serious
or willful misconduct, but solely by
reason of the necessary risk or danger
of his employment. r .
The defendant asserted that the act
was unconstitutional. Prior to the en
actment of the statute of : 1910 the
plaintiff would not be entitled to re
cover anything, so that the sole ques
tion before the court was as to wheth
er the statute was constitutional. The
act was attacked on, the ground that it
unduly discriminated against railroads
and other employments classified - as
dangerous employments. The court
held that there was no discrimination;
that the classification was a sound one
and not , frivolous. The next point
raised was that the act imposed a lia
bility without fault. "
Justice Pound cited a number of
other instances in which the common
law imposed a liability without fault,
such as the liability of the husband
for the torts of his wife or a master for
the acts of his servant, and held that
this did not make the act unconstitu
tional. The court held that the -act
came within the principle laid down by
Holden versus Hardy. 169 U. S.. 300.
and which was recognized in the case
of Lockner versus Nw York, 189 U. S.,
45, which is the .case recently criticised
by President Roosevelt, and cited this
case as an authority for upholding the
constitutionality Of this act.
The decision of Justice Pound is in
teresting as being the first in Which the
constitutionality of the act has been
squarely passed upon. 4
STRENGTH IN UNION.
What Organization Has Done For the
Brotherhood of Carpenters.'
At. the recent biennial session of. the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters' at
Des Moines Secretary Frank Duffy in
his report shows that the membership
of the order increased from 178,503 on
June 30, 1908, to 200.712 on June 30.
1910. . It also shows consolidatituv of
small locals in thirty-seven cities,
eighty-two locals being involved.
. Wages have been increased, work
ing hours -reduced, the piece -system
plcficalTy '-'aboTBsliSd; better rworklug"
conditions established, the sick taken
care of and the widows and orphans
remembered " and ' protected. Those
who say labor' organizations are uo
good know not whereof they speak.
A study of the labor 'movement in
America ' will reveal' some startling
facts ahd f urnisb some interesting in
formation. The history-, f this organ
ization plainly .shows great improve
ments, advancement "ahd achievements
physically, morally, mentally and oth
erwise among its members. It shows
over $2,000,000 spent locally. in '"sic k
benefits, $2,514,106.75 hv death and
disability benefits, $2,129,947.09 in im
proving the trade, $378,500 in sup
port of sister organizations in distress
and more than $500,0Q0 for education
al purposes in publishing, a monthly
journal for the edification, enlighten
ment and advancement of its mem
bers and, besides that, a gain in wages
within the last few1 years of over $11.
000,000 per year more than would
have been received had there, been no
organization at. all. This, gain in
wages went back into the pockets and
coffers of the business man ahd pro
moted industry, enterprise and pros
perity in its circulation.
The Trade, Union. .
Fosters education and uproots
ignorance. '' '.'" '. '
Shortens hours and lengthens
life.
Raises wages and lowers usu
ry. , '
Increases independence and de
creases dependence.
Develops manhood, and balks:
tyranny, .
Establishes fraternity and dis-,
courages selfishness'.
Reduces prejudice and induces
liberality.
Enlarges society and elimi
nates classes.
Creates right and abolishes
wrong. ' ' -
Lightens toil and brightens
man.
Cheers - the home and fireside
and makes the home better.
All wageworkers should be
union men. Their progress is
limited only by them that hold
aloof. (Jet together!, Agitate,
educate and do!
Don't wait until tomorrow-
tomorrow never comes.
Don't, wait for some one else
to start; start it yourself.
Don't harken to the indiffer
ent; wake them up.
Don't think it impossible
3,000.000 organized workers
prove different. '.-"
Don't weaken; persistence,;
wins.
se$$e33'$'
UNION LABOR NOTES.
The St. Paul union bakers have in
corporated a baking company and will
run it on the co-operative plan. -
Organize! Persist in organizing.
Never cease organizing until . every
wageworker in your community is a
union man.
Edgar A. Perkins of Indianapolis,
editor of the Indiana Labor Union,
has been elected president of the In
diana State' federation of-Labor.
At the convention, of the American
Federation of Labor- at Sf, Louis, lie
ginning Nov. 11. Samuel Gonipers will
be elected president for "the' "twenty
seventh 'time.' ,;'"""'"
A campaign t.oJ, secure' a wage in
crease for all the union blacksmiths
and helpers of , New , England U .being
.conducted by international Organizer
W. J. Dougherty. : '
