Sacramento Union, 11 February 1912
By A. J. EISSING.
The French government employes 120,000 women.
Agriculture supports 250,000,000 persons in India.
Kingston, Can., police want their pay raised from $50 to $60 a month.
The Barbers’ association of Quebec asks the legislature to provide that all barbers be licensed.
Hamilton, Ont., bricklayers want to increase the of wages to 60 cents an hour.
There are 100,000 railway employes in England working for less than $4.87 per week.
Union cigar makers of Albion, Mich., have gained shorter workday.
Farm laborers in Argentine receive $2 in gold a day and their board during the busy season.
The United States Hebrew trades of New York city is actively engaged devising means for the bringing about of safer shops.
The Consumers’ league of Baltimore has instituted a vigorous campaign in favor of a “ten-hour working law for women.”
Persons who hold political offices, either elective or appointive, will be excluded from the Minneapolis Trades and Labor assembly.
At a conference held recently between representatives of the Latin branch of the Bakers’ union and their employers, the six-day week was conceded.
Massachusetts forbids the employment of women in textile mills between 6 p. m. and 6 a. m. and in other manufacturing after 10 p. m.
Wages of factory employes and of common laborers, including domestic servants, are today 75 per cent higher at Leghorn, Italy, than in the spring of 1909.
There are about 180,000 members of the four men’s unions in England, and there is a movement on foot to unite these organizations.
Eighty-two fatal and one hundred and ninety-four non-fatal accidents to work people were recorded by the Canadian department of labor during December.
The West Virginia State Federation of Labor is preparing to make a determined fight for labor legislation before the next session of the legislature.
With the object of securing legislation in favor of labor, the representatives of 7000 union men met at Phoenix, Ariz., and formed a state federation.
The death rate among miners in Colorado is twenty times as high as in Prussian mines. The American death rate among miners is much larger than the average abroad.
A permanent commission has been formed in Mexico to settle industrial disputes and prevent strikes, the commission to work in conjunction with a government labor bureau.
Caguas, Porto Rico, unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor have launched a movement for the erection of a labor temple.
William E. Terry, general organizer of the A. F. of L., has succeeded in organizing the first union of white laundry workers in the South, the same being recently established in Atlanta, Ga.
The laborers’ pension act which Boston, Mass., will put into operation March 1, 1912. is the first instance of a municipality in America providing retirement with half pay to its laborers.
As the result of lawsuits, involving the famous Socialist leader, Pablo Iglesias, and other labor men, the Spanish courts have ordered the dissolution of 400 trade unions.
The total number of working men’s houses already constructed near the city of Havana amounts to 395. These are sold to the working men on small annual payments.
The new Minneapolis scale provides for an increase for job printers from $19.50 to $21 a week. For linotype machines the pay is increased from $23 to $24.50 a week for day work and from $25 to $27.50 a week for night work.
The strike record of the Canadian labor department shows that there were only eight trade disputes in existence during December being six less than in November, and two less than in December.
The troubles over wages which have been holding back the granite industry in Georgia since May have been settled, and a four-year contract signed at a compromise price. The workmen had been drawing $3.20 per day and asked for $3.50.
At a conference at Mexico City, of representatives of the textile mill owners of the whole country an agreement was made with the strikers, granting 10 per cent wage increases.
Voluntary pension distribution of the Southern Pacific Company will reach the million-dollar mark before April 1, according to an announcement made by F. G. Athearn, manager of the company’s bureau of economics.
Even in the luxurious stores and model factories of New York girls receive from $4 to $6 a week, when a conservative estimate show’s that the smallest weekly wage a girl can live on and retain her self-respect is not less than $8 a week.
Representatives of the British Labor party adopted a resolution at their national convention advising trade unions to defy the law which prevents organized labor from contributing funds for the campaign expenses of candidates for seats in the house of commons.
The president of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ union reports to the membership that thirty new local unions were formed during the year 1911 in the United States and Canada, and that the membership is fast approaching the 100,000 mark.
The strike of the lake seamen, foremen and cooks has been in force since May 1, 1909. The chief hope of the sea-, men is the Spight-Wilson bill, which would make it unlawful for a steamship company to employ a crew of which less than 75 per cent were experienced and competent men.
The New York theatrical stage employes have decided that they are entitled to 62 ½ cents per hour. The new regulation also limits the regular working hours of a day, and after that period has passed the stage hand will receive double wage, or in most cases $1.25 an hour.
The British Parliamentary Labor party represents 2,500,000 trade unionists, and has forty-two members in the house of commons, and now proposes to wage a vigorous campaign to secure a larger representation. Funds will be raised to finance a daily paper.
Bricklayers’, Masons’ and Plasterers’ International union has adopted a flat rate of 35 cents a month per capita tax. Hereafter 70 per cent of the funds will be for mortuary benefits, 20 per cent for the general fund,and 10 per cent for the defense fund.
A committee will draft a plan for pension system, which will be submitted to the locals.
Representatives of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and the Amalgamated Woodworkers’ International Union have come to an agreement which, it is believed, will bring into the brotherhood the entire membership of the association. The two organizations have been at war for many years, and in cities where locals of both existed the fight has been a bitter and costly one to both.
Following the signal victory for working men In the supreme court’s endorsement of the federal employers’ liability act, it is announced that a new state liability insurance bill has been prepared for introduction at Albany, following the lines of the Ohio act. It assesses 10 per cent of the cost of insurance upon the workman. 90 per cent upon the employer, and makes acceptance of insurance voluntary while loading its rejection with the full rigor of present disadvantages under the law. The state is to administer the funds.
A somewhat amusing but instructive method of drawing their employes’ attention to the effect of small wastes has been adopted by the Pare Marquette railway. A table has been drawn up by the company showing that for every postage stamp needlessly used the railway has to haul one ton of freight a distance of 3½ miles to recoup for this waste; for a lead pencil the haul is 2 miles; a track spike, 2 miles; 1 pound waste, 10½ miles; a lamp chimney, 10½ miles; a station broom, 35 miles; a lantern, 100 miles; track shovel, 90 miles: 100 pounds of coal, 20 miles; 1 gallon engine oil, 50 miles; 1 gallon signal oil, 60 miles; air hose, 225 miles; draw bar knuckle, 800 miles.
The Italian law on industrial accident insurance is based upon the general principle that the consumer should pay for the cost of production as affected by accidents to the workmen. The cost is first to be borne by the contractor or manufacturer, and then charged against the consumer in the price of the manufactured article. The Italian law might properly be termed a law to prevent accidents, rather than compensation for accidents, as every safeguard is taken to prevent casualties.
The employers have asked for certain changes, however, as the compensation act, which was avowedly drawn in the interest of the workingmen, contains provisions which are held to foster carelessness on the part of the workers. Compensation in case of death is based on a sum equal to five annuities of the annual wages. In case of absolute disability the compensation is based upon six annuities of the wages with a minimum equivalent to $579. For temporary or permanent partial disability the indemnity is computed in proportion to the degree of partial disability as compared with absolute disability. The government does not contribute to the payment of any part of the premium for accident insurance, except to regulate the cost to a reasonable amount and to make it compulsory and uniform to all, in proportion to the risk covered.