p. 19 | ITEMS OF INTEREST

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, Cal. · Dec 16, 1903

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 50.

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

—In the following-named States, eight hours' work constitutes a day's labor on all public work: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In the following named of these, eight hours constitute a legal day's work for all, unless specified otherwise by contract between employer and employee: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. These laws do not apply in agricultural work.

—The American Federation of Labor, of which Samuel Gompers, of 423 G Street, N. W., Washington, D. C., is president, and John Mitchell, of Indianapolis, Ind., is second vice-president, is composed of 96 affiliated national unions, 27 State branches, 406 city central unions, and 1,378 local unions. The aggregate membership is 2,000,000. About 235 weekly and monthly papers, devoted to the cause of labor, are issued by these various affiliated unions. About 900 organizers of local unions are working under the direction of the federation.

—The following ten national unions are not affiliated with the American Federation of Labor: The Brotherhoods of Locomotive Firemen, Railroad Trainmen, Railroad Conductors, Locomotive Engineers, and Railroad Switchmen, the Stone Cutters' Association, Bricklayers' and Masons' Union, Brotherhood of Operative Plasterers, National Association of Letter Carriers, and Post-office Clerks' National Union.

—At a conference of the representatives of capital and labor, held in New York, Dec. 17, 1901, under the auspices of the National Civic Federation, a permanent board was appointed to settle differences between employers and the labor unions. This board consisted of thirty-eight persons, fourteen on behalf of the public, twelve on behalf of employers, and twelve on behalf of the labor unions. The Chairman is Senator Marcus A. Hanna.

—From the annual report of the United States Commissioner of Labor we learn that, between the years 1881 and 1900, there were in the United States 22,793 strikes and 1,005 lockouts, involving 127,442 establishments and 6,610,101 men. The average lengths of the lockouts was 97 days, and of the strikes, nearly 24 days. These involved a loss to the laborers of $306,683,223, and to the employers a loss of $142,659,104. Of the strikes, 50.77 per cent succeeded, 13.04 per cent were partially successful, and 36.19 per cent failed. Of the lockouts, 50.79 per cent succeeded, 6.28 per cent succeeded partly, and 42.93 per cent failed.

—During the first nine months of the current year there has been a large falling off in building operations throughout the United States. In eight of the largest cities this decrease has been tabulated, and amounts to $42,250,000. This is an indication of the condition of the country as a whole. The loss to laborers is enormous, and this means a money shrinkage in the communities where these laborers purchase supplies.

—The wealth of the United States in the year 1900 was computed to be $94,300,000,000. The gold in circulation at the present time in the United States amounts to $629,271,532, and the silver, $151,436,658; total of money in circulation (including bank notes) in the United States, $2,246,529,412. The total value of articles manufactured in the United States in the year 1900 was $13,039,279,566. The value of manufactures exported during the year 1902 amounted to $1,381,719,401.

—It is stated that the recent unsuccessful strike of 100,000 textile workers in Philadelphia caused a loss of $12,000,000 to the manufacturers and $8,000,000 to the employees. One result was the introduction of labor-saving machinery which displaced 2,000 men.

—The great anthracite coal strike in the coal regions of Pennsylvania was inaugurated on May 12, 1902, and lasted five months, involving 147,000 men. It was settled by a commission appointed by President Roosevelt, the miners returning to work October 24.

—The meat trusts are paying 25 per cent less for cattle than last year, at the same time raising the cost of meat to the consumer 10 per cent. This makes their business 35 per cent more profitable to them, while both consumer and producer are suffering loss in consequence.

—There are in the United States 15,000 persons possessing fortunes of over $300,000.