Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 127, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1904 — LABOR NOTES [ARTICLE]

LABOR NOTES

There are over 130,000 bnrbers and hair dressers in the United States. A recent census shows there are 13,000 people employed oit the world’s fair grounds at St. Louis. The next convention of the Bricklayers’ and Stone Masons’ International Union will meet in San Francisco Jan. 8, War *' At Fall River, Mass., 1,200 striking weavers passed a unanimous vote not to return to work unless assurance were given that no more than eight looms will be operated by one weaver. The Scranton, Pa., Central Labor Union has taken the initiative in that State in a movement to place unionmade goods more prominently on the market and make this class of wares appear more favorably before organisied workers and their friends. One of the biggest industrial establishments in New Jersey has adopted a scheme to prevent the employment of children under 14. The malingers of the concern have calks! before them all the contractors in their employ and all heads of departments and Informed them that if at any time while the present State law is in operation a child under the age of 14 is employed in the factory the responsibility will be laid upon the man in whose department the child is employed, the company will assume no part bf it. If the State officers find the law violated and the company is fined the money will have to be paid by the person in charge of the department in which the child was illegally allowed to work. There are 914,000 members of the French trade unions. The organizations, although small, with an average membership of only 170, are rapidly growing, their numbers having more than doubled within the last ejght or ten years. After much deliberation the French government has decided to span the Great Sahara from Sonth Algeria to the west coast with an electric cable. The line, which is from In-Salah, via Tidekalt and Tagenewt, to Timbnctoo, will be about 620 miles iu length and will cost *300,000. The work is to be completed in shout a year.